Steak Cookoffs World Championship Fired Up the Beef in Ft Worth
The SCA World Championship Fired Up the Beef in Cowtown
This week’s guest article is written by Ed Reilly, a self-described “BBQ-ologist” who has worked in the industry for 35 years, including in sales for Weber, Char-Broil, Sunbeam, Old World Spices, and B&B Charcoal. He’s also a certified judge in five different sanctioning bodies. In today’s article, Ed writes about last weekend’s SCA World Championship in Fort Worth, Texas. You can reach Ed on Instagram and Facebook. If you would like to write a guest article for The Smoke Sheet, please get in touch.
Would you pay $10,000 for a steak?
Even with the rising prices of beef, that’s still quite a premium to pay for a single steak. But that is exactly what the Steak Cookoff Association (SCA) paid Scott Nardi for his perfectly cooked ribeye steak this past weekend. Nardi was the winner of the annual SCA World Championship in Fort Worth, Texas.
Fort Worth played host to this past weekend’s SCA World Championship. (Photo by Ed Reilly)
Fort Worth is the perfect home for SCA World Championship, as it has the nickname “Cowtown.” It was the last town where cowboys in the 1800s could get a drink and enjoy themselves before driving their herds up the Chisholm Trail to Kansas City. Fort Worth is also home to the first rodeo and the longest-running livestock show, established in 1896.
Steak selection at SCA events is incredibly important. (Photo by Ernie Owens / Facebook)
The SCA, headed by Ken Phillips and Brett Galloway, started in 2013 with the goal to design a cooking competition that is family-friendly, affordable, fair, and fun. Typical SCA cookoffs feature a $1,000 first-place prize and pay out the top ten winners. At the end of each season, the World Championship is held in Fort Worth, Texas. This year, 455 teams from 10 countries competed for $75,000 in cash and prizes.
The event kicked off Thursday night with a red-carpet affair at the River Ranch Stockyards, where more than 1,800 guests were served a typical western-style meal. Joe Wilson, BBQ personality and founder of the World Champion Squirrel Cook-Off, MC-ed the event and introduced the international teams, SCA Legend awards, and a hilarious celebrity look-alike contest.
Tom Perelka was named SCA Ancillary World Champion. (Photo by Ed Reilly)
Friday was a busy day at Will Rodgers Memorial Center, where dozens of vendors displayed their products and prepared food for the crowd. The day played host to the Wampler’s Farm Sausage ancillary contest. Entries included sausage cheesecakes, sausage tarts, sausage rangoon, and chicken fried sausage.
Tom Perelka from Lancaster BBQ Supply took home the $3,000 ancillary grand prize for cooking up deviled scotch eggs with vinegar maple sauce, diced chives, and paprika. It seems the cold and windy weather (with lows in the twenties) did not bother these folks from Pennsylvania.
Throughout the weekend, vendors and sponsors served up great BBQ bites. (Photo by Ed Reilly)
On Saturday, it was time for the competitors to focus on the serious business of cooking steak. The contest is designed so that any skilled participant can win. The meat is provided, the steak selection order is randomized, and the judging is double-blind. The cooks can use whatever grill, griddle, smoker, or oven they choose. No garnish or sauces are allowed. Steaks are judged solely on appearance, doneness, taste, texture, and overall impression.
Hundreds of teams turned in their entries throughout the day, and 110 judges faced the difficult task of choosing the best ribeye. Each team is provided with two steaks, which they get to choose based on a random numbering system. The first steak is a practice steak that helps determine what adjustments the chef needs to make before cooking the main entry.
Steaks at SCA competitions can be cooked using any technique. (Photo by Ed Reilly)
At the end of the day, only the top 94 steaks move on to the final round on Sunday. The 94 finalists were announced Saturday night along with the Ace Hardware points winners. Ace Hardware sponsors a points race where the winner will get a free trip to any SCA contest in the World. This year’s winner was Tim Brown, who traveled 35,000 miles and competed in 102 contests last season. His wife Sandy Brown was last year’s points race winner, so they clearly like to keep it in the family.
Tim Brown was last season’s SCA points winner, and his wife Sandy was the winner the season before it. (Photo by Ed Reilly)
Sunday’s weather was beautiful, and everyone was anxious to see who could cook up the aforementioned $10,000 steak. At 9 a.m., the final 94 contestants lined up and chose their steaks. Then they got to cooking.
