Memphis in May is a barbecue competition that takes place the third weekend of May at Tom Lee Park on the Mississippi River. It is the largest pork cookoff in the world and is often called “The Super Bowl of Swine.” The Big Bob Gibson Competition Cooking Team has attended this contest since 1997 and to date we have never finished out of the top ten. We’ve won the pork shoulder category six times, won first place in sauce three times, and won the Grand Championship twice. But it is not our success in the competition that stirs the fondest memories of this event; it is the time spent with friends and family while enjoying the relaxing atmosphere. It is a tradition for us to put on a big feed the Friday night before the most serious part of the competition begins. Our menu changes year to year but almost always includes pork tenderloin, bean salad, homemade pies, and this stacked cornbread vegetable salsa salad. I am not sure where this recipe originally came from, but my mother-in-law, Carolyn McLemore, and her friend Joyce Terry always treat us to a big batch at this annual event. It’s good and it goes really well with smoked pork tenderloin.

　　

Ingredients

serves 8 to 10

　　

Cornbread

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

　　3 cups buttermilk

　　2 eggs

　　2 cups yellow cornmeal

　　1 teaspoon baking soda

　　1 teaspoon baking powder

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　4 ounces chopped Jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed (optional)

　　

Salad

1 pound bacon

　　1 package ranch-style dressing mix

　　8 ounces sour cream

　　1 cup mayonnaise

　　3 tomatoes, chopped

　　1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

　　1/2 cup chopped green onions

　　2 16-ounces can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

　　3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

　　1 15-ounces can whole kernel corn, drained

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with the vegetable oil and place in the oven to heat. In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk and eggs and stir. Add the cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and jalapeño pepper while stirring briskly. Pour the batter into the hot skillet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool.

　　

Step 2

While the cornbread bakes, fry the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain well on paper towels. When cool, crumble into small pieces.

　　

Step 3

In a medium bowl, combine the ranch dressing mix, sour cream, and mayonnaise and mix well. In another bowl, combine the tomatoes, bell pepper, and green onions to form a chunky salsa. Crumble the cooled cornbread and place half in the bottom of a large serving bowl. Top with half of the pinto beans. Layer half of the salsa mixture over the beans. Follow with half of the cheese, bacon, and corn, and top with half of the dressing. Make a second layer, ending with the dressing. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

　　Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book by Chris Lilly. Copyright © 2009 by Chris Lilly. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Vice president, executive chef, and partner of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, Chris Lilly oversees the two company-owned restaurants as well as their new chain of franchises.