Denver BBQ Fest Hosted a Father’s Day BBQ Like No Other

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 Denver BBQ Festival. 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.

What did you do for Father’s Day? If you live near Denver, you had a chance to join tens of thousands of barbecue and grilling fans at the Denver BBQ Festival this past weekend. It was held over the weekend at Empower Field, home of the Denver Broncos. More than 35,000 pounds of deliciously smoked and grilled meat, thousands of gallons of craft beer and specialty cocktails, plus tons of sides and desserts were consumed while enjoying live local music.

Matt Vargocko, the owner of A Bit Twisted Brewpub and BBQ in Aurora, served up great pulled pork street tacos at the Denver BBQ Festival. (Photo by Ed Reilly)

The event is the brainchild of organizer Brian Wahby, who produces multiple Q events occurring annually in Kansas City, Denver, St. Louis, and Jacksonville. The Denver BBQ Fest is one of the largest of these events and runs for three days. General admission is free, and you can sample food from dozens of live cooking demos on two separate stages with the ability to purchase additional food and drinks separately. There are also Q Pit Passes (which sell out) that allow you to skip the lines and hang out in the exclusive Q lounges next to the grilling action. Passes also enable you to enjoy signature cocktails, beer, wine, and all-you-can-eat BBQ.

The pulled pork slider from Plowboys BBQ was a must-try bite from the festival. (Photo by Ed Reilly)

If you haven’t been to one of these events before, it’s wise to pace yourself. Between samples and food to purchase, there were more than 50 live-fire meals to try. When you add in local brews, specialty cocktails, and handmade desserts, it makes sense that there were three huge VIP lounges and dozens of shaded picnic tables where you could spend a whole day or the whole weekend.

Musicians played throughout the Denver BBQ Festival while families danced. (Photo by Ed Reilly)

And what’s a festival without great music? The Denver BBQ Fest featured a great lineup of musicians on the main stage that played all weekend long. There were also separate stages located in the smaller lounge areas. Performers included Double Wide, The Rick Lewis Project, Conjunto Colores, The Long Run, and The Dollhouse Thieves.

Shane McBride from Pig Beach BBQ served up smoked lamb. (Photo by Ed Reilly)

Another attraction was the pitmasters themselves, a blend of local and national talent representing the cutting edge of live-fire cooking. Some highlights included Pig Beach BBQ’s Shane McBride, who served freshly smoked lamb shoulder gyro with cucumber salad and even showed you how it was made. Matt Vargocko, the owner of A Bit Twisted Brewpub and BBQ in Aurora, CO, demonstrated how to assemble the perfect pulled pork street taco. One of the crowd favorites was Phil ‘The Grill’ Johnson from Trapp Haus BBQ in Phoenix, Arizona, who was rockin’ his freestyle BBQ live on stage.

Phil ‘The Grill’ Johnson from Phoenix demo-ed on stage at the Denver BBQ Fest. (Photo by Ed Reilly)

Other top pitmasters serving up meals or doing on-stage demos at the event included Jason Ganahl of GQue BBQ in Denver, Todd Johns of Plowboys BBQ in Kansas City, Leslie Roark Scott of Ubons BBQ in Yazoo City in Mississippi, Barrett Black of Black’s BBQ in Texas, and Nick Woolfolk of Operation BBQ Relief.

The Blues Hog team showed off how to pull pork from a whole hog. (Photo by Ed Reilly)

Tim Scheer and The Blues Hog Barbecue team were also serving up ‘cue, fresh off their 2022 Grand Champion win at the Memphis in May BBQ contest last month. The team was around the Denver BBQ Fest in force, teaching how to pull a whole hog, serving pulled pork nachos with pineapple slaw, and giving out samples of all of their award-winning sauces.

During the Rib Rumble, contestants ate as much rib meat as they could in five minutes. (Photo by Ed Reilly)

Early on Sunday morning, there was a “Run for the Ribs 5K” sponsored by the Colorado Brewery Running Series. Runners receive free craft brews, collectors swag, sponsor goodies, and of course, free ribs. Non-runners were able to try their hand at the “Rib Rumble” rib eating contest to see how many ribs they could eat in 5 minutes. A contestant named Max ate nearly 2 pounds of ribs in five minutes.

Lots of people came out to the Denver BBQ Festival at Empower Field. (Photo by Ed Reilly)

If you’ve been on the fence about attending one of the “Q Fests” held in Kansas City, Denver, St. Louis, or Jacksonville, hopefully, this gets you off the fence. Q Fest does the cooking, cleaning, and even takes the trash out. All you need to do is have fun.

