BBQ Critic Competition Coverage

2023 King of the Corn - Ottumwa, IA

5/20/2023

OTTUMWA, IA (May 20, 2023) - My BBQ cook & judge friend, Steve Carfrae, and I hit the road on Friday to go judge the KCBS Pro-Series contest KING OF THE CORN in Ottumwa, Iowa. We arrived a day early to judge the TURKEY SMOKE, and hang out with BBQ teams.

We made our rounds and talked with various teams. Always fun to catch up with our BBQ family. Kyle Johnson (T-REX BBQ) is one of the most entertaining and fun cooks to visit. He won Grand Champion last year at KING OF THE CORN. He always has a fun story to tell. Kyle gave Steve a T-REX t-shirt. Very cool!

I stopped by Iowa's Smokey D's team and chatted with Darren and Sheri Warth. Then realized I did not bring Darren potato salad. Uh, oh. This has been a tradition for several years now. Even Jeff Vanderlinde (Shiggin' & Grinnin' BBQ team) who was set up next to Darren mentioned the potato salad.

Well I hope you guys are going to State Center Rose Festival this year. You will both have a big portion of potato salad coming your way. Guaranteed!

Darren Warth (Iowa's Smokey D's) tending his smoker at KING OF THE CORN

Last year at KING OF THE CORN, the BBQ team Lucious Loins made some stuffed mushrooms (I had these at previous contests) and they are so delicious. We hung out with them during the evening standing around a fire pit while other cooks joined us. It was cold! They sent us back to our room with an extra pan of stuffed mushrooms. What a delicious breakfast!

We saw Francis Dutton (contest organizer) running around on his golf cart tending to the cooks and directing people where to park. This guy puts a lot of effort into this contest to make it the best run event possible. Keep up the great work, Francis!

Last year in 2022, Francis' wife Christine Dutton (KCBS BBQ Judge), judged her last contest at KING OF THE CORN with intentions to retire from judging all-together. Sadly, she passed away not long after, and now her name has become enshrined at this contest.

There is now a new award called the CHRISTINE DUTTON SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD. Anyone can be nominated by other cooks and judges and this year the winner is PARROTHEAD SMOKERS.

CHRISTINE DUTTON SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD WINNER: Parrothead Smokers

We visited SMOKEHOUSE 72 BBQ team and they showed us their brand new BBQ trailer and gravity smoker. Very cool! Pit master brothers, Ray and Jay Ringgenberg, are good friends with Francis Dutton and at this contest they revealed the name given to their new smoker. It was named after Francis' late wife, Christine. Her name is prominently displayed on top of the smoker. What a beautiful tribute to Christine.

JUDGING

Dan Rote (KCBS BBQ judge) was signed up to judge this year's contest. Dan passed away just weeks ago. Francis held a moment of silence at the judge meeting for Christine and Dan. While they are now in the arms of our loving Lord in Heaven, we felt love for them at this contest.

Christine Dutton (right) getting ready to judge her last contest at KING OF THE CORN 2022

Dan Rote (far left) getting ready to check in as a BBQ judge at KING OF THE CORN 2022

TURKEY SMOKE

This was the first time I judged the TURKEY SMOKE. If I was going to give a cook any advise on this category (a cook who decides to turn in a turkey sandwich), please put a very healthy portion of turkey between those buns so we can taste the turkey. The slices were a lot easier to decipher the taste and tenderness. Thin slices of turkey inside a bun or bread is not a good idea.

KCBS PRO SERIES

Judging the KCBS Pro Series on Saturday went beyond my expectations. I mean ALL THE FOOD at our table was high quality, delicious BBQ. I had one bad rib. There were other samples of meat not quite worthy of higher scores. Overall fantastic food, though. Judging was fairly easy, especially since we DO NOT COMPARE. Rich and Bunny Tuttle did a great job keeping the judging area flowing smoothly.

I noticed a lot of cooks thanked me this year for being a voluneer judge for this event. If you decide to come judge KING OF THE CORN, you will feel appreciated by all. Some cooks saved me samples of their BBQ to try after judging. I barely had room!

Matty Mack's BBQ sent me home with a half pan of left over pork and a few pieces of chicken. Very nice. I will be making some delicious street tacos soon. Thanks, Matty!

TRASH PANDA BBQ walked up to me after the contest and gave me their team sticker. In return, they got the official BBQ CRITIC APPROVED sticker and will be added my new BBQ CRITIC APPROVED team gallery on the website this summer.

BBQ CRITIC APPROVED TEAM - Trash Panda BBQ

FINAL THOUGHTS

Congrats to all the teams who got calls and competed in this very competitive line up. Special congrats to SON OF A BOAR (Grand Champion) and 4 LEGS UP (Reserve Grand) and WAGS BACKWOODS BBQ (3rd Overall).

When all the fires went out and the awards given, it is the SMOKEHOUSE 72 moment that reminds me why I have been involved in the BBQ community since 2008. You may see cooks layer mustard on meat as a binder for BBQ rub, but you know it's that layer of love that binds this community together as a BBQ family.

KING OF THE CORN is representative of that love for BBQ and everyone invloved. Congrats to all the cooks, judges, KCBS reps (Rich & Bunny Tuttle), Dusty Ware and staff, Francis Dutton and all those working behind the scenes to make this event a success.

See you next year!

-- BBQ CRITIC

GRAND CHAMPION

Grand Champion - SON OF A BOAR

INTERVIEW

SON OF A BOAR BBQ

KING OF THE CORN GRAND CHAMPION RING

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION

Reserve Grand Champion - 4 LEGS UP BBQ

TOP 10 OVERALL

1 SON OF A BOAR BBQ
2 4 LEGS UP BBQ
3 WAGS BACKWOODS BBQ
4 DAMN FINE BEEF & SWINE
5 HOT DADDY'S BBQ

6 SIN CIRCLE BBQ
7 T-REX BBQ
8 LAST CALL HEROES BBQ
9 SMOKED & FURIOUS
10 SHIGGIN & GRINNIN

CHICKEN

1st Place Chicken - Son of a Boar BBQ

TOP 10 CHICKEN

1 SON OF A BOAR BBQ
2 WAGS BACKWOODS BBQ
3 PARROTHEAD SMOKERS
4 PARTS 'R' SMOKIN
5 BOHICA BBQ

6 DAMN FINE BEEF & SWINE
7 UP FROM THE PITS BBQ
8 HOT DADDY'S BBQ
9 IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ
10 SMOKED & FURIOUS

PORK RIBS

1st Place Pork Ribs - SIN CIRCLE BBQ

TOP 10 PORK RIBS

1 SIN CIRCLE BBQ
2 4 LEGS UP BBQ
3 WAGS BACKWOODS BBQ
4 T-REX BBQ
5 MATTY MACK'S

6 DAMN FINE BEEF & SWINE
7 NEVER EASY BBQ
8 HOT DADDY'S BBQ
9 DR SQUEALGOOD BBQ
10 SON OF A BOAR BBQ

PORK

1st Place Pork - DAMN FINE BEEF & SWINE

TOP 10 PORK

1 DAMN FINE BEEF & SWINE
2 IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ
3 HOT DADDY'S BBQ
4 SON OF A BOAR BBQ
5 LAST CALL HEROES BBQ

