Where's the Beef?

Clara Peller, the little old lady who gained fame in the 1984 advertising campaign for Wendy's Restaurant in which she inquired "Where's the Beef?", would have exclaimed "Eureka" (Greek for "I have found it.") if she had visited Salem United Methodist Church in Patrick County Saturday night (8/16/08). Grilled to savory perfection by chef Wilbur Walker of Critz, the beef was in plentiful supply at Salem's annual $25 per person steak dinner.

Pastor Sarah Doss and the congregation of the beautiful 182-year-old little country church welcomed a large crowd of hungry patrons that filled the church fellowship hall to near capacity during much of the 2 and 1/2-hour dinner. What a lovely church and a friendly bunch of members.

My friend Wilbur Walker told me that he and assistants Chris Caviness and Tom Doss, the pastor's husband, grilled more than 125 steaks that were cooked to order by each of the people who enjoyed the feast. The tender, juicy steaks were huge 1 and 1/4 inch hunks of expertly grilled meat 'dripping with love' and bursting with flavor, and were served with baked potato, 7 layer salad, apple and pineapple casserole, Texas toast, team, lemonade, coffee, and a wide variety of desserts including coconut pie, banana pudding, pecan pie, and many more. The meal was well worth the wait as chefs sought to grill every steak to the exact doneness requested by each customer, many of whom come to this event year after year.

In addition to grilling an excellent steak, Wilbur Walker is also widely noted for the blackpot chicken that is another of his signature dishes. He and the Patrick Springs Ruritans cook up to 800 pounds of blackpot chicken each fall at the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival at Ferrum College. Wilbur also teams up with his dear friend and mine Clyde Brown, WHEO's Critz weather spotter, to make molasses from the cane that they raise each autumn. "He's a pretty good cook," said Mr. Brown of his pal Wilbur.

Wilbur enjoys cooking at the church dinners that Salem United Methodist Church holds regularly. Each of these nearly monthly dinners is planned around a central theme...Tex-Mex, Puerto Rican, Italian, etc. Wilbur has been cooking since the mid-1970s when he learned to make blackpot chicken from his uncle in Franklin County. A member since he came here from Franklin County in 1974, Wilbur finds great joy in being a member of Salem United Methodist Church. "There is a lot of love here," said Walker, adding boastfully "we have the best cooks in Patrick County." After enjoying one of Wilbur's mouth-watering steaks Saturday night, he may not have been just 'shootin' the bull' when he made that tongue-in-cheek claim!

Thanks to Pastor Sarah Doss and everyone at Salem United Methodist Church for your gracious hospitality. Special thanks to my buddy Wilbur Walker who always brings me back blackpot chicken from Ferrum each year and remembers me in many other kind ways. Wilbur gave me a free ticket to Saturday night's dinner which I appreciate very much. I must say, though, that I worked for my meal because, like most places I go on weekends, right after I eat, I am transformed into "Richard on the Road" doing interviews and gathering information for my radio news features. My Saturday night visit to the steak dinner at one of Patrick County's oldest churches resulted in a 3-part series of "Richard on the Road" reports titled "Salem United Methodist Church: a Praying Church" (and, as Pastor Doss says, "an Eating Church") that will air this week.

Until next time, may God bless you with a great day!

At your service with love :O),

Richard