It says a lot about someone when their obituary includes a pimento cheese recipe. But it’s a good way to honor Jim Early who, quite literally, helped put North Carolina barbecue and classic Southern fare on the map. Before he devoted his life to barbecue, Early was a lawyer. Early founded the North Carolina Barbecue Society in 2006 and through the society, he created a hall of fame, which includes women and minorities in the business, and established the NCBS Historic Barbecue Trail.