6 T-REX BBQ
7 UGLY BABY BBQ
8 SMOKED & FURIOUS
9 UP FROM THE PITS BBQ
10 4 LEGS UP BBQ

BRISKET

1st Place Brisket - TEAM CRAWFORD

TOP 10 BRISKET

1 TEAM CRAWFORD
2 BOCEPHUS BBQ
3 SMOKIN' SUCKERS
4 SHIGGIN & GRINNIN
5 FINGER LEIKAM GOOD

6 LUSCIOUS LOINS
7 4 LEGS UP BBQ
8 2 CASE BBQ
9 SON OF A BOAR BBQ
10 PAPA LINDA'S BBQ

TURKEY SMOKE

1st Place Turkey Smoke - PARTS "R" SMOKIN

TOP 10 - TURKEY SMOKE

1 PARTS 'R' SMOKIN
2 UP FROM THE PITS BBQ
3 DAMN FINE BEEF & SWINE
4 TRASH PANDA BBQ
5 2 CASE BBQ

6 CHILLIN & GRILLIN IOWA
7 SON OF A BOAR BBQ
8 BRAMBLE BBQ
9 GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS
10 SMOKED & FURIOUS

BAR-B QC 2022

9/13/2022

BAR-B QC: Grand Champion (left) T-Daddy's BBQ and Reserve Grand (right)) Loose Cannon BBQ

DAVENPORT, IA (September 10, 2022) - When I received my confirmation email to judge the 2nd Annual BAR-B-QC contest in Davenport, IA (although the first year for a KCBS contest), it was packed full of a lot of detailed and helpful information. I got a sense this was going to be a very well-organized BBQ contest and I was right.

Located at LeClaire Park (downtown Davenport, Iowa), the contest is nestled right up along the Mississippi River. BBQ teams lined up on a very beautiful red brick lot, accented by white and gray brick trim throughout. Everything looks so clean and organized. Jaycees of the Quad Cities is off to a good start.

KCBS contest reps, Eugene and Sarah Wickham, welcomed all judges with a smile, along with event organizers Chris and Chad. I spoke with them briefly about BAR-B-QC. Here is a brief video clip...

VIDEO CLIP
BAR-B-QC ORGANIZERS

JUDGING

Inside the judge tent, we had a great view of the Mississippi River. When judge check in concluded, we were short a few judges. So the contest organizers found a nice couple who were just going to go have a few drinks and watch the bands and they agreed to help.

KCBS contest reps, Eugene and Sarah Wickham, handled the situation perfectly. The volunteer couple took on the role as Table Captains instead of judging. The Wickham's made sure everything went smooth by giving a hands-on approach every step of the way, guiding the couple through all stages of the process. KUDOS!

It's important contests make every effort to have all Certified BBQ Judges who are trained to follow the KCBS rules. It's expensive to roll in a rig to a competition and having 100% Certified BBQ Judges creates a level playing ground for all competing. So KUDOS to Eugene and Sarah!

When it came to judging, the Chicken category was the favorite at my table. For me, I enjoyed Pork category the most. All I can say (without describing the boxes) is that the Pork samples were so tender and delicious. KCBS does not allow judges to compare boxes and if they did, this would be a hard category to judge.

All BBQ judges received a free BAR-B-QC T-shirt which was pretty cool.

MEETING THE TEAMS

One of my favorite moments at a BBQ contest is doing a walk-around and talking to the teams. I saw some familiar faces, and some not so familiar who turned out to be Facebook friends who I had never met. T-Daddy's BBQ.is one of those teams.

I had a great talk with Tory and Paula Ketelsen (T-Daddy's BBQ) and they even presented me with a bottle of their T-Daddy's BBQ Original BBQ Sauce. I added this to my BBQ Critic product revew list, so more on this later in the Fall when I launch that review section. It was great to see them win Grand Champion today, and a 180 in Chicken. Tory's reaction to that 180 was a joy to watch. Nice job team!

BBQ Critic with Paula and Tory Ketelsen

T-Daddy's BBQ Original BBQ Sauce

On over to Stone Cold Grillers. Scott Parkins offered me a sample of pork to try. This pork (especially the money muscle) in KCBS terms was EXCELLENT! Then he broke the bad news. Scott was 10 seconds late to turn-in, so the box was disqualified. What I sampled was the actual turn-in box!

Stone Cold Grillers PORK BOX that never made it to the judge table. It was DELICIOUS!

Man, I felt bad for the guy. I am sad for both Stone Cold Grillers and the judges. In my opinion, this box was worthy of a 999. Now we will never know. Regardless, nice job on that pork box, Scott. You nailed it! Thanks for letting me sample it.

The pork category was very competitive based on my experience in the judge tent. Rick Stach and Tom Smith (Smitty's Smokehouse) rose to the top with a 180 win in pork. It was great hanging out with you at the contest. Congrats, guys!

SMITTY'S SMOKEHOUSE wins 180 in pork!

BAR-B-QC is now a wrap. Congratulations to all 13 teams competing. Great job T-Daddy's BBQ on your Grand Champion and congrats to Loose Cannon BBQ for the Reserve Grand. In addition to the KCBS contest, there was a People's Choice Award for the food vendors. Bayside Bistro won "Best Sauce" and Smokin' Goodness won "Best Ribs."

The Jaycees of the Quad Cities and event organizers created a stellar event at LeClaire Park, executed with a fire of passion for their mission. A lot of great sponsors made this event happen including Midwest Grilling Supplies, a Davenport BBQ store I need to visit next time I am in the area.

Great job, BAR-B-QC! I will definitely be back next year.

-- BBQ CRITIC

GRAND CHAMPION

GRAND CHAMPION - T-Daddy's

T-Daddy's BBQ by the Mississippi River

VIDEO: T-DADDY'S BBQ

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION

RESERVE GRAND - Loose Cannon BBQ

Loose Cannon BBQ by the Mississippi River

TOP 3 CHICKEN

1st Chicken T Daddy's BBQ

2nd Chicken Loose Cannon BBQ

3rd Chicken - Midwest Grilling Supplies accepting award on behalf of the winner Weez' Groovin' BBQ

180 in Chicken - T-Daddy's BBQ

TOP 3 RIBS

1st Ribs - Midwest Grilling Supplies accepting award on behalf of the winner Weez' Groovin' BBQ

2nd Ribs - T Daddy's BBQ

3rd Ribs - Loose Cannon BBQ

TOP 3 PORK

1st Pork - Smitty's Smokehouse

2nd Pork - Shmack Q

3rd Pork - Loose Cannon BBQ

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD for BBQ Vendors

Best BBQ - Smokin' Goodness

Best Sauce - Bayside Bistro

Smokin' in the Grass 2022 (Waterloo, IA)

9/4/2022

The Judge tent at Smokin' in the Grass

WATERLOO, IA (August 13th, 2022) - Great news! Cindy Wells, a well-respected BBQ contest organizer in Iowa, has created a new backyard contest located at the Cedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens in Waterloo, Iowa (a short distance from Cedar Falls). It's called "Smokin' in the Grass," but this place isn't just all grass.

