Myron Mixon
{{Short description|American celebrity chef}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2012}}
{{Infobox chef
| name = Myron Mixon
| image = Myron Mixon (cropped).jpeg
| caption = Mixon during a BBQ course in 2013
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1962|5|30}}
| birth_place = Vienna, Georgia, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse = Faye Mixon
| style = Barbecue
| education =
| restaurants =
| television = {{plainlist|
}}
| awards = {{plainlist|
- 5x World Championships
- 220+ Grand Championships
}}
| website = {{URL|jacksoldsouth.com}}
}}
Myron Mixon (born May 31, 1962) is an American celebrity chef and competitor on the competitive barbecue circuit. He is a five time barbecue World Champion and appeared as a judge on Destination America reality television show BBQ Pitmasters. He also appeared as a judge on the BBQ show Smoked as well as the show BBQ Pit Wars. Due to the number of accolades he has achieved during his BBQ career, he has the nickname of "the winningest man in barbecue."
Career
Myron started in competitive barbecue in 1996 at a competition in Atlanta, Georgia. He won first place in whole hog and third place in the pork shoulder competition.{{cite web|title=Myron Mixon|url=http://press.discovery.com/us/da/talent/mixon-myron/|publisher=Destination America|accessdate=June 10, 2012}} He originally only took up competitive BBQ in order to promote his family's BBQ sauce which his parents, Gaye and Jack, had created.{{cite news|last=Boog|first=Jason|title=Myron Mixon Cooks Up BBQ Book Deal|url=http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/myron-mixon-cooks-up-bbq-cookbook-deal_b15019|accessdate=June 10, 2012|newspaper=Galleycat|date=October 26, 2010}} His father taught him how to barbecue, and Myron named his BBQ company after him, calling it Jack's Old South.{{cite news|last=Mosthof|first=Mariella|title=BBQ Guru Myron Mixon On Why 'Barbecue Is The Backbone Of America'|url=http://www.thebraiser.com/myron-mixon-bbq-backbone-america/|accessdate=June 10, 2012|newspaper=The Brasier|date=June 8, 2012}}
During the course of his career, Myron has won more than 180 BBQ grand championships{{cite news|title=Melissa Cookston Wins BBQ Pitmasters' Best Show Ever|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-goldwyn/melissa-cookston-bbq-pitmasters_b_1566689.html|accessdate=June 10, 2012|newspaper=Huffington Post|date=June 4, 2012}} and over 1,700 BBQ trophies. He has been named Grand Champion at the Memphis in May World Championship on five occasions: in 2001, 2004, 2007, 2016, and 2021. Myron is a multi-time Big Pig Jig Grand Champion, having won it most recently in 2012, his third victory in a row. {{Cite web |url=http://www.bigpigjig.com/THE-RESULTS-ARE-IN.html |title=Big Pig Jig - THE RESULTS ARE IN |access-date=November 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120520161931/http://www.bigpigjig.com/THE-RESULTS-ARE-IN.html |archive-date=May 20, 2012 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|title=Jack's Old South Awards|url=http://www.jacksoldsouth.com/awards|publisher=Jack's Old South|accessdate=June 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611023449/http://www.jacksoldsouth.com/awards|archive-date=June 11, 2012|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} He has so far failed to win the Jack Daniel's BBQ World Invitational, which he has described as the most prestigious competition in the BBQ circuit.{{cite news|title=Unadilla Man Sets Off For International BBQ Competition|url=http://www.41nbc.com/news/local-news/8222-unadilla-man-sets-off-for-international-bbq-competition|accessdate=June 10, 2012|newspaper=41 WMGT|date=October 20, 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111023180609/http://www.41nbc.com/news/local-news/8222-unadilla-man-sets-off-for-international-bbq-competition|archivedate=October 23, 2011|df=mdy-all}} He was runner up in 2004, missing out on first place by 0.1 points,{{cite news|last=Hendrix|first=Steve|title=The Grill and the Glory|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/27/AR2007032701832.html|accessdate=June 10, 2012|newspaper=Washington Post|date=April 1, 2007}} and has come first in the whole hog competition there on three occasions. His achievements have earned him the nickname "the winningest man in barbecue."
