Fans Select Bama’s Best Pulled Pork Final Four

Clint Thompson Alabama, Pork

Submitted photo shows final four participants in the Bama’s Best Pulled Pork contest.

Written by Marlee Moore

The Alabama Pork Producers smoked out four finalists in its Bama’s Best Pulled Pork contest — Heard’s BBQ in Maplesville in Chilton County, JJ’s BBQ in Elba in Coffee County, The Pink Pig in Moulton in Lawrence County and Holy Smoke BBQ in Hartselle in Morgan County.

Alabama Farmers Federation Pork Division Director Russ Durrance said he was amazed by fan participation in the competition. More than 2,000 votes were cast via Facebook for over 100 restaurants aiming to claim the Bama’s Best Pulled Pork title.

“As Alabama recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s encouraging to see communities rally around their local restaurants and the folks who run them,” Durrance said. “We not only want to promote good-tasting barbecue through Bama’s Best Pulled Pork; we want to support the pitmasters who work every day to serve up tasty dishes.”

Judges will visit the Bama’s Best Pulled Pork Final Four in July, where they’ll sample menu items and talk shop with restaurant owners and cooks. Judges include Durrance, pig farmer Daniel Tubbs of Walker County and “Simply Southern TV” host Mary Wilson.

The Bama’s Best Pulled Pork winner receives a cash prize, plaque, feature story in Neighbors magazine and bragging rights.

The Alabama Pork Producers is a division of the Alabama Farmers Federation, the state’s largest farm organization with over 350,000 member families.