There is 40 acres of eye catching beauty with flowers, trees, gardens and creative sculptures. What does all this have to do with BBQ? Nothing, unless we can find some kale, lettuce, parsley or cilantro growing here. Wait! This is a NO GARNISH contest. Never mind. The Arboretum is just one gorgeous, serene place to have a BBQ contest.

Normally when I arrive at a BBQ contest, I am either going to cook or judge. Not this time. I strictly came up here to hang out with the cooks, judges and staff to do a story on BBQ Critic. When I heard Cindy was heading up this contest, I wanted to be there. It turned out to be a lot of fun.

The cooks were generous with letting me try samples of their contest meat (which allowed me to give them feedback from a judge perspective), and I even snagged some food photos to share. Having the freedom and time to interact with the teams and judges made this contest extra fun. I think I need to do this more often.

I met up with some of the seasoned teams like LTS BBQ, 1 Case BBQ, 2 Case BBQ, and 225 Mafia BBQ. My eyes saw a lot of delicious looking BBQ cook'n in those smokers. It was fun to meet up with teams who I normally do not see at contests like 2Sauce2Pork BBQ, Limp Brisket, Second Hand Smoke, BBQ Pit Bros, Kolder Q, Bone Out BBQ and others.

2Sauce2Pork BBQ was using a portable GMG Trek Prime Pellet Grill for their chicken, the same smoker I bought from The Grill Works in Marion, Iowa. I love that little smoker!

2SAUCE2PORK BBQ cooking chicken on a GMG Trek Prime portable pellet grill. This smoker is BBQ Critic Approved!

All teams focused on smoking up their ribs and chicken. This is a two-meat contest, which is nice. Involves less cooking time and no worries about pork and brisket turn-ins. Close to turn in time, I walked around and sampled meats from various teams. When I tasted ribs and gave feedback to a cook, one newer team comes to mind: Bone Out BBQ.

Tim Cary, Bone Out BBQ head cook, walked over to give me a sample of his ribs. He gave it to me cautiously warning it was a bit salty. Yep! That bone was a pillar of salt! Tim walked away kind of depressed because he was not happy with his cook.

During the awards ceremony I was listening to the rib calls. Guess who got 4th in Ribs (out of 16 teams competing)? Yup - Bone Out BBQ. I was shocked and asked Tim how he pulled this off. The ribs he turned in simply came from a different rack, which he could not taste because he had to turn in all the bones. What a fantastic surprise.

Photo Courtesy, Candid Photography (Waterloo, IA)

BONE OUT BBQ winning 4th place in RIBS

Years ago when I was cooking with Bubba-Q's (Ottumwa, IA) on the competition circuit, he would smoke up three racks of ribs and we were always amazed at how each slab had its own unique flavor and tenderness. You have be real careful when choosing what meats will go in your turn in box. Tim made the right choice, but he still felt bad about giving me that salty rib. So what does he do next?

The following week he invited me over to eat ribs with him and his son. I accepted and the ribs were very good. Tim also made a really delicious corn dish and a veggie/potato side. I think his rib recipe has great potential at his next competition.

Excellent flavor profile on these ribs!

This was a great tasting dinner.

Awards are always exciting to watch. Congrats to all who got a call and everyone who competed: 2 Bald Guys grabbed the Grand Champion and 1 Case BBQ nailed the Reserve Grand. Smokin' Suckers 3rd, 2 Case 4th and 2Sauce2Pork BBQ in at 5th (that GMG Trek Prime treated this team well!).

TOP WINNERS

GRAND CHAMPION - 2 BALD GUYS

RESERVE GRAND - 1 CASE BBQ

Brief Interview with 2 BALD GUYS BBQ
GRAND CHAMPION
Smokin' in the Grass 2022
Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens (Cedar Falls, IA)

TOP 3 CHICKEN

1st Place Chicken - 1 CASE BBQ

2nd Place Chicken - 2 CASE BBQ

2 Place Chicken - 225 Mafia BBQ

TOP 3 RIBS

1st Place Ribs - 2 BALD GUYS BBQ

2nd Place Ribs - LTS BBQ

3rd Place Ribs - SMOKIN' SUCKERS

Smokin' in the Grass is the beginning of something great. Cooks appreciate the 100% KCBS Certified BBQ Judges in the tent. The contest will take place again next year on September 23, 2023. Now that's a date easy to remember and I encourage teams to put this date on their calendar.

Cindy Wells picked the perfect venue for a backyard BBQ contest. A tranquil gaze at the scenery provides a nice backdrop for cooks and judges. I will be back.

- BBQ CRITIC

Final thoughts from Cindy Wells

Inside the BBQ Judge Tent

This contest is sanctioned by the Iowa BBQ Society with $2000 cash prizes.

Smokin' Up Main Street (2022) - Center point, IA

8/21/2022

CENTER POINT, IA (August 20, 2022) - SMOKIN UP MAIN STREET in Center Point, IA is one of my favorite backyard BBQ contests to attend each year. I've judged and competed here in the past, and it's very close to home. I came out Friday evening to hang out with the BBQ teams. Always a fun time.

Steve Carfrae (LTS BBQ) was set up at his usual spot on the street corner. I noticed members of the BAMBQ BBQ team were all sitting under his canopy having a lively conversation. Steve Slezak and Bryan Meyer (BAMBQ Head Cook) usually vend and compete here, but they had to bow out of the event due to Bryan having a bad condition of broken ribs.

I suggested to the group they should rename LTS BBQ to "Broken Rib BBQ." They liked it! Anyway, Bryan was in PAIN and his wife, Audrey, was very concerned. She warned him not to do anything physical so he can heal. Bryan, of course, accepted her demands. The dude was in pain, yet still showed up to help out Carfrae with some of his knowledge.

Bryan Meyer (BAMBQ) showing LTS BBQ a few of his techniques on making award winning BBQ.

Carfrae forgot to bring brisket injection, so the team nextdoor (225 Mafia BBQ) gave him some of their injection powder to use. Very cool, Rande and Danny Galle! I remember last year when I competed, Smokin' Monkey loaned me a table to use for my GMG Trek Prime portable pellet grill. Everyone looks out for each other.

225 Mafia BBQ

SMOKIN' MONKEY

I walked around talking to teams, and just hanging out having interesting discussions. I talked with a new team competing for the first time Meader's BBQ. These guys are pretty cool and very excited about cooking BBQ. We had a great conversation about competing and judging.

Meader's BBQ - a new team from the Center Point, IA area.

So many stories are born at BBQ contests. Here is one story for you. When a BBQ competition team called FAKE CHOW asks a BBQ judge (me) to bring them potato salad in exchange for a box of awesome BBQ meats, what do I get back? NO CHOW!

That's right. FAKE CHOW BBQ team mates Matty and Dusty said to me late Friday night, "Let's barter, man. Hey, bring us some of that famous potato salad of yours and we'll put together a nice big box of meats for ya." It sounded legit. I am in. BBQ meats for me!

