[Kerri Beach, Jamie Pathley, Samantha Hunter, Melinda Richardson-these girls know where to find good meat]

GO HERE for more photos by KEITH LEW and GO HERE for more by CARLY CARYN and TAG YOURSELF and YOUR FRIENDS!

This weekend, if you were smart, you were at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party. The country's top pit masters come to town every June to cook their award-winning food for over a hundred thousand barbecue enthusiasts in Madison Square Park.  The best part? It was all free.  Though if you wanted to sample, plates started at $8 (All-you-can-eat Fast Passes were available for $100).  A small price to pay for your chance to visit Texas, Kansas City, South Carolina, Nevada, North Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi's best all at once.

More photos and story below...

Our own Keith Lew spent some time talking to Grill masters like Kenny Callaghan (Blue Smoke), Mike Mills (17th st. Bar and Grill), Ed Mitchell (who recently bested Bobby Flay in a throw-down), John Stage (Pitmaster: Dinosaur BBQ), John Hagood (Pitmaster: Food for the Southern Soul), Susan Salgado (Union Square Hospitality Group). More from Keith Lew:

Ed Mitchell with Nephew and heir to throne

Big Bob Gibson BBQ

Jason Salgado, Jason Cune, Jennifer Galardi

Mike Mills (Apple City BBQ), Ricky Hoover, Joe Pandalpo

Bob Gibson BBQ and family, Jim Dingeman

Robbie Lundy, Carry Brengel, John Alderson, (Martins BBQ Joint)

MORE PHOTOS IN GALLERY!