North Mississippi's Whole Hog, Hickory Smoked BBQ Joint

Q&A  |  About Us

We're on an indefinite hiatus from 'cue, but we'll let you know when we fire the pit back up. Thanks to all who've supported us!

Find us at 181 Linker Street in Batesville (google maps here)

 

 

The 'Cue & A

Q  |  How do you decide how much to cook each day?
A  |  I cook to my pit’s capacity. I cook daily, always fresh, with hickory wood burned down to coals, no propane, no wood pellets, no charcoal
Q  |  These are sandwiches - they probably don't take long to make, right?
A  |  This is not fast food. The pork cooks for 24 hours and is not left alone in a cooker or smoker. This is true pit barbecue that must be watched, tended and fired on schedule.
Q  |  Wow, that's a long time! How much food do you get after all that work?
A  |  I start with a 250-275 pound hog. The hanging weight is approximately 200lbs. After the pork cooks down, I'm left with approximately 100 lbs of bar-b-que.
Q  |  Those prices seem high! Couldn't I get the same for a lot less at a fast food joint?
A  |  Not with this quality or peace of mind. All my products are made with Home Place Pastures (Como, MS) pork. These hogs are humanely raised and humanely laid to rest. Pasture raised, Certified Humane, and NO ANTIBIOTICS EVER. This means that the pork I serve was cultivated the right way and tastes better than what you'll find in any chain.

Where I'm Coming From

 

Since the mid-nineties, I thought that when I retired from teaching in 2009, I would not ‘retire from something’ but ‘retire to something.’ And that thing was opening a whole-hog barbecue joint—not to be confused with a restaurant—here in Batesville. But after 32 years of teaching, most of those years also coaching, I was a little more tired and a lot less motivated to put in the work necessary for such a venture than I thought I'd be. Hog procurement in Mississippi at that time also was difficult.

 

But I’ve caught a serious second wind and the hogs I want are close by in Como, so both obstacles are officially cleared.

 

So, I bring to you Turner Whole Hog Bar-B-Cue. To the best of my understanding, it’ll be the only whole hog BBQ joint in Mississippi. That fact, along with my commitment to cooking over live hickory coals will be what separates me from the rest.