I took their bait and faithfully on Saturday morning (August 20th at 11:45 am) I hand delivered to them a big helping of my potato salad (a half size aluminum pan to be exact). The day moved on and I judged for a couple of hours and took photos at awards time. Everyone was starting to pack up their competition gear and still nothing. Nada. It truly is FAKE CHOW.

Although it is possible my LITTLE baggie of beef brisket (I only take home brisket left-overs from judging) just might contain a slice of their brisket You never know. Dusty did surprise me with a bottle of his Darty Drizzle Finishing Sauce to try out. Guess I will try it out on my FAKE CHOW.

Could there be a FAKE CHOW BBQ brisket slice in here?

Darty Drizzle Finishing Sauce

C'mon fellas, Where's my barter box of BBQ? Seriously, though. You guys worked hard at vending and simply forgot. I don't need the box. Hope you enjoyed the potato salad. :-)

Moving on to the awards. Congrats to 2 CASE BBQ for their Grand Champion win. Reserve Grand went to SMOKIN' MONKEY. 3rd overall went to SMOKIN' SUCKERS. FAKE CHOW BBQ nailed 4th place. Now I know what happened to my barter box. FAKE CHOW used the meat that I was supposed to get in their BBQ turn-in boxes. Well, I guess you can blame the BBQ judges for this win. :-) 5th overall went to SMOKIN CRITTERS.

FAKE CHOW BBQ'S MOTTO: "If your shit sucks, blame the judges."

Joe Osbrink models the back of FAKE CHOW BBQ's T-Shirt

TOP FIVE OVERALL WINNERS

GRAND CHAMPION - 2 CASE BBQ

RESERVE GRAND - SMOKIN' MONKEY BAR-B-Q

SMOKIN' SUCKERS

4TH OVERALL - FAKE CHOW BBQ

5TH OVERALL - SMOKIN' CRITTERS

TOP 3 CHICKEN

1ST CHICKEN - 2 CASE BBQ

2ND CHICKEN - FAKE CHOW BBQ

3RD CHICKEN - SMOKIN' MONKEY

TOP 3 RIBS

1ST RIBS - SMOKIN' SUCKERS

2ND RIBS - FAKE CHOW BBQ

3RD RIBS - SMOKIN' CRITTERS

TOP 3 PORK

1ST PORK - 2 CASE BBQ

2ND PORK - SMOKIN' MONKEY

3RD PORK - SMOKIN' SUCKERS

TOP 3 BRISKET

1ST BRISKET - SMOKIN' MONKEY

2ND BRISKET - FAKE CHOW BBQ

3RD BRISKET - SMOKIN' CRITTERS

Our judge table had a 180 in Brisket (all six judges gave the highest score of 999 each). When SMOKIN' MONKEY was announced as the first place winner, a few of us judges congratulated them on their fine brisket. We all expressed how it was so delicious, especially that burnt end. Amazing!

Lyn Burks (KCBS BBQ Judge) gave me a cool clipboard to use for my judging score card. Very cool. Thanks, Lyn!

My new clipboard for score sheets

KCBS Certified BBQ Judges

SMOKIN UP MAIN STREET remains one of the coolest backyard BBQ contests around, and boy did I consume some awesome food today. I will be back again - either to compete or judge.

Nice job on your 10th year of running this contest, Francis Dutton. Thank you Ruby Vokaty for hosting the show all these years at Rubies Bar in Center Point, IA

- BBQ CRITIC

Mine is the Best BBQ Sauce Competition - Iowa State Fair (2022)

8/12/2022

DES MOINES IA (August 12th, 2022) I've always wanted to judge food at the Iowa State Fair and today I am doing just that. Judging comes naturally to me, but the trip to the fair is another story.

You know that feeling you get when you take a long drive to an area you are not familiar with, and then have a commitment to arrive at a specific time? Best way to ease your mind is to leave early, right? I left early so I would arrive at 1:30 pm, way before my 2:40 pm deadline to check in as a judge. Not early enough, though.

My GPS brought me right to the fair on time, but traffic at a stand-still, barely moving to the parking gates. Set me back 30 minutes to reach Gate 3, and parking took another 15 minutes! Time was passing fast and panic set in right before I hitched a shuttle ride to the main entrance. Got directions from staff and walked a very fast pace down the street, dodging horse dung in the road. I finally arrived at the Elwell Family Food Center building. Am I frustrated? Not one bit. I am here to judge at the Iowa State Fair!

The Iowa State Fair is packed! Thousands of people.

I still managed to check in early. I met up with the other three judges (Lisa A. Merten, Marilyn Spatz and John Kirkpatrick) who I will join in judging Division 115 (A) - Mine is the Best BBQ Sauce (Sponsored by the Iowa BBQ Society)

(Left to right): Lisa A Merten, Marilyn Spatz, John Kirkpatrick and Herb Kane

I asked a lot of questions about the judging process. It is way different from judging BBQ contests, First off, I get to take photos of the entries (but I cannot publish the recipes). Pretty cool! A writer is assigned to each judge who writes down our scores and comments.

My writer was a very nice, intelligent lady who was a pleasure to work with. Makes me wish BBQ contests had writers, too. Reps would love to receive non-gooey score cards, but what a headache to recruit writers in addition to judges. Not gonna happen with KCBS. Plus we have to be quiet at the judging table. Not at this contest, though, and I love it.

The scoring is based on percentages :Taste (45%), Originality (30%) and Appearance (25%). For example, I might score an entry 41% for taste and give another entry a perfect score of 45%. Easy enough. Let the judging begin.

Six samples of BBQ sauce came across our judge table today. Each one very distinct on its own. A wide variety of flavors, indeed. I would first judge appearance. The consistency and color combined would help my eyes determine what was appetizing and what was not. I saw anywhere from smooth to chunky, and varying colors of red and one mustard color. Most of it looked pretty darn appetizing.

The Judge Table

Samples of Sauces

Next I would examine the recipe of ingredients, keeping that in mind for the originality score after tasting the product. Ah yes, the tasting. My favorite part of the judging process.

The flavor profiles were all over the place. I saw ingredients such as hot sauce, honey, chipotle, cherries and other unique foods along with all the basic stuff. It was interesting to taste each BBQ sauce knowing exactly what was in it, and how all those ingredients created a unique, over-all flavor and texture.

Smooth

Chunky

One entry surprisingly came with a chicken quarter all sauced up (I forgot to take a photo of the chicken). I am thinking it was to show us judges how the sauce would appear on meat, but I took a bite of it anyway. Hey, I'm a BBQ judge! I did so after scoring the sauce first (to be fair to all). I enjoyed sampling all six BBQ sauces, but for me it all came down to one entry that blew me away totally.

RP's Cherry Habanero Moonshine Sauce. I counted 23 ingredients that cooked up a deep red appearance and thick sauce zapping my taste buds with a heavenly combination of flavors. A perfect score.

RP's Cherry Habanero Moonshine Sauce

Perfect score for RP's Cherry Habanero Moonshine Sauce

When judging concluded, we had the option to discuss among all judges who the winner should be or just go by our scores alone. We felt just using the scores would be fair.

