Pigsicle ranks among nation’s best barbecue

Yorkton’s newest eatery has been honoured in a national magazine as one of the top barbecue joints in Canada.

Pigsicle, which brings traditional southern barbecue north, was ranked third in Food Network Magazine’s June issue.

“We’re really hyped,” said Jim Williams, Pigsicle co-owner with wife Cyndi.

Williams has had a long history of accolades for his barbecue having competed from Ottawa to Vancouver and as far south as Corpus Christi, Texas. He learned the slow-smoking technique on his own messing around at home. In 2009, a buddy in Texas pestered him into competing in the home of barbecue, way down south. His first competition in Oklahoma was a runner-up finish. In Corpus he took fourth.

That led to a birth in the Granddaddy of barbecue competitions, the Royal American in Kansas City. In a field of more than 500, Williams finished 211th.

“I was quite happy about that, these are the only the best of the best,” he said.

Of course, as with any new business, Pigsicle has experienced some growing pains, not the least of which is the unfamiliarity of the local crowd with barbecue leading to some disappointment when the restaurant has run out of certain menu items. It takes a good five hours to cook the meat, so he only has one shot guessing what is going to go on a given day.

“We can only prep so much meat,” Williams said. “It’s a gamble to what we’re going to prep.”

They are refining as they go along, though.

Williams points out that what we all do in our backyards is technically grilling, not barbecuing. In the south, barbecue is not a verb or a noun, it is a lifestyle.

“People here still aren’t quite sure about barbecue,” he said.

The pig nuts—little morsels of slow-smoked pork—are very popular and the ribs fly off the menu. Food Network raved about the house barbecue sauces.

Popular sides include their hash brown casserole, beans, mac and cheese and corn bread.

“My personal favourite, of course, is the brisket,” Williams said. “That’s what barbecue is all about.”

Brisket is something the local crowd isn’t quite familiar with yet, but they are coming around, he said. He is even going to start putting the burnt ends, something that is a bit of a delicacy in the south, on the menu soon.

And he’ll keep pushing it because the restaurant is almost as much barbecue mission as business. Pigsicle wants converts.

For the already converted, however, he said they won’t be putting the true traditional sides such as collard greens, black-eyed peas, creamed spinach and grits on the menu any time soon.

“I don’t think the people of Yorkton are quite ready for true southern sides,” he said.

In the meantime, his pitch is for people to give it a try. It is different, something you don’t generally do at home and has a unique smoky flavour, he said.

“I would probably say it is hands down going to be the best food you’re going to have.”

There’s only one catch. If you are a vegetarian, this is not your restaurant.