About HogPit.com

HogPit.com is about American barbecue and smoked meats: the regional styles, the pits and smokers, the rubs and sauces, and the smoked meats you can order for your own table. With a name like HogPit.com, you know we are serious about BBQ.

What we do

HogPit.com brings together two things barbecue lovers want. The first is great smoked meat, organized by style: Kansas City brisket, Carolina pulled pork, and Nebraska Angus brisket and tenderloin. The second is the know-how to cook it yourself, from a first pork shoulder to a whole hog in a cinder-block pit.

We are not a restaurant, a butcher or a smoker manufacturer. We do not cook or ship food ourselves. The smoked meats we feature are sold by other companies through Amazon.

How we write

• Food safety comes from the source. Every safe internal temperature on this site comes from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. We do not invent doneness numbers; where pitmasters judge barbecue by feel, we say so.
• Styles are described, not ranked. Carolina, Texas, Kansas City and Memphis barbecue are all great. We explain what makes each one distinct.
• Sources are listed. Pages that rely on outside facts list their sources at the bottom.
• Corrections are welcome. If you spot a mistake, see our contact page.

Why "Hog Pit"?

A hog pit is where a lot of American barbecue began: a pit in the ground or a ring of blocks, a bed of hardwood coals, and a whole pig cooking slowly while people gather around. The name captures the patience, fire and hospitality that barbecue is all about.

The Hog Pit in New York City (not affiliated)

The Hog Pit name has a history in New York City. HogPit.com is not affiliated with that business, its owners or its staff. We include this short note out of respect for a place that many New Yorkers remember fondly, and because people searching for it may land here.

• The Hog Pit was a Southern-style bar and barbecue joint that first opened in 1995 in Manhattan's Meatpacking District, according to DNAinfo.
• Its first home was on Ninth Avenue at 13th Street. Press at the time described it as a Southern dive bar and BBQ joint and a Meatpacking District institution (Gothamist; Eater NY; NBC New York).
• In April 2008, Eater NY and Gothamist reported that the Meatpacking location would close the following January after a steep rent increase.
• The bar reopened as Hog Pit in the Flatiron District at 37 West 26th Street, between Broadway and Sixth Avenue (amNewYork). NBC New York reported in January 2009 that the Meatpacking location had closed on January 19 and that the new Flatiron bar had been operating since the previous November.
• At 37 West 26th Street it was known, in DNAinfo's words, for "its cheap beers and southern favorites like pulled pork, chicken fried steak and ribs."
• The Hog Pit has since closed permanently; Thrillist lists the venue as permanently closed. We have not found a reliable source for the date it closed.

If you have reliable information about the Hog Pit's history, we would be glad to hear it.

Our promise

We scour the country for the best barbecue traditions and smoked meats, explain them honestly, and keep the focus where it belongs: on the food. We love BBQ, and we hope you will find something here that makes your next cook, or your next order, a little better.

Affiliate links

Some links on HogPit.com are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through them, HogPit.com may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Products are chosen for the style they represent, and they change from time to time as items sell out.

Who HogPit.com is for

HogPit.com is written for home cooks and barbecue fans of every level. If you have never lit a smoker, start with our smoker comparison and a forgiving pork shoulder. If you have a few cooks behind you, try a whole packer brisket or explore the regional styles to cook something new. And if you are ready for the big one, our guides to the whole hog, the in-ground pit and the pig pickin' will help you plan it.

If you would rather eat than cook, the shop gathers ready-to-heat smoked meats and raw cuts by style, with notes on how to thaw, reheat, serve and store each one safely.

Images

The photographs and artwork on HogPit.com show the Hog Pit brand. They are illustrations of the brand, not photos of any restaurant or of the former New York bar described above.

Sources

• DNAinfo New York (March 12, 2014)
• Gothamist: Meatpacking District's Hog Pit Out, Ralph Lauren In (April 7, 2008)
• Eater NY: The Hog Pit to Close Next January (April 7, 2008)
• NBC New York: No Steve Madden: Hog Pit Up for Grabs (January 27, 2009)
• amNewYork: Garbage garage gets a go-ahead (Hog Pit item)
• Thrillist: The Hog Pit (venue listing)
• USDA FSIS: Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart

Affiliate disclosure: HogPit.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, HogPit.com earns from qualifying purchases. If you buy through a product link on this site, HogPit.com may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.