The winner of the 8th SCA World’s Championship is Scott Nardi from Tankerbelle Steak Team out of Shiocton, Wisconsin. Nardi cooked at his first SCA competition in January 2019 and went on to win fourth place at last year’s SCA World Championship, so he was no stranger to a good steak. On top of the $10,000 check, Nardi also won a drum smoker from Cotton Gin Smokers, and a few other prizes.
Scott Nardi was crowned as the SCA’s new World Champion this past weekend. (Photo via Steak Cookoff Association)
If you haven’t already checked out SCA events in person, they are worth attending. While the SCA’s primary focus is steak, it also conducts ancillary categories to challenge cooks and involve the whole family. Most contests last just one day and do not take up your entire weekend. Last year, the SCA held 600 contests across the U.S. and 14 other countries. Learn more here.
Ed Reilly
BBQ-ologist
Thanks to our sponsor DennyMike's, which offers outstanding seasonings and rubs for every situation. Learn more about DennyMike's here.
We wholeheartedly agree with Daniel Vaughn’s glowing assessment of the meats, sides, and desserts at Houston’s J-Bar-M BBQ. (Photo by Wai Chan)—
HOT OFF THE PRESS
In one of his newest reviews, Texas Monthly BBQ Editor Daniel Vaughn has issued glowing praise for Houston’s J-Bar-M BBQ. The joint has a dynamic duo at the center – husband and wife team Willow Villarreal and Jasmine Barela. Villarreal handles the meats while Barela crafts the sides, all coming together for a great culinary experience. Vaughn noted that the chicken was a standout dish. “I’d expected great things from Villarreal when it came to the Texas trinity, and he delivered. But I hadn’t yet tried his chicken, which is cooked on a direct-heat grill from BQ Grills in North Carolina …,” Vaughn writes. “Even the white meat was juicy beneath the mahogany skin. The incredible chicken is what makes J-Bar-M stand out from the rest of the tough competition on the Houston barbecue scene.” READ MORE.
Elizabeth Findell at the Wall Street Journal spoke with several Texas pitmasters about the persistently rising costs of meat, including Russell Roegels of Roegels Barbecue in Houston and Raul Rodriguez Jr. of RJ’s BBQ in Brownsville. “While restaurants of all kinds are feeling pinched by the rising costs, barbecue restaurants traffic in huge quantities of meat, typically sold by the pound, and often have few other offerings to offset price fluctuations,” Findell writes. “Texas barbecue is dominated by brisket, which many restaurant owners said has doubled in wholesale price over the past year or two.” READ MORE.
Texas Monthly's José R. Ralat writes that El Sancho Tex Mex BBQ in Mission is serving up "massive tacos overflowing with brisket and other hearty meats and toppings." The average price is $9 per taco, but the impressive size of the tacos outweighs the cost. READ MORE.
The Epoch Times has profiled Nashville-based pitmaster and restaurateur Pat Martin, who at a young age became obsessed with West Tennessee whole hog barbecue. In the ensuing years, he has built an empire, opening Martin’s Bar-B-Que locations throughout the South. He has dedicated his life to preserving the disappearing art and craft of whole hog barbecue. READ MORE.
Chef Jarrad Silver has launched Silver and Sons BBQ in Bethesda, Maryland. The food truck specializes in Jewish and Mediterranean style barbecue, with dishes such as pulled lamb and pastrami-style short ribs. Silver started smoking meats while furloughed from his job as chef of Birch and Barley, injecting his barbecue with the flavors of his Jewish upbringing. Silver and Sons BBQ will be open for dinner on Wednesdays and Saturdays at Captains Market. READ MORE.
ADDITIONAL READS
The second annual “Cigarbecue” event will take place in Newburgh, New York on April 2, 2022, celebrating great BBQ, bourbon, and cigars.
Daniel Vaughn writes that the Burro & Bull in Cyprus, TX is getting more adventurous with menu items like brisket enchiladas.
KVUE profiled Stacy Franklin to highlight how she turned her husband Aaron Franklin’s passion into a business.
The pitmaster and owner of 'Texas Q' barbeque Sloan Rinaldi is breaking the mold and helping establish a place for women in a field dominated by men.