John Kirkpatrick, a long time judge of this division, took the mic and announced Russel Place took 1st Place in "Mine is the Best BBQ Sauce" with RP's Cherry Habanero Moonshine Sauce. Fantastic and boy was it delicious!

John Kirkpatrick Announces Winner

(Left to Right): John Kirkpatrick, Marilyn Spatz, Lisa A Merten, Russell Place and Herb Kane

Brief Interview with Russell Place
1st PLACE WINNER of "Mine is the Best BBQ Sauce"
Iowa State Fair 2022

My day started out stressful, but what a way to end the day to see my #1 pick in BBQ Sauce win the contest. The two hour drive from Cedar Rapids, the parking delays and dodging horse dung was well worth it.

Congrats, Russell Place, and thank you Anne Rehnstrom for considering me as a judge for this event. I would love to do it again some day.

- BBQ CRITIC

North Liberty Blues & BBQ (2022)

7/9/2022

What a beautiful, summer day to attend the North Liberty Blues & BBQ in North Liberty, Iowa. I have not been here in two years (thanks to COVID restrictions), but this event is back and so am I. Now in it's 14th year, they are ready to serve up some great food and music.

Arriving with my frends, Bruce and Nanette, was easy. No fees and plenty of room to park in the grass at Centennial Park. We could see activities going on all over the place. Live music was coming from the stage where hundreds of folks basked in the sun with a drink, and taking in the blues. The music line up included Avey Grouws Band, Nathan Graham, Sam Ross Quartet, The Tanya English Band, Lilly Hiatt, and The War and Treaty.

The kids area was packed full of smiling faces. Inflatables and games fueled the fun. You could really get a sense of community here. A good family type event where there is fun for all.

All this sounds cool. but I am here for food. Especially BBQ. Food vendors are all lined up on Junge Ford BMW North Liberty Food Vendor Alley including Cynful Smokers BBQ, Rodney’s Jamaican Jerk & BBQ, Luna’s Taqueria of Iowa City, Wich uh Waffle, Poimen Bosko Foods, TC Bonez BBQ, Rudy Blues BBQ, Da Flava Unit, Sugarfire Smoke House, Mosley’s Backyard Grill, Keepin Up With The Jones’s, Moo Moo’s Ice Cream, Kona Ice of Cedar Rapids & Iowa City, Yolanda’s and Optimist Club of North Liberty.

Time to sample food! It was not cheap, so we had to be selective. Bruce and Nanette immediately bought Pork on a Stick from Yolanda's for $8 each. I wish I had bought one before the lines got long. That Pork on a Stick looked delicious!.

Bruce said, "We really enjoyed it. It's not like a traditional BBQ flavor. It had an oriental style kind of taste to it."

I had a hankering for ribs, so I went to Cynful Smokers and bought their 3 rib sampler for $8. I received a paper boat with 2 1/2 ribs in it. I'm thinking at this price, I want a full 3 ribs in my boat. I am kind of laughing to myself, "What a sin for Cynful Smokers to short me on ribs!"

If anything, it would be cool if they took those tiny end bones and add it to a customer's 3 rib sampler as an extra. That would make more sense. Turns out I enjoyed the ribs, which really made me want that 3rd rib. I knew I had more food to eat, so I was good.

Bruce and Nanette decided to get some ribs of their own from Rudy Blues BBQ. We then relaxed under a tent enjoying the shade. They chowed down on their saucy ribs, which they fully enjoyed.

Luna’s Taqueria of Iowa City caught my eye with a beautiful display of meat they were cooking. I decided on the chorizo meat for my street taco. It was fantastic! So good I forgot to take a photo of it. I could have eaten a lot more of this, but I wanted to sample more BBQ.

Brisket came to mind, so I walked down to Sugarfire Smoke House. I like the brisket at their store in Cedar Rapids. Unfortunately, they were not selling any. So I decided on the pork sandwich.

While walking next to Bruce and Nanette, I started to eat the pork and my first bite just hit me. The flavor of smoke and seasoning was outstanding. I let Bruce and Nanette try a piece and they said let's go to Sugarfire! So we all walked back and the two ordered their share.

In the mean time, I saw Shawn Lewis (owner, Sugarfire Smoke House - Cedar Rapids, IA), tending to his smoker. We had chatted online, so I introduced myself. It was great to finally meet and he gave me some good news. Turns out there was a BEST BBQ contest here earlier in the day (which I was totally unaware of) and Shawn won it. Sugarfire is on fire! Congrats, Shawn.

Shortly after Bruce and Nanette went home, I ran into my friends Mike and Margaret. Mike is a KCBS Certified Master BBQ Judge. We judged and trained together and became Master judges in just a year and a half. Boy did we hit the competition circuit to do this (30 contests!). We had a great time visiting.

North Liberty Blues & BBQ is one of my favorite BBQ events in Eastern Iowa. I definitely get a sense of community here by the way everyone unites to organize an event of this magnitude. It says a lot about the people of North Liberty, IA.

Centennial Park is the perfect venue. The music is just right. But my favorite part is the BBQ. I will be back again for more next year.

- BBQ CRITIC

Rose Festival BBQ Contest 2022

6/22/2022

STATE CENTER, IA (June 18, 2022) – The Rose Festival 21st Annual BBQ contest is the longest running KCBS BBQ contest in Iowa.. I have a long history of judging (and cooking) at this event and it was an honor to be back.

My first visit to the Rose Festival BBQ Contest in State Center, Iowa, was in June of 2009. Reminiscent of that little fictional town called Mayberry, BBQ teams parked all along the streets in a residential neighborhood, and the aroma of smoke filled the air. A loud train roared through town many times a day, yet it didn’t drown out the hollering and laughter coming from all the Pit Masters (poking fun at each other) while at the same time creating some of the best BBQ on earth.

That sunny day I shaded myself under the judge tent. I slipped off my sandals to feel the cool, green grass brush against the bottom of my feet. A warm breeze softly hit my face as I waited patiently for the first turn in to arrive. The Rose Festival BBQ Contest was beginning to bloom and it would for many years to come.

JUDGING BBQ

This year I did not have grass below my feet (the judge tent was planted right in the middle of a paved street), but all the familiar faces began to arrive and everyone was excited to see each other again. Francis Dutton filled us in on his recent surgery. The more he talked, the less hungry we got, but it was interesting. KCBS contest reps (Jonathan & Clara Williams) were busy at work getting things ready for the judge meeting. We watched contest organizer Megan Willier having fun on a parade float. Not long after, we found ourselves reciting the KCBS Judge Oath and the first turn-ins arrived at noon.

I would say in each category (chicken, ribs, pork and brisket) I had at least one or two excellent samples. One common theme among the judges: Too much sauce on the chicken. This generally does not affect me, but I have to admit some did look really heavy on the sauce. Perhaps something to consider as a team on future turn-ins. For the most part, the meats submitted to me were all pretty good. Overall I felt the teams did a great job on their boxes. My favorite was the pork boxes. Absolutely beautiful and tasty.

