Ed Mitchell (pitmaster) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ed Mitchell
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Ed Mitchell in 2008
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| Born | 1948 or 1949 (age 76–77) |
| Nationality | American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Occupation | Pitmaster |
Ed Mitchell (born in 1948 or 1949) is a famous American pitmaster and businessman. A pitmaster is someone who is an expert at cooking barbecue, especially using a pit or smoker. Ed Mitchell is known for his amazing whole hog barbecue. He often appears on TV and in magazines. Many people call him the most famous pitmaster in North Carolina. He has been featured in Bon Appetit magazine and on TV shows like Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, Man v. Food, and National Geographic.
Growing Up with Barbecue
Ed Mitchell grew up in Wilson, North Carolina. He learned how to make barbecue from his family. They often had big family gatherings with lots of food.
When Ed was about 14 or 15 years old, he went to a family barbecue. His father, uncles, and grandfather were all there. The adults eventually fell asleep. Young Ed started to take care of the barbecue fire. His grandfather woke up and saw a perfectly cooked pig. He asked who cooked it, and Ed said he did. Ed thought he might get into trouble. Instead, his grandfather was very proud of him and celebrated his first time barbecuing.
Ed Mitchell's Cooking Style
Ed Mitchell is famous for his whole hog barbecue. This means he cooks an entire pig at once. He uses old, traditional ways to cook his barbecue.
He uses real wood, like oak and hickory logs, along with charcoal. His special seasoning mix, called a rub, has salt, black pepper, red pepper, and onion powder. His barbecue sauce is made with apple cider vinegar, crushed red pepper, salt, sugar, and black pepper.
Ed cooks his hogs "hot and fast." He surrounds the hog with hot coals. Then, he closes the vents on his smoker. This lets the hog smoke slowly overnight. He starts cooking at a high temperature, around 500 degrees. Then, he slowly lowers the heat to about 250 degrees.
He likes to cook the whole hog because it lets you taste "all the different parts." For example, to make a pulled pork sandwich, Ed cooks a whole hog. He believes the best pulled pork needs a mix of meat from the shoulder, ham, and belly of the pig.
His Barbecue Business
In the 1990s, Ed Mitchell started selling his barbecue. He sold it at his family's grocery store in Wilson.
Later, he helped start a restaurant called The Pit in Raleigh. He left The Pit in 2011. In 2014, he opened another restaurant called Que in Durham. Que closed in 2015. Ed said the space was too small. It didn't let him cook enough hogs to make enough money from the restaurant and catering.
In 2019, Ed Mitchell announced a new restaurant. It will be called The Preserve and will be in Raleigh. He is working with his son, Ryan Mitchell, and LM Restaurants. This new restaurant will focus on the history of barbecue in North Carolina. They plan to use pigs raised just for barbecue.
Ed also has a food truck called Q on Wheels. In 2018, he started selling his barbecue online through Goldbelly. The barbecue for Goldbelly is cooked at a smokehouse in Micro, North Carolina.
In 2020, Ed Mitchell also created three different barbecue sauces. He made them for a company called True Made Foods.
