KINGS OF ‘CUE: LOCAL SMOKERS SET TO BRING THEIR BEST THIS BREWBQ WEEKEND

If you’re the local king of the smoker, but you can’t talk smack about it … do you even barbecue? This year, the BrewBQ’s amateur barbecue competition will pit five seasoned competitors – both puns very much intended – from last year’s contest against one another, as they duke it out for hometown glory with their best pork belly burnt end and pulled pork recipes. The field includes the 2022 Best Ribs winner in Thin Blue Smoke, as well as the Best Brisket and defending Best Overall champion in Smoked ’Que.

Back for its second year after a popular debut, the People’s Choice Awards will allow BrewBQ guests to sample the pitmasters’ wares and weigh in on the most delectable product. Tasting tickets are $2 apiece, meaning that patrons can purchase a full palate of samples each day for just $10. Tasting goes from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, and 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday.

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To get the competitive juices flowing a bit ahead of time, we caught up with most of the competitors to ask about their true grilling prowess, and gained a little insight into what we can expect this weekend.

THE QUESTIONS:

1. Why do you have an edge (mental or flavor-wise) over your competitors?
2. A short preview of your recipe.
3. Please rank your favorite meats to smoke from the following choices: pig, cow, bison, fish, iguana.
4. What’s your preferred libation while smoking meat?
5. Have you ever smoked anything illegal? If so, what was it?
6. If you could BBQ with one person living or dead, who would it be and why?
7. How many pounds of meat have you grilled in your lifetime?

THIN BLUE SMOKE
Matt Pitcher & Jason Koler

1. With Koler and I together, we’re basically a Michelin star restaurant.
2. Our pork belly will be like candied bacon made in heaven. And our butt is more legendary than Tom Brady when he retired the first time.
3. Pig, cow, fish, bison, and only Blanton smokes iguana.
4. You have to have whiskey to be successful. Tyler for some reason prefers Zimas.
5. Tyler in last year’s competition.
6. Tyler’s mom, so she could cook with a winner.
7. About 5 Tylers or 500 pigs.

PITS ‘N’ GIGGLES
Tyler Blanton

1. Age. These other competitors are getting old and senile – especially Matt. They’re gonna need to get a couple naps in throughout the day and who knows what they’ll forget to bring.
2. Whatever it is will be better than Matt’s.
3. Looks like a pretty good order to me. Matt will probably put iguana first because he thinks it makes him look cultured and diverse.
4. Beer. I’m not all “sophisticated” like Matt who thinks drinking Maker’s Mark puts him above everyone else.
5. I plead the fifth…
6. I’d have to say I’m pretty excited to compete with Matt again this year. He’s getting pretty long in the tooth these days and his health is questionable. I’m not sure how many more of these he’s got left before he’s gotta hang it up. So I’ll make sure this is a memorable one for him.
7. More than Matt.

THE TACKLE BOX
Chris Still

1. I’m the total package. Smarts, cunning and cooking excellence. Folks ’round these parts call me “The Grill Master.”
2. Charcoal, hardwood, with one open flame with my pull-behind smoker. The secret is in the rub recipe, which will be sold at the Tackle Box vendor booth this weekend.
3. Pig is the Boston Butt. I like my butts big! Cow is definitely brisket. Bison has always been burgers. For fish, mahi is delicious smoked. Iguana, which my dog Max loves to catch for me, is best smoked whole. Field dress and skin that lizard and season it up to perfection.
4. Truth be told, sweet tea.
5. Growing up I never had an interest in anything illegal. Those that know me know that my prior career kept me walking a straight line.
6. Very simple answer: my PawPaw. He’s in his 90s now and not able to get around like he would like. He and I have some wonderful memories together cooking.
7. My wife Robyn says way more than I can count. Making a wild guess, I’d say 2,000 pounds or so.

SMOKED ’QUE
Craig & Ashley Thompson

1. Smoked ’Que’s laid-back style lets the cooker do the work. Our flavors are made up of mixtures of seasonings and sauces you can’t duplicate!
2. Smoky – Sticky – Sweet
3. Cow, Pig, Bison, Fish, WTF – Iguana?
4. Ice-cold beer is a must, with maybe a nice smooth shot of whiskey.
5. We don’t kiss and tell.
6. Bob Marley. Keep it cool, calm and collected with great music – Ya mon!
7. Nine full-grown elephants

PETERSEN’S BACKYARD BBQ
Jesse Petersen