Here’s how Bar-A-BBQ gets the details right according to the Houston Chronicle’s J.C. Reid.
New spot Saucy’s Southern is bringing barbecue, wood-grilled food, and THC-infused sauces to South University Boulevard in Denver.
Houston standout restaurant Blood Bros. BBQ is lending their smoky fire to No Label Brewing's new beer.
Here’s how Sonny’s BBQ is changing the face of barbecue by bringing more women to the industry.
Jackson Street BBQ in downtown Houston has closed after 8 years.
Southside Market’s Taste of Texas BBQ is now shipping nationwide. Place your order now.
—Erica Blaire Roby joins host Kevin Kelly on the latest episode of Kevin’s BBQ Joints. (Photo by Wai Chan)—
WATCH
Erica Blaire Roby aka Blue Smoke Blaire — Kevin’s BBQ Joints
In this episode of Kevin’s BBQ Joints, host Kevin Kelly chats with Erica Blaire, otherwise known as Blue Smoke Blaire. They discuss her journey in barbecue, which included passing the bar, wine school, winning the Food Network's BBQ Brawl Season 2, an intensive class with Harry Soo, and her new venture with The Smoke Sheet and On 3 Media entitled The Pit Stop with Blue Smoke Blaire. You won’t want to miss this interview. WATCH HERE.
LISTEN
SCA World Champion Marissa Ouverson — The Pitmaster’s Podcast
Rusty and Anthony of The Pitmaster’s Podcast talk with Marissa Ouverson, winner of last year’s Steak Cookoff Association World Championships. With her new tell-all class on BBQ Champs and a slew of wins under her belt, they talk to her about what got her there and some tips and tricks she has picked up along the way. LISTEN HERE.
READ
Grilling with Golic and Hays: Operation BBQ Relief Cookbook — Mike Golic and Stan Hays
Champion pitmaster and CEO and co-founder of Operation BBQ Relief Stan Hays joins forces with NFL veteran and former ESPN Radio host Mike Golic in this celebration of the connection of BBQ and sports. Good for the stomach, better for the soul—quality comfort barbecue and side dishes that reflect the character and warmth of the national nonprofit Operation BBQ Relief. The 80+ recipes from your favorite sports stars, pitmasters, and chefs combine the worlds through the power of food. Grilling with Golic and Hays: Operation BBQ Relief Cookbook aims to inspire hope and compassion through the stories of overcoming challenges that are present in both the athletic world and the work of Operation BBQ Relief. ORDER HERE.
—You’ll want to try this fusion of North African cuisine and Texas barbecue with this dish.—
Brisket Tagine
By Chef Ara Malekian
Chef Ara of Harlem Road Texas BBQ takes inspiration from a traditional North African dish called Tagine. In this recipe, he uses marinated brisket trimmings and mixes those with many seasonings and spices, including chile peppers, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, caraway seeds, smoked paprika, garlic powder. The Tagine ingredients sit in the pot, blending all these rich flavors together.
Learn more about Southside Market Barbeque.
—A lot of big barbecue events are planned for 2022. Let's go!—
March 25-26, 2022: American Royal Backyard BBQ & Steak Contest — Kansas City, Missouri
The relatively new National Steak Championships from KCBS will have one of its biggest events thus far during the 2nd American Royal Backyard BBQ & Steak contest. It will be hosted at the American Royal Complex in the West Bottoms. Registration for the event closes March 16th. MORE INFO HERE.
March 26-27, 2022: Meatstock Music and Barbecue Festival (Melbourne edition) — Melbourne, Australia
Meatstock will feature a stacked line-up of barbecue enthusiasts and bands. The two-day event brings American pitmasters Down Under; sees BBQ teams go head-to-head over the coals to be crowned the city’s best barbequers; and features live music, food trucks, and pop-up bars. Additionally, American BBQ joints such as Louie Muller BBQ and Blue Oak BBQ are scheduled to be there as well. MORE INFO HERE.
