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!
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!
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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.
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.
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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.
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
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 |
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