 | | ANNEMARIE KNEPPER/CENTRAL OREGONIAN | | The hungry crowd awaits the feast that some folks look forward to all year. |
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Folks from near and far have enjoyed the Lord's Acre sale at Powell Butte Christian Church for the past six decades.
Each year there are crafts, an auction, a fun run and other family events. But the main event of the Lord's Acre, many will tell you, is the barbecue.
Carroll Penhollow and his sons have been preparing the main course of the famous feast for years.
His sons, Clay and Cary, have participated since they were old enough to hold a shovel, or nearly 30 years.
"I've only missed three Lord's Acre days since I was born," Cary said. "I don't think my dad has missed any."
Cary plans to continue the Penhollow barbecue tradition with his sons, now ages 9, 7, and 5. Currently, the boys help with the coffee and milk service.
"The oldest one may help with the fire this year," he said.
Three pits encompassing about 40 feet of space are dug each year and prepared to house the rolled beef roast, more than 50 hams, and about five steers and five to eight lambs which are donated each year.
The pits are fired up at 7 p.m. the night before the sale, always the the first Saturday of November.
Nearly 1,400 pounds of potatoes and 60 gallons of beans will be baked within it, along with 42- to 45,000 pounds of fresh ground whole-hog sausage.
The pit is carefully tended to all night long. At midnight, the steers are added to the underground oven, and not opened until noon, just before the meal is served.
Before sunrise, at 4 a.m., the final items - ham, beans, and potatoes - are entered into a separate pit.
Hungry travelers await the large meal, served at 12:30 p.m. Coleslaw and coffee or milk make the supper complete. After an hour or so, everyone has food in hand.
Foil is kept on hand for those who want to bring their leftovers home.
Unused meat is sold immediately to people as they are leaving. Any that isn't sold is used for the church's Project Love, created to help people in need with their rent, medical needs or food needs, or to Meals on Wheels. |
