The Calvary Baptist Church on Spinner Lane in East Hampton held its annual barbecue on Sunday and it was a gloriously beautiful day. Under the oak trees on moss-covered ground there were lots of picnic tables, while under a small tent some ladies of the church doled out ribs, chicken, corn on the cob, potato salad, and Martin’s potato rolls.
For $25 you could get a generous portion of either meat, half a chicken or about six ribs, an ear of corn, and a big helping of the potato salad. Sodas and watermelon were included in the price and the watermelon slices were tightly wrapped into individual portions, a wise method considering it is the time of year for lazy and mean yellow jackets and wasps to pester outdoor diners. Off to the side, some gentlemen were grilling ribs on a long cinderblock and brick barbecue, and the chicken was sizzling on a smaller steel and mesh grill setup.
I had asked several weeks ago for some recipes to include in this column. My inquiry was met with crickets. And I certainly had no more luck in person. I pleaded, I wheedled, I cajoled, all to no avail. I tried a challenge: “If I can guess 6 of the 11 ingredients in your mop sauce, will you give it to me?” I prattled on, “vinegar, black pepper, ketchup or chili sauce, molasses or brown sugar.”
“No sweeteners in it,” came the reply. “Impossible,” I retorted. “Is it honey, then? Maple syrup?”
“It’s us, the sweetness comes from us!”
I know when to give up, so I surrendered and retreated to a picnic table to eat and scribble.
My tablemates asked if I was writing a review. “Oh, no, I would never write a review of a church picnic or barbecue. That wouldn’t be right,” I answered. Nevertheless, I have found that whenever I am dining around others who know I write about food, they immediately become the critics themselves.
“Personally, I prefer my ribs to be a little spicier,” said one fellow.
If there’s one thing I learned from living in Virginia and Texas, it’s to not debate chili or barbecue. I replied with a noncommittal “mmmm” as I mentally deconstructed the classic potato salad. Not much mayo, a little mustard, sweet pickle relish, hard-boiled eggs, minced celery. Very good! The ribs were tender and the chicken nice and smoky.
As I was chatting with another couple at our table, David Gruber, running for East Hampton Town supervisor, came over to glad-hand. If you’re ever running for office but don’t want to have to shake hands, go to a barbecue. It is guaranteed that every single person’s hands will be covered with sticky sauce, chicken fat, butter drizzle, and watermelon juice, thus preventing any handshaking.
I had arrived early in order to watch the afternoon unfold and by the time I left, the line for food had grown considerably. Before leaving, a fellow diner pointed out that “there aren’t many community-oriented food events anymore these days. This is one of the few left.”
Thank you to all of the members and volunteers of the Calvary Baptist Church for sharing your food and the day with us. I may not have gotten any recipes, but it was a fine way to spend a summer Sunday afternoon.
Here are some tried and true barbecue recipes.