Just outside of Durham, I drove through miles of cow pastures and rolling hills until I arrived at Green Button Farm in Bahama. It was the fall of 2016, and I had come to pitmaster Ryan Butler’s farm for the three-day NC Barbecue Revival event to learn about whole-hog cooking and to be surrounded by culinary talent from across the country. Though I was one of 1,600 chefs there, the event felt more like a family reunion where I was going to meet cousins about whom I’d only ever heard stories of.

Over the course of the weekend, I observed Chef Ricky Moore from Saltbox Seafood Joint smoke bluefish, followed along as Chef Steven Goff and Ryan led a butchering workshop, and made pie crust with Pastry Chef Phoebe Lawless. Locals Seafood shucked North Carolina oysters while pitmasters Sam Jones, Wyatt Dickson, and Elliott Moss constructed cinder block pits for the whole-hog barbecue.

Watch as Lynn Wells prepares her barbecue wings.

As we sat under the pine trees, Ryan and Steven prepared the pig and taught us the importance of knowing where our meat comes from. “These hogs are raised on squash, pumpkins, and acorns in an open pasture,” Ryan said. This experience reinforced a steadfast belief that, as a Southern chef, I’ve always kept: Whether it’s the smoke ring on the meat or the char on the chicken, nothing beats slow-smoked meat, poultry, or seafood.

Ryan sold Green Button Farm in April 2023. Today, the Oak City native owns and operates Smoke Ropers, a barbecue trailer based out of Oxford. Through the meat and seafood he serves, Ryan aims to celebrate the eastern North Carolina traditions of hardwood-smoked barbecue, outdoor adventure, and farming and ranching.

I’ve stayed in touch with Ryan, Steven, Elliott, and Ricky. Now, whenever I see them at their restaurants or other culinary gatherings, we reunite with hugs and stories about how food really does bring and keep us together.

• Barbecue Wings
• Apple & Cabbage Slaw
• Peach & Blueberry Pie

photograph by Matt Hulsman

Barbecue Wings

Yield: 6 servings.

6 pounds bone-in chicken wings, flats and drumettes
3 teaspoons lemon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Sauce:
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
¼-½ cup hot pepper sauce, depending on preference
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Juice of one lemon

To prepare the wings: Arrange chicken wings on a baking sheet and pat all sides dry with a paper towel. Add dry ingredients to a large, resealable plastic bag, and shake to combine.

Add wings to bag and massage to ensure all wings are evenly seasoned. Squeeze out excess air and seal the bag. Place chicken in refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate using paper towels.

For the sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat; stir in hot pepper sauce, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Whisk until combined. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove chicken wings from bag, shaking off excess seasoning. Place chicken on a clean baking sheet. Cook on the preheated grill, turning every 2 to 3 minutes until chicken is golden brown and internal temperature has reached 165°, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Place grilled wings in a large bowl. Pour prepared sauce over wings; toss until well-coated. Serve hot.

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photograph by Matt Hulsman

Apple & Cabbage Slaw

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

3 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup shredded purple cabbage
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and finely chopped
1 Honeycrisp apple, cored and finely chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon celery salt

To assemble: Combine cabbage, apples, green onions, and red bell pepper in a large bowl.

For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together until sugar has dissolved. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture; toss to evenly coat. Refrigerate until ready serve.

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photograph by Matt Hulsman

Peach & Blueberry Pie

Yield: 6 servings.

For the crust, yields two:
3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (or 2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
6 to 8 tablespoons ice-cold water

Place cubed butter in the freezer 15 to 30 minutes before making the crust.

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine.

Remove butter from freezer and add it to the dry mixture. Pulse the mixture until pea-sized crumbs form. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing between additions until dough comes together and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Place dough on clean surface and divide in half. Wrap each half tightly in plastic wrap. Place each half of the dough into separate resealable freezer-safe bags. Place one portion of dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. The second portion of dough can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Remove dough from refrigerator and let come to room temperature for 10 minutes. Roll the dough out to a 12- to 14-inch circle for a 9-inch pie.

Lay crust into pie pan. Refrigerate again for about 15 to 20 minutes before adding the filling.

For the filling:
4 to 5 peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced (3 cups)
3 cups blueberries
⅔ cup granulated sugar
Juice of one lemon
3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

For the crumble:
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted, cold butter, cut into small cubes

To a large bowl, add peaches, blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, arrowroot, and spices. Toss gently to combine. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425°.

Pour fruit filling into prepared and chilled pie crust. Bake for 25 minutes.

In a bowl, mix together the crumble ingredients with your hands, using your fingers to incorporate the butter into the mixture.

Once pie has baked for 25 minutes, remove from oven and reduce temperature to 350°. Sprinkle the crumble on top of fruit.

Return pie to the oven for an additional 40 to 45 minutes or until the crumble is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

Cool on a wire rack for 1 to 3 hours before serving.

Serve with fresh whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or both.

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