Picture a pitmaster who turned smoky dreams into a sizzling empire—meet Rodney Scott! Born with barbecue in his blood, this South Carolina native transformed his family’s humble smokehouse into a culinary sensation. From cooking whole hogs at age 11 to earning a James Beard Award, Scott’s journey is a flavorful tale of passion, perseverance, and mouthwatering Southern cuisine that invites everyone to savor the joy of barbecue.
The Making of Rodney Scott
Rodney Scott was born in 1971 in Philadelphia but raised in Hemingway, South Carolina, a small, humid town where his family ran Scott’s Bar-B-Q alongside a gas station and variety store. Life was work: if school was out, young Rodney was chopping wood, tending fires, or farming tobacco fields. At 11, he cooked his first whole hog—a South Carolina specialty—under his father’s watchful eye, igniting a lifelong love for the pit. This early immersion in barbecue culture shaped his hands-on, no-nonsense approach, blending hard work with a knack for spreading joy through food.
Rodney Scott’s Unforgettable Flavors
Scott’s defining work, Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day, co-written with Lolis Eric Elie, is more than a cookbook—it’s a vibrant memoir and guide to whole-hog barbecue. Published in 2021, it won the IACP Cookbook of the Year Award, offering recipes for pit-smoked turkey, spare ribs, hush puppies, and Ella’s Banana Puddin’, alongside essays on South Carolina foodways. His style is accessible yet masterful, teaching novices and pros alike how to capture authentic Southern flavors. Scott also shares his signature Rodney’s Sauce and Rib Rub, demystifying the art of barbecue with a philosophy that every day deserves great food. His restaurants, Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ, in Charleston, Birmingham, and Atlanta, showcase this ethos, earning acclaim for their crispy, vinegar-mopped pork and warm hospitality.
Beyond the cookbook, Scott’s influence shines in media like Netflix’s Chef’s Table: BBQ, where his episode highlights the labor and love behind his craft. His storytelling, whether through recipes or interviews, weaves humor, humility, and a deep respect for African American barbecue traditions, making his work a cultural touchstone.
Why Rodney Scott Matters
Rodney Scott’s impact transcends the pit, elevating African American contributions to barbecue—a cornerstone of Southern cuisine often overlooked. As the first Black pitmaster to publish a major cookbook and win a James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast in 2018, he’s a trailblazer, inspiring chefs and home cooks to embrace barbecue’s rich history. His restaurants foster community, and his book empowers readers to create their own smoky masterpieces, spreading joy one hog at a time. Scott’s story of grit and optimism resonates, proving that hard work and a love for food can build a lasting legacy.
- Birth Date: 1971
- Key Work: Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ (2021)
- Awards: James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast (2018), IACP Cookbook of the Year (2021)
- Restaurants: Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ (Charleston, Birmingham, Atlanta)
Snag Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ and fire up your pit—dive into Rodney’s smoky, soulful world of Southern barbecue!