By Noelle Riley
A childhood memory for one ballpark chef launched a menu item called Pig Pickin that became a hit with Atlanta Braves fans at SunTrust Park.
Delaware North Sportservice Executive Chef Pete Smithing created the dish last season, which he says is loaded with ingredients that Southerners love.
“It has everything you would get at a Sunday pig pickin’ gathering,” said Smithing, referring to Southern gatherings where a whole hog is barbecued and guests bring side dishes. “I grew up in rural North Carolina, and we’d always go to pig pickin’s. This is our homage to North Carolina.”
Packaged as a Southern comfort bowl, Pig Pickin is made with smoked pork that’s been slow-cooked in a Coca-Cola barbecue sauce, homemade mac and cheese, summer-streaked coleslaw, fries and grilled corn served in a crispy, barbecue seasoned tortilla shell that is finished off with a handful of pork rinds.
Creating recipes with readily available food is an important part of Smithing’s job. “It’s kind of an over-the-top dish, but it’s really fun, and people kind of took to it,” he said. “We have all those ingredients around the stadium and midseason we came up with it.”
The dish costs $15, which Smithing thinks is a reasonable price for such a large ballpark food item.
Smithing’s boss, Shawn Mattox, the Delaware North Sportservice general manager at SunTrust Park, was able to taste-test the ingredient-packed recipe when it was being created.
“I sampled portions of it. I cannot tell you I’ve sat down and had the whole thing,” Mattox said with a laugh.
One of the reasons Mattox hired Smithing was because of his ability to embrace and promote the numerous food offerings that are popular at ballparks.
“He was not only excited about doing the ‘foo-foo’ food, but also the heart of our business, which is our concessions,” Mattox said. “I always look for someone who cares about all the food we do in the ballpark and doesn’t have a passion for just one area.”
SunTrust Park, with 41,000 seats, opened last March and cost $672 million. The stadium boasts 17 concession and restaurant concepts and has more than 80 eateries on stadium grounds. Smithing has 250 employees under his leadership, including eight sous chefs. Before joining the culinary team at SunTrust Park, Smithing worked at the Atlanta Country Club, where he managed more than 50 employees.
Supervising that many people, not to mention cooking for that many, can create a stressful situation, but Smithing has his ways of dealing with it.
“I think most of it is just planning,” he said. “As long as we plan properly, we’re fine. I’m constantly double-checking things.”
His favorite part of the job, aside from creating fun dishes like the Pig Pickin, is teaching new staff members how to master the art of cooking.
Casey Ryan is executive sous chef at SunTrust Park, and he said working with Smithing is fun.
“He loves what he does, and it shows in his work and his teaching style,” Ryan said.