“Pork Chop.”
No, that’s not what will be served at the inaugural Ranch Night BBQ & Concert, but instead, it’s who will be preparing thousands of pounds of meat for this unique farm-to-table experience at Dutton Cattle Friday night in Belmont County.
“Pork Chop” is the nickname for Pike 40 chef Bryan Sochor, and he’ll be the man in charge when it comes to the Wagyu Brisket, Burned Ends, and the pulled pork that will be the three proteins available, and folks will have a number of side dishes from which to choose, too.
“Everything is going to be delicious because the Wagyu beef right is the top-of-line beef, and I think anything smoked is the best,” said Sochor, who’s been in the food business for nearly two decades. “I started getting into smoking several years ago when I cooked at Salsa Joe’s, and I really don’t like my meats any other way.
“Now, feeding everyone at Ranch Night is going to be a challenge for sure, but I believe we have a good feel of the numbers, and that’s the key to everything,” he explained. “Of course, the sheer magnitude of the amount of food this is going to take is insane, but we know the serving sizes and everything so we’ll do our best.”
Country music legend Sammy Kershaw will be the 9 p.m. headliner for tomorrow evening’s Ranch Night, and superstar Brian Martin will perform before him beginning at 7:30 p.m. Four local country singers, including Libby Adams, Carl Besce, Ashley Best, and Gage Joseph, will play short sets during the event’s “Acoustic Showcase” that’s scheduled to start at 5 p.m..
Dutton Cattle is located at 42640 Dutton Drive in Flushing, and parking lots will open at 2 p.m, with gates opening at 4 p.m. That’s also when “Pork Chop” and his crew will begin serving, and the music will begin at 5 p.m.
“We’re going to have two food areas and folks will have a choice between the Wagyu brisket, and Wagyu burned ends, and the same pulled pork we do at the Pike 40,” explained Chris Dutton, Ranch Night founder. “There will also be a vegetarian option for an entrée, and our sides will be mac n’ cheese, baked beans, and a side of cole slaw.
“All the proteins will be served with white bread and pickles,” he said. “And that’s your barbecue meal at Ranch Night, and we’ll also have the Pike 40 Food Truck serving smash burgers and hot dogs, and then later in the evening we’ll have pizza for the fans, too.”
The Pike 40, Sochor explained, will have its food truck on site, as well, and the staff will serve smash burgers, beef hot dogs, pizza, and non-alcoholic drinks.
“When Chris first mentioned the event, I was super excited and we were talking about smoking the meats and things like that. And then the numbers started rolling in and that’s when I started to get nervous,” he recalled. “But once the event begins, we just have to make sure everything stays hot, and everything is fresh and ready to serve.
“We’ll have the barbecue sauce we serve at the Pike 40, and there’s going to be a Carolina Gold sauce, too,” Sochor said. “And then when we’re finished feeding everyone, I hope to sit down, have a beer, and enjoy the show.”
Dutton and his sister, Nina, co-founded the Blame My Roots Country Music Festival in 2019 after Live Nation shuttered Jamboree in the Hills after 40 years. The Duttons, however, retired the event following last summer’s concert because of market pricing for headline acts and a lack of local fan support.
Kershaw and Martin, though, had been booked for this year’s “Roots” event so Chris Dutton decided to create the Ranch Night BBQ & Concert.
“Ranch Night is going to be a very unique event that I doubt takes place anywhere else in the country, and yes, our cows just might be in the area of the show, too,” he said. “The food is going to be incredible, and Brian Martin and Sammy Kershaw are terrific country performers that I believe everyone is going to enjoy. It’s really going to be a special evening.
“And we have always loved highlighting our local performers when we were doing Blame My Roots, and Ranch Night will be the same,” he added. “We have a lot of great talent in this area, and it’s going to be a lot of fun to feature four of the best with Libby Adams, Gage Joseph, Ashely Best, and Carl Besece.”
Graphics by Brandi Waligura of the Dutton Cattle Company