Ed Reilly
BBQ-ologist

—The Giant BBQ Battle will bring out thousands of barbecue fans to D.C. this weekend. (Photo via Giant BBQ Battle)—

HOT OFF THE PRESS

This weekend, the 30th annual Giant BBQ Battle will return to Washington D.C. for the first time since 2019. It will be one the largest barbecue events happening on the East Coast this year. The event will feature free food samples, BBQ to buy from vendors and restaurants, celebrity pitmasters including Myron Mixon and Tuffy Stone performing demos, and a full competition featuring BBQ teams around the country. The event also announced it was going green by partnering with companies to make it 100% carbon neutral, one of the first such announcements we’ve seen from an event like this. READ MORE.

Natalie Torres Gallagher writes in Kansas City Magazine about the extraordinary Buck Tui BBQ in Kansas City. Owner and pitmaster Teddy Liberda blends American BBQ and Thai flavors and has seen a lot of new people being introduced to Thai concepts. “I walk the line every day between being American and being Thai, and that’s culturally and culinarily,” Liberda said. “We’re creating our own menu with blended cuisines, and it’s brought people through our doors for Thai food who wouldn’t normally eat Thai food because they think it’s too spicy or too different. Here, people will come in and get fried rice with barbecue or a sandwich, and they orient to the flavors—and then they come back.” READ MORE.

Memphis in May’s organizers have reported that the event’s one-year move to the Liberty Park Fairgrounds last month resulted in a steep decline in attendance and a record financial loss of about $1.9 million for 2022. For the first time in over 20 years, combined attendance for the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest and Beale Street Music Festival fell below 115,000. From our own reporting, other factors that could have impacted attendance included hot, stormy weather and continued concerns about COVID at large events. Memphis in May organizers will be moving back to the Memphis riverfront at Tom Lee Park in 2023 and will look to rebound. READ MORE.

Texas Monthly BBQ Editor Daniel Vaughn writes in a recent article how Stephen Joseph of Riverport Bar-B-Cue in Jefferson, Texas shows off his Lebanese heritage in his barbecue. Joseph currently serves Lebanese potato salad and spiced spare ribs, and he intends to incorporate more of his family’s recipes on the menu. READ MORE.
 

ADDITIONAL READS

Thrillist took a closer look at the Tex-Mex barbecue scene in Texas, including from Valentina’s Tex-Mex and 2M Smokehouse.

Chef J BBQ, one of the top craft barbecue operations in Kansas City, was spotlighted in Thrillist’s “11 authentically Kansas City experiences to have on your next Midwest vacation.”

Meat + Poultry wrote about how good barbecue can actually have a place in healthy diets.

Pitmaster Matt Horn of Horn BBQ in Oakland shared his keys to making the perfect brisket.

Tasting Table shared why it's a bad idea to soak wood chips that you intend to use for your grill.

If you’ve ever wondered why barbecue has such an emphasis during the 4th of July, Mashed has written about the traditions associated with it.

Thrillist has rounded up 9 iconic Texas BBQ joints on your next visit to the Lone Star State.

Here’s what makes Texas BBQ sauce (in theory) bigger and bolder than others.

—Pitmaster Helen Turner of Brownsville, Tenn. is in the spotlight in a new Oxford American mini-documentary.—

WATCH

Hickory and Oak: Helen Turner's Barbecue — Oxford American

Hickory & Oak: Helen Turner's Barbecue is an ode to pitmaster Helen Turner by filmmaker Ethan Payne. Turner has owned and operated Helen’s Bar-B-Que in Brownsville, Tennessee since 1996, and we can confirm she has great BBQ, so it’s great to see another profile on her. This micro-documentary is featured in the Oxford American's special digital zine "On Jubilee." WATCH HERE.

LISTEN

Derrick Walker of Smoke-A-Holics BBQ — I Crush BBQ Show

In this episode of the I Crush BBQ Show, host Abe Delgado chats with Derrick Walker from Smoke-A-Holics Barbecue in Fort Worth, Texas.  Derrick has been slanging BBQ for many years and he was doing pop-ups before pop-ups were cool. Delgado visited Smoke-A-Holics along with his father back in December of last year. The spot was one of the highlights of his trip and Abe was able to chat with Derrick earlier this year. With his culinary background and homestyle cooking, Walker and his team coined the phrase Tex-Soul, which is Texas barbecue with a soul food twist. Smoke-A-Holics was one of the spots recognized on Texas Monthly’s most recent list of the Top 50 BBQ joints. Smoke-A-Holics has also confirmed that they will be at The Heritage Barbecue Invitational, which is an event that will be held in San Juan Capistrano, California to celebrate Heritage Barbecue's 2nd Anniversary on August 13th. LISTEN HERE.
 