Congrats to Hot Daddy's BBQ (GRAND CHAMPION) and Hogline (Reserve Grand) and to all teams participating this weekend. You put smiles on the judges. Special shout out to my friends Matty Mack's for his 1st place in Chicken and 1st in People's Choice. Great job, Matt! Ray & Jay (Smokehouse72) for 3rd in Ribs, David Ellis (Machete Boys BBQ) for 2nd in Pork, Kyle Johnson (T-Rex BBQ) for 2nd in Brisket. You are nailing that Brisket, Kyle! I was pleased to see Darren Warth (Iowa's Smokey D's) finish strong with a 3rd in Brisket and 4th Overall. Lots of great calls by well-deserved teams.

TOP FIVE OVERALL WINNERS

GRAND CHAMPION: Hot Daddy's BBQ

RESERVE GRAND: Hogline

3RD: Shiggin & Grinnin

4TH: Iowa's Smokey D's BBQ

5TH: Phoenix BBQ

FRIDAY NIGHT

Instead of arriving on Saturday morning to judge, I came one day early to hang out with friends Friday night. There is always something interesting happening, especially at the T-Rex BBQ camp. Kyle Johnson and his teammate Sean McDermott were all decked out in their Friday night attire: Hawaiian shirts and sandals (a tradition that keeps them in a festive spirit). Great idea! Boy was Sean and Kyle excited.

Their young daughters (Kylee Johnson and Carlee McDermott, aka Bestie-Q) entered ribs in the People’s Choice category. David Ellis (Machete Boys BBQ) even gave the girls a quick lesson in trimming ribs, knife skills and applying rubs evenly. The girls competed against all the adult teams and landed 2nd Place (out of 9 teams)! Matty Mack’s nailed 1st and BAMBQ 3rd. Holy Cow excitement broke out. Kyle and Sean were the proudest dads on the planet earth. Like I said, there is always excitement going on at the T-Rex camp and this was a very special family moment.

Congratulations Bestie-Q!

TOP THREE PEOPLE'S CHOICE (Ribs)

1ST PLACE: MATTY MACK'S

2ND PLACE: BESTIE-Q

3RD PLACE: BAMBQ

BESTIE-Q PHOTOS

Sean McDermott and Kyle Johnson with their "People's Choice" daughters Carlee McDermott and Kylee Johnson (Bestie-Q)

People's Choice: Matt (Matty Mack's) 1st place posing with 2nd place finishers Kylee Johnson and Carlee Mcdermott (Bestie-Q)

Carlee McDermott and Kylee Johnson displaying their really cool Bestie-Q team logo shirts. Pure style!

David Ellis (Machete Boys BBQ) giving the Bestie-Q girls a quick lesson in cutting ribs and other hot tips.

BBQ CRITIC BONUS VIDEO CLIP: Kyle Johnson and Sean McDermott just watched both their young daughters (Kylee Johnson & Carlee McDermott, aka "Bestie-Q") win 2nd place People's Choice beating out seven grown adult teams. What a thrill! Moments like this is what BBQ contests are all about. Family and friends coming together for the love of BBQ and fun.

Congrats to BAMBQ - took 1st in Kid's Choice and 3rd in People's Choice.

GRUMPY OLD FARTS BBQ

Speaking of family, Darren Warth (Iowa's Smokey D's) was on a fishing trip this week in honor of his father-in-law who years-ago had a BBQ competition team called "Grumpy Old Farts BBQ." I remember them from back in the day when I first became a judge.

Darren posted about his trip on Facebook, "Today we made the trek out to Mick’s Hump, the father in laws favorite place to fish. When he passed away, we took his tackle box which had about $700 worth of lures in it and filled the pockets with rocks and sunk it to the bottom of the lake. Every year we stop by and celebrate Mick, have a drink and share some great stories. Sure do miss the grumpy old fart."

What a heart touching story. Thanks for letting me share this, Darren. I can think of another tradition involving Darren Warth.

POTATO SALAD

In July (2011) I drove up to Whiting, Iowa at the “Whiting Fourth of July BBQ Competition” to hang out with Bubba & Sabrina Knapp (Bubba-Q’s). We decided to host a potluck for all the competitons teams and I made potato salad. It was this day Darren Warth (Iowa’s Smokey D’s) took his first bite of my potato salad and he has been bragging it up ever since. So it has become tradition for me to bring potato salad to Darren at contests when possible.

Friday night I left a few containers with his wife Sherry since Darren was not around. The next morning he posted a photo and wrote this on Facebook, “When the potato salad God drops off his special potato salad after you go to bed you have it for breakfast. So simple, so good. By far the best potato salad I’ve ever eaten. Only thing that could have made it better is eating it freshly made at room temp, that’s when the flavors really fly. Thanks for thinking of me Herb.”

You are very welcome, Darren. You have made this a really fun tradition. So thank you.

Darren Warth (Iowa's Smokey D's) at the 2022 Rose Festival BBQ Contest in State Center, IA.

Darren's photo of his breakfast.

UNEXPECTED GOODIES

I am now getting requests from other BBQ teams who want to try my potato salad, so I made up a double batch for State Center and handed it out to various teams. A few teams gave me some parting gifts.

David Ellis (Machete Boys BBQ) let me try a sample of his brisket (magnificent!) and he sent me home with a vacuum packed assortment of competition meat. Going to have it for dinner this week, David. Can't wait! LTS BBQ’s Steve Carfrae (who judged with me this weekend) brought me a pile of the most tender and flavorful burnt ends. Absolutely delicious, especially over mashed potatoes and gravy.

Kyle Johnson (T-Rex BBQ) brought me bag of my favorite pastries from Jaarsma Bakery – Puff Pillows. Love it! I purchased a bottle of Smokehouse72’s new Sweet & Savory rub and look forward to cooking with it. This rub needs to be on the shelf at The Grill Works in Marion, IA. Ray & Jay even gave me a Smokehouse72 T-shirt. Very nice. I appreciate Dusty Ware for bringing me a case of Jealous Devil JAX BBQ Pellets to buy. I had a hard time finding it anywhere and glad the Iowa BBQ Store had it in stock. Thanks to Jason Wagner (Wags Backwoods BBQ) for giving me his team sticker. .

This was like getting my dream goodie bag at a BBQ contest. Thank you everyone!

Thank you for the burnt ends, Steve Carfrae (LTS BBQ)

Thanks for the shirt, Smokehouse72!

Thanks Wags Backwoods BBQ!

Thank you David Ellis (Machete Boys BBQ) for this assortment of competition meat!

Get yourself a bottle of Smokehouse72's new Sweet & Savory rub!

Puff Pillows and Potato Salad. The perfect trade. Thanks Kyle!

SAVE THE DAY BBQ

I have a really great memory to share when I competed at State Center in June of 2014. The contest fell short of teams to be a qualifier event, so the cooks wanted me to come out and compete so they would reach the required amount of teams. Bubba Knapp (Bubba-Q's) called me and said cooks are going to donate all the meats and even gave me a team name: SAVE THE DAY BBQ. Hilarious! I was a BBQ judge, and this was my first time cooking solo at a pro contest.

