Ed Mitchell

The Pitmaster in Raleigh, North Carolina

The gray beard of whole-hog cooking, Ed Mitchell was a relatively late arrival to the barbecue business. After a lifetime of pig pickings at family gatherings, Ed inadvertently became a professional at 44 when his mother, a Wilson County grocer, asked him to smoke a pig for supper. She sold the leftovers at her corner store, which was soon after reinvented as Mitchell's Barbecue. These days, in a field that's made a mantra of low and slow, Ed cooks hot and fast, a technique he believes loosens the pig's juices. He's now plotting to open a chain of restaurants showcasing his signature whole-hog style. "I've tried ribs and butts, but you're missing about three-quarters of the flavors the animal can provide," he says. thepitmasteredmitchell.com