Ed Mitchell is a North Carolina whole-hog barbecue legend who became one of the most important voices in preserving traditional wood-pit cooking. His whole-hog approach — cooking the entire animal over hardwood coals — is as close to Jim Quessenberry's philosophy as you can get on the Eastern seaboard.
While Ed and Jim never met, those who knew both men say they would have been "instant buddies" — an unbeatable whole-hog team combining Arkansas Delta style with North Carolina Piedmont tradition.