Pig Island Comes To Red Hook, Brooklyn

When there's a food event called Pig Island, you know that it will catch our attention, and this year's event, held Saturday, Sept. 7 at Brooklyn's Red Hook waterfront, certainly lived up to the expectations that the name brings with it.

Hosted by Jimmy's No. 43's Jimmy Carbone, the event featured 23 chefs, each with their own stand and their own pig. Some, like Zarela Martinez and Tyson Ho of Arrogant Swine (pictured) and Kuma Inn's King Phojanakong, decided to roast the pig whole, while others, like Ducks Eatery's Will Horowitz, decided to go in a completely different direction, serving crispy pig ear lettuce wraps with smoked liver pâté and fermented chow-chow. Other standouts included Fort Reno's pulled pork sliders with slaw and pickled vegetables, JoeDoe's pork burrito, Butter's pork burger (also known as the "Oink McMuffin"), Fletcher's BBQ's ginger and soy pork slider with chickpea salad, and pulled pork strudel from Ribs Within. Beer was also provided by Sixpoint, with wine and cider to drink as well.

As opposed to last year's event, which was held on Governor's Island, this event was held in Red Hook, a neighborhood that was severely impacted by Hurricane Sandy last year. It was a great way to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon, and it helped to bring a lot of people to the neighborhood who might have never even been there before.