WASHINGTON 鈥� Unlike most prideful Southern chefs, Myron Mixon doesn鈥檛 brag about his barbecue. He doesn鈥檛 need to.
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Since 1996, the Georgia native has won more than 200 grand championships, collected more than 1,800 trophies and been crowned the grand champion at the World Championship in Memphis four times 鈥� all for the magic that ensues when he introduces pig to pit.
Earlier this year, Mixon brought his award-winning barbecue to the area with his Alexandria, Virginia, restaurant, , which he opened with restaurateur and certified barbecue judge, Joe Corey.
鈥淗ell, we couldn鈥檛 screw this up if we wanted to,鈥� Mixon said about the food at his new Northern Virginia joint. 鈥淚t鈥檚 for real.鈥�
Mixon joined the barbecue circuit after cooking meat for more than two decades. His dad owned a takeout barbecue business, and Mixon started helping out around the shop by age 9.
鈥淎s I got older, whether I wanted to or not, I was learning things. I was learning about how to manage fires, check meat for doneness, tenderness,鈥� Mixon said. 聽
In the ’90s, he got the itch to compete, and in his first barbecue competition, he took home two firsts and a third for his entries in the whole hog, shoulder and rib categories.
鈥淪o I was pretty well hooked,鈥� said Mixon, who eventually entered 40 to 45 competitions a year.
His success on the circuit landed him the title, 鈥渢he winningest man in barbecue,鈥� and Mixon went on to host television shows, write cookbooks and launch a line of smokers. Myron Mixon鈥檚 Pitmaster BBQ is the latest in the 鈥�鈥� lineup.
Mixon decided to bring his barbecue to the D.C. area for a number of reasons. For starters, the region鈥檚 restaurant industry is thriving. Plus, he says, the barbecue field isn鈥檛 too crowded.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not like being down in the South where everybody鈥檚 got a grill in their backyard. You don鈥檛 have that necessarily up here,鈥� Mixon said.
And finally, his friend and former barbecue judge owned several restaurants in the area. A business partnership seemed inevitable.
The menu at Myron Mixon鈥檚 Pitmaster BBQ has everything from ribs, to brisket, to burnt ends, to Mixon鈥檚 must: Brunswick stew.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a Southern thing, especially where I鈥檓 from down in Georgia,鈥� he said.
There are Jack鈥檚 peach BBQ baked beans, named after his father, and collard greens cooked in bacon and butter. Everything from the sauces to the desserts is made from scratch, and when Mixon鈥檚 in town, he鈥檒l often 鈥渄o a whole hog鈥� at the shop.
Mixon said his dad never did get to see him compete or tell him that his barbecue was better 鈥� but that probably wouldn鈥檛 have happened anyway.
鈥淗e never would have said that. Not Jack Mixon, he never would have said that,鈥� Mixon said with a laugh.
While slow-cooking meat is his specialty, Mixon warns hosts that barbecue isn鈥檛 always the best thing to cook and serve at summer shindigs. He recommends something a little easier, such as chicken, burgers and hot dogs 鈥� 鈥淪omething where you can get 鈥榚m done and you can enjoy the festivities too,鈥� he said.
鈥淒on鈥檛 jump out there and take on the big items. Don鈥檛 jump out there and take on a 20-pound brisket or a 10-pound Boston butt or something big, because you鈥檙e going to be over there cooking, and everybody鈥檚 going to be over there enjoying your pool and your beverages and having a great time.鈥�
When Mixon isn鈥檛 working over a pit, he鈥檚 tackling his new role in politics. For the second year, Mixon is the mayor of Unadilla, Georgia, population 1,500. He admits balancing politics and pork has been 鈥渧ery interesting.鈥�
鈥淲hen I decided to run, our little town needed some help. It had gotten into a little bit of disarray,鈥� Mixon said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been very blessed and I鈥檝e been very successful at what I do, and I felt like I needed to do something for my city to get it back on track. And that鈥檚 what we do now.鈥�
Mixon says his foray into politics has offered him an inside look at how the government鈥檚 sausage is made, and it has given him a few ideas as to how politicians in Washington can get along a little better. Let鈥檚 just say his solution involves loading up a bus and driving everyone down to his new restaurant.
鈥淲e can set out some brisket and ribs, hash out all our problems, work it all out, hold hands and sing Kumbaya,鈥� he said.