Myron debuted on TLC's reality television show BBQ Pitmasters in its inaugural series as a contestant. Originally, it was a show that followed a number of BBQ chefs to several different BBQ competitions. Series two brought a change in format, with it becoming a competition-game show, and Mixon serving one of the three judges alongside Art Smith and Warren Sapp. Series three saw the series move to the Destination America cable TV channel and a slight change in the format. Mixon was the only judge who remained on the show, being joined by fellow BBQ chefs Aaron Franklin and Tuffy Stone.{{cite news|last=Shahin|first=Jim|title=New 'BBQ Pitmasters' may smoke previous seasons|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/all-we-can-eat/post/new-bbq-pitmasters-may-smoke-previous-seasons/2012/05/29/gJQAldWpyU_blog.html|accessdate=June 10, 2012|newspaper=Washington Post|date=May 29, 2012}}{{cite news|last=Shahin|first=Jim|title='BBQ Pitmasters' judges bring out the knives|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/all-we-can-eat/post/bbq-pitmasters-judges-bring-out-the-knives/2012/06/04/gJQAfoeSEV_blog.html|accessdate=June 10, 2012|newspaper=Washington Post|date=June 5, 2012}}
He signed a cookbook deal in 2010 with publishers Ballantine Books. It was published in 2011, with Paula Deen providing the foreword.{{cite web|title=Smokin' with Myron Mixon|url=http://www.randomhouse.com/book/211711/smokin-with-myron-mixon-by-myron-mixon-and-kelly-alexander|publisher=Random House|accessdate=June 10, 2012}} In May 2012, he appeared on NBC's The Today Show in a BBQ cookoff against Pat Martin of Tennessee restaurant Martin's Bar-B-Que. Myron cooked a brisket recipe while Martin cooked "red neck tacos."{{cite news|title=BBQ Cook-Off: Try 'red neck tacos,' smoked beef brisket|url=http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/47692709/ns/today-food/t/bbq-cook-off-try-red-neck-tacos-smoked-beef-brisket/#.T9T3ddVI-yw|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120610234301/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/47692709/ns/today-food/t/bbq-cook-off-try-red-neck-tacos-smoked-beef-brisket/#.T9T3ddVI-yw|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 10, 2012|accessdate=June 10, 2012|newspaper=Today Food|date=May 6, 2012}}
Mixon was elected mayor of his hometown of Unadilla, Georgia, and was sworn in for a four-year term in January 2016.{{cite news|title=Unadilla swears in new mayor|url=https://www.cordeledispatch.com/2016/01/15/unadilla-swears-in-new-mayor/|accessdate=June 10, 2018|newspaper=Cordele Dispatch|date=January 15, 2016}}
Published works
- Smokin' with Myron Mixon{{spnd}}Myron Mixon, Alexander, Kelly (May 10, 2011) 192 pages New York: Ballantine Books. {{ISBN|9780345528537}}
- Everyday Barbecue: At Home with America's Favorite Pitmaster{{spnd}}Myron Mixon, Alexander, Kelly (May 7, 2013) 320 pages
- Myron Mixon's BBQ Rules{{spnd}}Myron Mixon, Alexander, Kelly (April 19, 2016) 240 pages
Restaurants
In January 2017 Mixon, along with business partners Joe Corey, a certified BBQ judge, and Bill McFadden opened Myron Mixon’s Pitmaster BBQ in Alexandria Virginia. The restaurant features some of Myron’s famous menu items such as Jacks Peach BBQ Baked Beans, Baby Back Mac and Cheese, Dry Rubbed Wings, and many more of Myron’s favorites cooked up by head pitmaster John Bennett.
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|3715730}}
- [http://www.jacksoldsouth.com/ Jack's Old South BBQ official website]
- [http://myronmixonbbqpellets.com/ Myron Mixon 100% Organic BBQ Pellets: Harvested in the USA]
- [https://myronmixonsmokers.com/ Where tradition meets innovation — Myron Mixon handcrafted Smokers: Made in the USA. ]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mixon, Myron}}
Category:People from Vienna, Georgia
Category:American television chefs