April 3, 2022: Houston Barbecue Festival — Houston, Texas
Houston's largest barbecue festival will return after a two-year hiatus to the Humble Civic Center Arena Complex. It will feature many of the best barbecue joints in Houston and the surrounding area, including 1701 Barbecue, Blood Bros BBQ, Brett's BBQ Shop, Burns Original BBQ, CorkScrew BBQ, Daddy Duncan's BBQ, Dozier's BBQ, Burro & Bull, Feges BBQ, Gatlin's BBQ, Harlem Road Texas BBQ, J-Bar-M Barbecue, JQ's Tex Mex BBQ, Khoi Barbecue, Killen's Barbecue, Pinkerton's Barbecue,Roegels Barbecue Co, Tejas Chocolate & BBQ, and Truth BBQ. MORE INFO HERE.
April 20, 2022: Brisket King NYC — Brooklyn, New York
If you love brisket (and if you're reading this you probably do), you won’t want to miss Brisket King NYC 2022 in Brooklyn. The event will be held at the huge outdoor space at Pig Beach NYC in Brooklyn. More than 15 NYC-area chefs and pitmasters will be there serving up their takes on brisket and pastrami. MORE INFO HERE.
April 30, 2022: 2nd Annual Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit — Queens, New York
The 2nd Annual Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit will be held at the new Pig Beach NYC location in Queens. It features a huge lineup of some of the best pitmasters in the country, including Chris Lilly, Billy Durney, Tuffy Stone, Sam Jones, Carey Bringle, Amy Mills, Pat Martin, Brad Orrison, Grant Pinkerton, John Wheeler, and many more. If you live in the area and love BBQ, do not miss this. MORE INFO HERE.
May 6-8, 2022: Kansas City BBQ Festival — Kansas City, Missouri
The second year of the “KCQ,” a non-competition barbecue event that celebrates barbecue from Kansas City and many other barbecue towns. It will take place in the parking lot of Arrowhead Stadium and feature barbecue from KC-based mainstays and out-of-towners. Last year’s event featured ‘cue from Joe’s Kansas City, Jones Bar-B-Q, Plowboys BBQ, 2M Smokehouse, Black’s BBQ, Central City BBQ, and Sugarfire Smokehouse, so expect great joints to be involved in 2022. MORE INFO HERE.
May 11-14, 2022: Memphis in May — Memphis, Tennessee
The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is a four-day competition held in Memphis, TN. Teams representing the best of barbecue that have been honing their craft for years compete for the title of World Champion and a share of the more than $140,000 in prize money. The Contest features championship pork categories of Ribs, Shoulder, and Whole Hog, as well as the ancillary competitions of Hot Wings, Sauce, and “Anything But Pork.” The 2022 competition will be held in the Memphis Fairgrounds due to construction at its normal home at Tom Lee Park. MORE INFO HERE.
May 22, 2022: Carolina BBQ Festival — Charlotte, North Carolina
The first-ever Carolina BBQ Festival will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, with some of the biggest names in Carolina barbecue. The event is the creation of Lewis Donald of Sweet Lew’s BBQ in Charlotte and will celebrate three regional styles of Carolina barbecue. The one-day event will include legendary barbecue from Bryan Furman, Buxton Hall’s Elliott Moss, Jon G’s Garren Kirkman, Lexington Barbecue’s Nathan Monk, Southern Smoke BBQ’s Matthew Register, Tay Nelson of Bobby’s Barbecue, and more.. MORE INFO HERE.
June 4, 2022: Troubadour Festival (Georgetown edition) — Georgetown, Texas
After a huge inaugural event in Celina, Texas in 2021, the Troubadour Festival will be expanding to three different event locations this year. The first of these will be in Georgetown, not too far from Austin. Music headliners include The Panhandlers and William Clark Green, and pitmasters will be there from 2M Smokehouse, Blood Bros. BBQ, Interstellar BBQ, J-Bar-M BBQ, Leroy and Lewis, and more. MORE INFO HERE.
June 10-11, 2022: Made for KC BBQ Championship — Kansas City, Missouri
Pitmasters in the Kansas City area are invited to compete in the first annual “Made for KC BBQ Championship,” with a chance to win a combined prize purse totaling $46,000. The Grand Champion will be showcased in a competition BBQ-themed restaurant in the new terminal at the Kansas City International Airport. The Outstanding Hospitality Management Group is partnering with the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) and Old World Spices & Seasonings to hold the event on June 10-11, 2022 at Worth Harley-Davidson. MORE INFO HERE.
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