Keeping the whole hog tradition alive

Today, only a few whole hog barbecue joints remain in the U.S., and as of February, downtown Birmingham has been added to that list of lucky cities.

Rodney Scott, the pitmaster at Rodney Scott’s BBQ, said it’s been incredible bringing a new concept to downtown.

“I feel like it’s a good thing for people to know that at one point we cooked whole hogs, and we are still doing it,” he said. “… It’s been pretty busy, which is amazing, and it’s good to see that. Birmingham has accepted us, and I love what’s been happening here.” 

The whole hog tradition is a regional staple that hasn’t spread much outside of the Carolinas and Tennessee. Whole hog barbecue is a style where the pitmaster cooks an entire hog for around 12 hours in a smoky, wood-fired barbecue pit. The pork is then pulled from various parts of the evenly-cooked pig and dressed in a regional vinegar-based sauce, different from the typical barbecue or white sauce Alabama embraces. 

His signature Rodney Sauce, Scott said, is what people describe as “Eastern Carolina sauce,” which is made with a special combination of cayenne black pepper and white vinegar. He puts it on the pig before it even leaves the fire, to make sure the pork is full of flavor, before adding more afterwards. 

“We marinate with it, add it to our turkey, our chicken, our ribs, pork. It pretty much goes on everything,” he said. 

In May 2018, while Scott was working as pitmaster for his first Rodney Scott’s BBQ location in Charleston, South Carolina, he won one of the highest food honors: a James Beard Award for Best Chef – Southeastern. This marks only the second time a pitmaster has won the award, which he did after only having his first restaurant open for about two years. 

“I was shocked, stunned. They had to tell me to get up and go accept the award, I was just sitting there like, ‘Whoa, what just happened? Is this for real, am I dreaming?’” Scott said.

Scott said friend and business partner Nick Pihakis, who also recently opened Mile End Deli Birmingham this year, kept asking him in the last few years if he would consider opening up a place in Birmingham. Scott eventually agreed, and in February his second whole hog barbecue joint celebrated a quiet opening at 3719 Third Ave. S., where Saigon Noodle House used to be located in Avondale.

“It’s exciting because you get a chance to bring what you do and what you love. People [in Birmingham] are accustomed to things like white sauce and offset smokers, a different style altogether, so it’s just been great just saying, ‘Here, this is what I do, check it out. Tell me what you think,’” Scott said.

Scott was first introduced to the whole hog concept growing up with his family in Hemingway, South Carolina. His parents owned a convenience and grocery “mom and pop” store that also sold their famed “Scott’s smoked whole hogs” on every Thursday. Scott was in charge of watching over and cooking his first whole hog when he was 11 years old, he said.

“It was a challenge. If I cooked a hog, I could go to the ballgame. I had to keep the fire going and put hot coals on it,” he said. “It was good, I remember that clearly.”

Scott said his mom is proud of him and loves that he’s spreading the whole hog tradition. 

“For me, it’s my childhood, my memories growing up. It’s the one thing that I learned how to do, and you can feed the masses with the whole hog. So I feel like it’s important to keep that tradition alive, so you can keep the stories and keep the history of how it started, what it’s done for people, how it’s fed so many families at weddings, parties, different events,” Scott said.

The atmosphere at Rodney Scott’s BBQ is relaxed and laid-back, with a clean interior and minimal decorations, except for one big disco ball at the door, which Scott said is a new tradition for his restaurants. Since he grew up in the ’70s, he said, he loves disco balls and loves to play the tunes he used to jam to back in the day while cooking. 

He said the most popular menu items so far have been the “big and meaty” spare ribs and the smoky meat combo plates, both of which come with two sides. The sides are southern classics such as baked beans, mac and cheese, cornbread, collard greens, coleslaw and potato salad, mixed with Rodney Sauce.

Scott said he’s always been “a little crazy” about seafood, so he had to incorporate some catfish and hush puppies to his menu, which have also proven to be a customer favorite. If someone is not a huge barbecue or pork fan, he said, he’s got it covered with plenty of other options. 

One of his favorites is the steak sandwich, made with a rib-eye cut, slow-smoked in the pit and marinated with Rodney’s Sauce. Scott said they offer wings, chicken salad sandwiches and chicken tenders for “something more mild,” as well as salads. 

Another non-pork option is the Diddy’s Turkey Sandwich, which he said is “just amazing” and made with pit-roasted turkey.

For dessert, Scott recommends the famed Ella’s Banana Puddin’, another staple dessert he grew up on.

Rodney Scott BBQ also does whole hog catering, ordered in advance. 

For more information, go to rodneyscottsbbq.com.