Leigh's Barbecue in Future City, on the western end of McCracken County, has been named among the magazine's Top 20 barbecue sandwiches.
Ray Leigh, the third generation in the family business, told Greg Dunker of WKYX that they knew they would be in the magazine, but not did not know any other details.
"They called and asked to do an interview with me and my father about a month ago," he said. There were no other clues given, though. "They just said that we were gonna be put in an article."Leigh says that their family was a little surprised that the magazine found them, and that they are the only Kentucky restaurant on the list, but they consider it an honor.
Leigh's Barbecue has been in business since 1950 when Leonard Leigh started it in Future City. His son, Eddie took over, and now Ray works with his dad in the business. Most of the restaurants on the list have similar stories, with multiple generations passing down the recipe and technique.Ray says they use an open pit with hickory wood, and takes 24 hours to cook. "We don't try to rush it," he said.
Also, Jack Easley of Marion Pit Bar-B-Que in Marion, KY was chosen as one of the South's 10 Best Pitmasters.
For nearly 40 years Jack Easley has been smoking pork in the hickory fired pit at the 'stand-up only' Marion Pit Bar-B-Q. He cooks the shoulders slowly for 17 hours and when the shoulders are about to break up, he pulls them apart and soaks the meat with his secret tomato-based sauce. "The main thing for me is the sauce," Jack told Southern Living, while refusing to disclose ingredients. "It's a little bit ketchup, a little bit everything else. So far everybody pretty well likes it."
On the Net:
Southern Living's Top 20 Barbecue Sandwiches
