Pitmaster George Washington of GW’s Southern Catering & Smoked BBQ shares a few of his award-winning techniques

Hail to the Ch(i)ef

Story by Barry Kaufman + Photography by Mike Ritterbeck

One of the more famous stories about our first president, George Washington, revolves around the time he chopped down a cherry tree as a boy. While that likely didn’t happen, or was at least embellished somewhat as the young boy grew to a revered national icon, it underscores two things about the founder of our nation.

First, that he was honest, and, thus, unable to lie about having chopped down that cherry tree. Second, that he may have simply been our nation’s first pitmaster. 

Because that cherry tree, as a different George Washington will tell you, is the key to mouthwatering barbecue. Locked inside those fallen timbers, waiting to be coaxed out by fire, is the type of flavor that George Washington, celebrated pitmaster of GW’s Southern Catering & Smoked BBQ, has built his reputation on.

“I like cherry, apple, hickory… anything that gives the food more flavor. But cherry has been my go-to every time,” he said.  Even after 40 years honing his craft on the grill, with multiple awards that reflect the skill and expertise he’s built, he’s still always on the hunt for ways to make his smoked meats better. “I’m still trying to find this flavor that I know I can find. I’m almost there.”

It’s inspiring to see someone in his position still looking to find ways to improve. After all, there are more than likely a number of people who will read this article, already fully aware of what Washington can do with a little smoke and a lot of patience. Whether he’s winning awards at WingFest or simply feeding hungry crowds at events across the Lowcountry, those who have tasted his food will find few avenues for improvement.

But Washington has always carried that growth mindset, since his early days working the smoker at former Bluffton fixture, Dosido’s. 

“Chris Manley at Dosido’s had me doing catering, and I found out how much money you could actually make from catering,” he said with a laugh. “So I got myself together and got my smoker, and it started off pretty good.”

Word of mouth grew from his first catering gigs under his own banner and only spread further after a statement win at WingFest in 2017. In just his first competition, his smoked wings took home the first-place judge’s prize and second-place people’s choice.

“I just wanted to prove to myself and prove to other people that I knew I had something,” he said. “And from there, it just took off.”

As his profile grew with wins at cooking competitions in Miami and Atlanta, he continued to tweak and perfect his craft. “I like that barbecue is like a puzzle,” he said.

And while his techniques continue being refined, he still slow smokes his food the same way he always has, in “Big Black,” the imposing smoker in the backyard of his Ridgeland home. Starting with his special seasoning (“It has black pepper and garlic. And that’s about all I can tell you,” he said), he lets his meat marinate in the fridge for two days before it sees a grill. In the interim he soaks each piece of wood that will eventually get layered on top of charcoal. 

“If you smoke the wood, you get more smoke than fire, and you get more flavor out of it,” he said while fishing a waterlogged cord of cherry wood out of a bucket. 

From there, wood and meat are placed on the grill, giving the neighbors a tantalizing hint at what he’s cooking up (and his dog, Leo, a little outdoor time). Whether it’s a Boston butt, brisket, chicken or even the occasional lobster tail, everything he prepares cooks under the inflexible motto of “low and slow.”

“For six to eight hours it’s just me and Leo out there,” he said. “One thing about cooking barbecue: you cannot — you just cannot — rush barbecue. And I got it down to a science.”

And while so much of his technique hasn’t changed since he started, Washington has started sending out feelers for apprentices who can offer a little bit more help than Leo. That’s right, “Hamilton” fans. George Washington is going to need a right-hand man.

“I have a great passion for food, and I love to see people eat my food and enjoy it,” he said. “And if I can ever help someone get into cooking barbecue, they can call me.”

Aspiring pitmasters in need of a mentor, or anyone who’s simply wondering where they can get their next presidential pork, can check out GW’s Southern Catering & Smoked BBQ on Facebook.