READ

Beef It Up!: 50 Mouthwatering Recipes for Ground Beef, Steaks, Stews, Roasts, Ribs, and More — Jessica Formicola

Where’s the beef? It’s on the dinner table tonight! This focused collection of recipes offers 50 tasty ways to serve up protein-rich beef meals without a lot of fuss. Flavorful beef suppers (Cheeseburger Soup, Shepherd's Pie Mac & Cheese) are featured along with new classics (Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas, 20-Minute Mongolian-style Beef ), salads (Southwest Steak Salad w/ Chipotle Ranch and Steakhouse Salad w/ Blue Cheese), quick hits (Empanada Hand Pies and Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce), and the tried-and-true burgers, steaks, and chili. Juicy photos provide the inspiration and confidence cooks of all levels need to deliver on the promise of a great meal every time. ORDER HERE.

ese pork belly bites cooked low and slow will be perfectly tender and are perfect for tacos, sandwiches, or served on their own. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)—

Smoked Pork Belly Bites

By BBQ Tourist

Whether you stack them in a bun, in tacos, or on top of a burger, you can’t go wrong with Smoked Pork Belly Bites. Sweet, salty, and smoky, traditional burnt ends are typically made from the fatty point of a brisket. This recipe turns that tradition on its head and instead uses fatty and tender pork belly to make burnt ends that you will dream of.

Learn more about Southside Market Barbeque.

—A lot of big barbecue events are planned for 2022. Let's go!—

June 25-26, 2022: 30th Annual Giant BBQ Battle — Washington, D.C.
The 30th Annual Giant BBQ Battle festivities will be the biggest and best yet, featuring all kinds of delicious BBQ and grilled foods including an amazing array of free food samples in the Taste of Giant Sampling Pavilion, the Giant Taste of the Season and other sampling areas. Attendees can order up their favorite styles of BBQ and summer fare from featured vendors and restaurants offering something for everyone’s taste buds. Celebrity chefs and pitmasters like Myron Mixon, Tuffy Stone, and others will take to the Giant Fresh Ideas Cooking Stage to demonstrate and give expert advice, while competitive BBQ teams and champions from around the country vie to win the Giant BBQ Championship Contest. MORE INFO HERE.

August 4-7, 2022: Windy City Smokeout — Chicago, Illinois
Get ready for beer, BBQ, and country, because the Windy City Smokeout BBQ & Country Music Festival is returning to Chicago soon. The Windy City Smokeout is one of the largest barbecue festivals in the U.S., with this year’s edition bringing a stunningly good lineup together of veterans and newcomers. Read our 2019 Windy City Smokeout recap to learn about the experience. MORE INFO HERE.

September 2-4, 2022: Pinehurst Barbecue Festival — Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina
The Pinehurst Barbecue Festival, presented by Pinehurst Resort, US Foods and The Pilot, is a “Celebration of Taste and Tradition” featuring award-winning pitmasters from across North Carolina in one of the most picturesque settings in the entire state. The three-day event, staged in and around the historic Village of Pinehurst, offers a unique culinary sampling experience of various barbecue meats and traditional sides. MORE INFO HERE.

September 10, 2022: Pig Island NYC — Staten Island, New York
Pig Island NYC will celebrate its 13th year on September 10, 2022, at Snug Harbor on Staten Island. Join in for all-inclusive food and drink, from all-star pitmasters and chefs who will be serving up delicious porky goodness, as well as local breweries, distilleries, and cideries. Top chefs will compete for the best dishes and event-goers reap the benefits. Expect a ton of amazing eats and a great place to picnic with friends and family for the day. BUY TICKETS HERE.

Sept 28 - Oct 2, 2022: American Royal World Series of Barbecue — Kansas City, Kansas
The American Royal World Series of barbecue is the largest BBQ competition in the country. On top of a massive KCBS competition with roughly 500 teams from around the country, this signature Kansas City event includes public-facing activities, including live music, delicious BBQ and local food, a full lineup of kids activities, and a vendor fair authentic to Kansas City and BBQ enthusiasts. Read our 2021 recap of the event to learn more about the experience. MORE INFO HERE.

Sept 30 - Oct 2, 2022: Q in the Lou — St. Louis, Missouri
The annual Q in the Lou is happening again this fall! Don’t miss this chance to grab an ice-cold brew and sample pure smoked bliss from award-winning pitmasters from across the country. The event is held nearby the St. Louis Arch and held the final weekend of regular season play for the St. Louis Cardinals. MORE INFO HERE.

November 11-13, 2022: KCBS World Invitational — Gadsden, Alabama
The Kansas City Barbeque Society’s biggest event for the rest of the year is the fourth annual KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Competition. The event will bring together top champion pitmasters to compete for the title of “KCBS World Champion.” This event will feature three full days of contests and events. There will be both an open contest and a Master Series contest. Plus, backyard teams will be eligible to compete in the open against Master Series teams without impacting their Backyard status. MORE INFO HERE.

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