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!
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.
JUDGING
TURKEY SMOKE
KCBS PRO SERIES
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.
FINAL THOUGHTS
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
INTERVIEW
SON OF A BOAR BBQ
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
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
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
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
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
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
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 |