Avery Payne

Cook's Barbecue in Lexington, North Carolina

In 1984, when Avery Payne's parents purchased Cook's Barbecue from a childhood friend, millions of American boys were busy slipping quarters into Pac-Man machines. Avery, at 12, was working at Cook's. He recalls starting a few inadvertent fires that first week he learned to cook on the pit. Now more cautious, he is one of two Lexington-style pitmasters who mess with brisket. Cook's "went down to Texas and fell in love with it," he says. And the beef affair was no mere fling. "We thought we'd marry it and bring it back." What the Paynes didn't bring home was the Texan skepticism of sauce: "Sauce makes it good," says Avery, who builds his from ketchup, vinegar, and crushed red pepper. "Only way I can eat barbecue without sauce is off the chopping block or the pit." cooksbbq.com