Born In Smoke

By: Jacob Scott

I am Jacob Roark Scott. My grandfather, Garry Bon Roark, taught me everything I know aboutbarbecue. He started our competitive barbeque team, Ubon’s, along with my mother Leslie Roark Scott. They both honed their skills through years of competition and trial and error. When I became old enough they taught me everything they knew. What they taught me is not limited to how to proficiently cook an entire animal but the culture of barbecue. It is hard to pinpoint how barbecue has impacted my life when it is my life. I was born premature. My original due date was late October but I was born early September. In October, Ubons was competing in Cleveland Mississippi and I had a diaper change on an ice chest weeks before I was technically supposed to be born. My life has revolved around barbecue since I arrived on this planet. As a kid, I spent my summers traveling the country cooking barbeque and making lifelong friends. Some of those friends I met through a few TV appearances. I first competed on a FoodNetwork show called Kids Barbeque Championship. This was soon after I began learning how to control heat and flavors. I only made it halfway through the show but I was still determined. I then competed on Chopped Junior and made it to the final round but I was chopped. The last show I competed on was Stove Tots and I won. I was partnered with my mother to compete against other kids in front of a live audience. It was such a great experience. I was able to showcase what I’d learned from my family and build confidence in a way most kids do not have the opportunity to. My interest in barbeque grew along with me. I spent a lot of time arm deep in smokers, learning proper knife control while trimming shoulders, and developing a palate for good food. When I was twelve my grandfather gave me the opportunity to help prep shoulders for Memphis in May. This experience sparked my commitment to this lifestyle. When I was fourteen we decided to start competing in the Whole Hog category in Memphis in May. During our time competing in Memphis, we walked the stage six years concurrently at Memphis in May. When I was fifteen my grandfather passed away. People from all over the country attended his funeral. They all shared at least one thing in common with my grandfather which was barbecue. This community gave my family so much warmth and comfort in a time of deep grief. Whenever I make barbecue sauce, prep meat, or even load charcoal into a smoker I feel close to my grandfather.

The day I graduated high school I prepped a whole hog, filmed a segment with Michael Symon for one of his shows, traveled 4 hours to my graduation ceremony, gave a valedictory speech, graduated, traveled back, and spent the night watching the hog and then won the 7th best hog in the world. Our family discussed the best way to celebrate my graduation and for me the choice was easy: barbecue.

I am going into my third year of culinary school. I entered my freshman year as a Pitmaster with above-average knowledge of working in a kitchen. I was terrified because at the time barbecue and the culinary arts felt so different. With nearly a decade of barbecue experience under my belt and two years of learning at the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute, I have learned it is not the size or location of the kitchen, it is the food you create and the people you make it with. Barbecue has led me to this moment in my life. I am surrounded by friends and loved ones who share a similar love for food and feeding each other. I do not know what the future holds but I can speak with certainty and confidence that I or anyone I love will not go hungry. I have a skill that will allow me to throw fire and meat into a box and create a space where people can nourish themselves. When describing the people we cook with my grandfather would say “We are not family by blood but family by choice.” He had the ability to make everyone think they were his best friend. Although there are different styles and debates on what is the best way to smoke meat, we are all trying to reach the goal of making someone happy. Barbecue is something that will be with me for the rest of my life and I will incorporate it into everything I do for my entire career.