There were lots of talented cooks here, but I managed to survive and placed 13th in chicken, 15th in ribs, 8th in pork (yep, I got a call!) and 19th in Brisket. Ended up 14th overall (out of 25 teams). Not bad for a BBQ Judge. Getting a call that day was a thrill. Everyone erupted in applause and thought it was cool I actually got a call. What a day for SAVE THE DAY BBQ.

FINAL THOUGHT

I invite BBQ teams to come out next year to State Center, Iowa and compete in the Rose Festival BBQ Contest. Organizer Megan Willier runs a great contest. .The loud train will catch your attention when you arrive, but when the train finally fades off into the distance, a peace arrives. The kind you only find in a small town like State Center. This BBQ contest (with all the fun, friends and food) is a slice of Heaven, and its history runs deep with me.

That’s why I come back and you should, too.

BBQ CRITIC

TOP THREE CHICKEN

1ST CHICKEN: Matty Mack's

2ND CHICKEN: Luscious Loins

3RD CHICKEN: Shiggin & Grinnin

TOP THREE RIBS

1ST RIBS Phoenix BBQ

2ND RIBS Hot Daddy's BBQ

3RD RIBS Smokehouse72

TOP THREE PORK

1ST PORK Bergey Boys Blazing

2ND PORK Machete Boys

3RD PORK Hot Daddy's

TOP THREE BRISKET

1ST BRISKET Hogline

2ND BRISKET T-Rex BBQ

3RD BRISKET Iowa's Smokey D's

Iowa State BBQ Championship 2022

4/2/2022

ALTOONA, IA (April 2, 2022) – Altoona, Iowa is widely known for Adventureland, an amusement park featuring “Iowa’s best thrills.” Adventureland boasts there is “something new around every corner.” and what's new this year is the 2022 Iowa State BBQ Championship, a Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) sanctioned event presented by the Iowa BBQ Society.

The Adventureland Campground is the perfect venue for a BBQ competition. There is a lot of room for cooks to pull their rigs in and set up camp for the KCBS Master Series, KCBS Backyard, KCBS National Steak, and Kids Q. Lots going on over the April 1-2 weekend. I was not able to attend Friday’s events, so I rolled in after a two hour drive on Saturday morning. The judging area is located inside the campground building. Very spacious for judge tables, and the indoors kept us comfortable in case of inclement weather. Our judge meeting took place at 11am. The cooks started turn-ins right at noon.

The food here was excellent! When all 6 chicken boxes hit my table, I was salivating! My first bite was heaven. Only one box was disappointing. Ribs came next. Mostly all of it was great and the same happened with pork. When food is this good, you start to forgive the cost of gas getting to this event. Brisket was the only category that seemed so-so, but even then good eats! All in all, a delicious day of judging BBQ and I want to thank all the teams who presented competition BBQ to all us judges.

When judging concluded, I took a walk around the park and made my usual stops to say hi to the teams. This is one of the most fun parts about going to a BBQ competition – catching up with all my BBQ friends. The other is seeing who wins at awards time.

The Porkrastinators wasted no time taking the Grand Champion, and Ash Kickin’ BBQ kicked some ash to win the Reserve Grand Champion. Kudos to all teams participating and congrats to those who landed in the TOP 5 Overall:.

TOP FIVE OVERALL WINNERS

GRAND CHAMPION - Porkrastinators

RESERVE GRAND: Ash Kickin' BBQ

Hot Daddy's BBQ
3rd

Who Dat BBQ
4th

Iowa's Smokey D's BBQ
5th

FIRST PLACE WINNERS

1ST CHICKEN - T-Rex BBQ

1ST PORK: Aces High BBQ

1ST RIBS: Who Dat BBQ

1ST BRISKET: Wags Backwoods BBQ

Many years ago, I judged the Iowa State BBQ Championship when it was originally located in Marshalltown, Iowa. I remember Lew Miller was the original organizer (which began in 1998). After a long successful run, their final contest took place in 2013. It’s great to see it back!

Iowa BBQ Society member, Joe Osbrink, did an excellent job organizing the 2022 comeback. KCBS Reps Jonathan and Clara Williams kept the judging area well managed and organized.

A total of 48 teams competed and this venue can take on a lot more. I encourage teams to put this on your 2023 BBQ calendar for next year. Come to our state and experience one of Iowa’s best thrills - the Iowa State BBQ Championship!

BBQ CRITIC

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Smoketoberfest 2021 (Ottumwa, IA)

9/25/2021

Ottumwa,IA (BBQCRITIC.COM) Judging the 4th Annual Smoketoberfest in Ottumwa, IA was a last-minute decision, and not a minute too soon. The event was in need of judges and I was happy to be one of them.

The first highlight of my day was watching my friend, Francis Dutton (a KCBS Certified BBQ Judge) reach his 30th contest, a requirement to becoming a Master BBQ Judge with the Kansas City Barbecue Society.

Francis spent most of his time in competition BBQ cooking, so the process to judge 30 contests was a bit delayed. Glad I was there to see this long-awaited moment reached. I remember how great it felt when I became a Master Judge back in 2010. So congratulations, Francis Dutton. Welcome to the club!

The food at this contest was freaking amazing. I don't know if it was because I have not judged a pro contest in a while, but man the turn-in boxes provided to me contained some of the best samples of BBQ I have had in a long while. The competition here is fierce. All I can say is that the cook who rises to the top (out of the 35 teams) at this competition will have earned it.

That said, congrats to the Grand Champion winner Phoenix BBQ! This team not only gobbled up first place in the Turkey Smoke, but landed 2nd in Chicken and 3rd in Pork placing in the Top 10 in almost all categories except Brisket in 11th place. Very close!.

The Reserve Grand went to Justin McGlaun (Lucky's Q), a name that is often called at the top of many contests. I am not sure the word lucky is the proper word to describe his craftsmanship in BBQ. Justin nailed 2nd in Brisket, 7th in Pork, and 4th in Ribs. A very strong showing. Great to see you again, Justin.

Kyle Johnson (T-Rex BBQ) nailed his first 180 in the Brisket call. That was one exciting blast of energy to see him win this category, and he also took 3rd in the Turkey Smoke. I think he was happy as I was when he provided me a box of Puff Pillows (from Jaarsma Bakery) at a contest earlier this year. Fun times!
Another highlight of my day was to see Machete Boys BBQ slice their way to the top in the Chicken and Pork categories. Fantastic!

When awards subsided, I visited some cook friends over at Matty Mack's BBQ. David Ellis (Machete Boys BBQ) stopped over to say hi to me. I remembered meeting him for the first time at The Real Squeal contest a few years back in Cedar Rapids, IA. The reason I remembered him so well was that I remember his Texas brisket so well. David was my neighbor during the competition and let me try his Texas brisket. That sample of meat still haunts me to this day. HOLY COW! It was good stuff.

This impromptu road trip to Smoketoberfest was just what I needed. I sampled some of the best BBQ around and got to see my BBQ friends. KCBS reps Tom and Cindy Juhl did a great job in the judging area, and I enjoyed my time with all judges and cooks.

