Evening Edge

Sam Huff spent so much time answering queries from friends, family and customers that he decided it was time to go public. The co-owner of the two Sam & Dave's barbecue joints in Marietta started offering small classes that cover everything you need to know about barbecue, and then some.

"I do just six a year, and it's turned out to be a really popular thing," said Huff, a lawyer whose passion is barbecue competitions and cooking. "I actually started about four years ago, even before we had a restaurant, because people were always calling and asking me how I got the ribs so tender, how to do this, how to do that."

Phil Skinner / pskinner@ajc.com (ENLARGE)

Sam Huff, a partner in Sam and Dave's BBQ restaurants, shows students how to 'cue at his Lost Mountain Barbecue Company's College of Pig Knowledge.

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There's a lengthy waiting list for Huff's classes that are limited to 16 students, max. They draw folks from as far away as Texas who make their travel plans around the class. Those patient enough to snag a spot won't be disappointed. For $200, they get an all-day session with an expert. And we mean all day: class convenes at 8 a.m. with breakfast. Huff gets everyone moving to make stratas with ham and cheese and sourdough biscuits over a fire of hot coals.

No sooner is breakfast over when it's time to think about lunch. That's when the ribs come out. At current count, Huff has 22 smokers and grills at his disposal, and he fires up several during the day to get the next meal started. Along the way, he imparts his expertise on the topics of rubs, sauces, marinades, basting and injections that add flavor.

"I also show them how to prep the spare ribs, how to pull the membranes off, how to tell the baby backs from the spare ribs," said Huff. "We cover cooking times, theories of barbecue cooking, techniques, the whole range."

Along the way, students are busy working on side dishes and fruit cobblers for the evening meal that comes off the grills at about 6 p.m. "Then we have a feast," Huff said with a laugh.

Huff's followers leave with very full stomachs, a chef's hat, apron and a binder filled with about 50 pages of tips, recipes and resources.

"This class is geared toward the backyard cook who wants to rise to the semi-professional level," said Huff. "But the second goal is also to show people that barbecue isn't just something you throw on a plate. It's part of a Southern tradition of family, food and culture. And that really appeals to people who are tired of junk food and fast food."

BBQ CLASSES

Information about the classes is online at www.lostmountainbbq.com. Can't wait for a class? Get a sample of Huff's food at Sam & Dave's, 660 Whitlock Ave., or 4944 Lower Roswell Road, both in Marietta.