SNAP! My friends Bruce and Nanette Heckart drove back home from Oskaloosa (they live in Ottumwa and are also BBQ judges) and to my surprise, they bought me a bag of Puff Pillows from Jaarsma Bakery. The perfect dessert! Thank you, my friends.

While I look forward to BBQ competitions in 2022, I am still trying to decide whether to compete or judge next year. Guess I will let serendipity take its course like it did today.

-- BBQ CRITIC

2019 Cedar Rapids BBQ Roundup - Iowa

6/24/2019

BBQ CRITIC (June 24, 2019) - BBQ CRITIC invaded the 2019 Cedar Rapids BBQ Roundup! Located at the McGrath Amphitheatre downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, my friend Jason and I decided to judge ribs from each vendor and see who ruled the day. Spontaneous judging made this visit fun. It was really special for me because of my history associated with the event.

The Cedar Rapids BBQ Roundup has been a staple of my life for over 30 years. The original event ignited my love for barbecue. Back in the day, we did not have any quality BBQ joints in Cedar Rapids. This place satisfied my BBQ crave. I have a memory of blue smoke emerging on the downtown area, creating an aroma from Heaven. Smokers burning charcoal and wood cooked up pork, beef brisket, chicken and ribs. The smell of BBQ is amazing and it attracts hundreds of people to gather at events like this one. Various BBQ vendors enticed me to try their food. I bought everything. I mean EVERYTHING! All the meats, all the sides. I reserved a hundred bucks just for this special weekend each year. Then one day (about twenty years later) I paid special attention to the BBQ judging. Awards were given out to the competing vendors. It looked exciting. I pondered to myself, "How do I become a BBQ Judge?"

I went home and opened up Google on my computer and searched "How to become a BBQ judge." Up popped a link to the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS), the world's largest organization of barbeque and grilling enthusiasts. KCBS sanctions over 400 contests across the U.S. annually. I didn't waste any time. A KCBS Certified BBQ Judge training class was scheduled in Des Moines in March, so I talked my friend, Mike Hall, into attending the class with me. We became KCBS Certified BBQ Judges and road-tripped all over the Midwest (Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas) with one goal in mind: to become a Master BBQ Judge. This required us to judge 30 contests, cook with a team and take the KCBS Master Judge test.

Mission accomplished! We both passed the test and became Master BBQ Judges in just over a year (many judges take years to accomplish this). My interest in BBQ expanded even more as I worked for local BBQ joints such as RED, HOT & BLUE BBQ and later DICKEY'S BARBECUE PIT. All these experiences led to my idea to create BBQ Critic. There was something missing, though. I still wanted to judge the Cedar Rapids BBQ Roundup. After all, that was my initial dream.

Armed with BBQ Judge Certification, in 2009 I contacted BBQ Roundup organizer (at that time) Sarah Lagrange (US Cellular) to see if she would add me to the panel of judges. Holy cow brisket! She said yes. Very cool. Mike also judged with me and we were the only Certified BBQ Judges participating. Other judges were VIP folks from the area. KCRG-TV meteorologist, Joe Winters, has judged this contest for a long time. Mike and I would later take turns judging the BBQ Roundup off and on over the years.

When Mike judged the 2010 contest, the judges were given a really nice BBQ judge plaque. They never gave one out again (at least not when I judged). Boy was I jealous. Regardless, we really enjoy judging the BBQ Roundup and hopefully the organizers will invite us to participate again in the future.

PAST JUDGING PHOTOS AT THE BBQ ROUNDUP

2011 Roundup Judges. My second time judging the BBQ Roundup.

Judging entries as they came to our table.

KCRG-TV Meteorologist Joe Winters (left) is a long-time judge with the BBQ Roundup.

Mike Hall with his cool judge plaque he received after judging the Cedar Rapids BBQ Roundup in 2010. I am still jealous! :-)

Well there ya have it. My BBQ history. Since I have not judged the BBQ Roundup in awhile, I decided to take judging into my own hands this year. Jason and I decided to judge ribs (NOTE: Jason is not a Certified BBQ Judge, yet we both unanimously agreed on the outcome). We gathered ribs from each vendor:BLAZIN BRONCOS BBQ,CAROLINA RIB KING, BIG BONED BBQ, PORKY CHICKS BBQ, PIG FOOT BBQ and COWBOYS BBQ & RIB CO. We evaluated our decision based on Appearance, Taste and Tenderness.

BLAZIN BRONCOS BBQ

CAROLINA RIB KING

BIG BONED BBQ

SIX NATIONAL AWARD-WINNING VENDORS

PORKY CHICKS BBQ

PIG FOOT BBQ

COWBOYS BBQ & RIB CO

Winner of the 2019 BBQ CRITIC'S RIB CHOICE AWARD - PORKY CHICKS BBQ! Based on the rib samples we gathered, this vendor was clearly the winner. APPEARANCE: Visually appetizing! TENDERNESS: The rib had excellent bite (our bite marks were left without any other meat pulling away from the bone) which is what judges look for in a rib. TASTE: There was not a lot of sauce smothered on the rib, which allowed us to taste the meat. They did have some good sauce. Congrats to PORKY CHICKS BBQ for great tasting ribs!

BBQ CRITIC'S RIB CHOICE AWARD
PORKY CHICKS BBQ

I posed with the Porky Chicks BBQ. Fantastic crew!

2019 CEDAR RAPIDS BBQ ROUNDUP AWARDS

The Cedar Rapids BBQ Roundup announced their 2019 awards from stage (Presented by the University of Iowa Community Credit Union): Best Pork - PORKY CHICKS BBQ, Best Ribs - BLAZIN BRONCOS BBQ and People's Choice - CAROLINA RIB KING. These people work hard traveling the USA serving their BBQ offerings. Awards mean a lot to them.

Best Pork - PORKY CHICKS BBQ, Best Ribs - BLAZIN BRONCOS BBQ and People's Choice - CAROLINA RIB KING

Coincidentally, we ran into my friend Mike (and his wife Margaret) at this year's event. Serendipity, indeed. It was too late for him to participate in our off-the-cuff rib judging, but next year I think we might just gather a few Certified BBQ judges together and do this again in a more serious way. We will start days earlier so we can give our recommendations before the weekend hits.

By the way, if you search Google with "How to Become a BBQ Judge," the first link to come up is BBQ CRITIC (right above the KCBS link). Who would have thunk it? :-) Another dream come true. Thank you, Cedar Rapids BBQ Roundup, for inspiring my love for barbecue. BBQ CRITIC congratulates all contest winners, and all who attended this weekend's event.

Herb
-- BBQ CRITIC

CEDAR RAPIDS BBQ ROUNDUP
McGRATH AMPHITHEATRE
KCBS

###

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Whether competing or judging, BBQ Critic will cover competitions throughout the year. Coverage will be packed with photos and interesting commentary about each event.

-- Herb
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BBQ Background:
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BONE OUT BBQ winning 4th place in RIBS

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FAKE CHOW BBQ'S MOTTO: "If your shit sucks, blame the judges."

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UNEXPECTED GOODIES

SAVE THE DAY BBQ

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