Hope to see you at NBBQA 2019 next week (plus top BBQ news & events)
Next week, we’re excited to be attending the 2019 NBBQA Conference in Kansas City. This event is a yearly opportunity for some of the biggest names in the business to come together to compete, learn, share ideas, and generally move the industry forward.
The event, which is hosted by the National Barbecue and Grilling Association, gets people from all over the country to discuss the business of barbecue, including owners, managers, pitmasters, buyers, sellers, and influencers.
Everything kicks off Wednesday, April 3 with a bus tour hitting up some of Kansas City’s top joints, followed by a “Culinary Fight Club.” The fight club will feature eight competitors (including Megan Day of Burnt Finger BBQ and Dan Ryan of Australia’s Gryphon Smokehouse) making street food, with attendees voting on the winner. Thursday and Friday will consist of keynote speakers, education sessions, happy hours, and an Awards of Excellence Dinner.
Keynote speakers include Ardie Davis, who will present on the history of Kansas City barbecue, and motivational speaker Larry Winget, who is known as the “Pitbull of Personal Development.” Other presentations will cover a variety of topics, including the psychology of consumer decisions, a deep dive into logistics, and even a talk about cybersecurity.
Then comes the grand finale on Saturday with the full-day 2019 BBQ Bash, which will consist of pitmasters selling best-of-the-best barbecue offerings and vendors showing off their wares. This year, the BBQ Bash will focus on lesser-known regional barbecue flavors and will include food samples, demonstrations, a Steak Cookoff Association competition, and more.
As part of our role in documenting the festivities, we’ll be interviewing pitmasters and other important industry folks. If you want to chat with us, please send us a note. We look forward to seeing many of you soon!
Sean Ludwig (NYC BBQ) and Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist)
Co-Founders, The Smoke Sheet
Here are the top recent barbecue news stories from around the country:
James Beard award winning pitmaster Rodney Scott recently opened his second restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama.
Nearly a month after opening his second location in Birmingham, Rodney Scott is still adjusting to operating two restaurants. His new location has been successful but he also has to deal with challenges like the seven-hour drive back and forth between Charleston and Birmingham, The Post and Courier reports.
Southern Living has released its 2019 list of the best barbecue joints in each southern state, which includes the likes of Dreamland from Alabama, 4 Rivers Smokehouse from Florida, Sugarfire Smokehouse from Missouri, Buxton Hall from North Carolina, and Federalist Pig from Washington D.C.
Time Out Kansas City has released its list of the 10 best KC barbecue joints, with favorites like Joe’s Kansas City, Slap’s BBQ, Arthur Bryant’s, Fiorella’s Jack Stack, and Q39 topping the list.
Speaking of Kansas City barbecue, the Jones sisters of Jones Bar-B-Q in Kansas City have become celebrities of a sort following their recent appearance on Netflix’s show Queer Eye. The sisters said their barbecue sauce has become a huge seller and they averaged “a sale of 1.7 bottles per minute” last weekend, according to Vanity Fair.
For nearly 30 years, John Snedden and Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company have served hickory-grilled barbecue to the D.C. region. Snedden reflects on his time and successes with the Washington City Paper.
Victoria, Texas’ Moonshine Drinkery and Mumphord’s Place BBQ have partnered on a new barbecue lunch menu that partly mirrors what is served at Mumphord’s and some with their own Moonshine twist, such as the brisket tacos or nachos.
D.G. Martin of the Independent Tribune writes that the recent closure of Wilber’s in Goldsboro was like a loss of a family member for North Carolina barbecue lovers and suggests that barbecue fans need to enjoy small-town joints before they’re gone.
18th Street Brewery, one of Northwest Indiana’s most acclaimed craft breweries, has added a new Texas-style barbecue program. The brewpub will smoke brisket for 13 to 16 hours, pulled pork for four to five hours, and wings for two to three hours.
KSDK has a new list of the top barbecue joints in St. Louis, which includes favorites like Pappy’s Smokehouse, Sugarfire Smokehouse, Salt + Smoke, and Bogart’s Smokehouse.
Paper City Magazine previews this weekend’s fundraiser by Truth BBQ in Houston to raise money for award-winning Atlanta pitmaster Bryan Furman, who lost his Atlanta-based B’s Cracklin Barbecue in a devastating fire.
Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn writes that former football coach Robert Crivellari has scored big time with his new El Campo joint The BBQ Place. He says the brisket, turkey, and smoked chicken are a few of the highlights.
J.C. Reid of the Houston Chronicle writes that barbecue pitmasters are starting to more frequently offer prime rib as a menu special because the cut lends itself to slow cooking, both smoked and roasted.
Here are BBQ shows, podcasts, or books you should check out this week:
Watch: Carey Bringle, The Tennessee Original - by Mountain Dew
This video features Carey Bringle, owner of one of the most famous barbecue spots in Nashville. He was born and raised in Tennessee, and he’s been around ever since. Now as pitmaster of his restaurant, Peg Leg Porker, he’s been serving hungry Music City dwellers with his signature sauces and rubs. His latest challenge was to make a barbecue sauce infused with Mountain Dew and make it delicious. As always, he delivered. Watch it here.
Listen: Experts Weigh In On Barbecue and Wine - by BBQ State of Mind
Pitmasters Jim Buchanan of Buck’s Barbeque Co., Arash Kharat of Beaver’s, and Ara Malekian of Harlem Road Texas BBQ discuss pairing barbecue and wine with Alison, Chris, and Houston Chronicle wine columnist Dale Robertson. Listen to it here.
Read: The South's Best Butts: Pitmaster Secrets for Southern Barbecue Perfection - by Matt Moore
In The South’s Best Butts, food writer and Southern gentleman Matt Moore waves away clouds of smoke to give barbecue lovers a sneak peek into the kitchens and smokehouses of a handful of the Barbecue Belt’s most revered pitmasters. More than a book of recipes, Matt explores how the marriage of meat, cooking methods, and sauce varies from place to place based on history and culture, climate, available ingredients and wood, and closely-guarded secrets. Order it here.
March 29-30: Hogs for the Cause - New Orleans, Louisiana
Hogs for the Cause returns as the largest, tastiest BBQ festival in New Orleans. The city welcomes 85 local and regional BBQ masters and the best backyard chefs to compete in seven categories: Whole Hog, Ribs, Pork Butt/Shoulder, Porkpourri, Sauce, Fan Favorite, and Fundraising Champion. The barbecue festival is a two-day event full of music, local beer, and fundraising. More info here.
March 30: Truth BBQ Beyond The Pit Dinner (A benefit for B's Cracklin BBQ) - Houston, Texas
Truth BBQ is hosting five top pitmasters from around the U.S. to raise money for relief efforts for B's Cracklin' BBQ, after a devastating fire at their Atlanta barbecue restaurant. The lineup includes Leonard Botello IV of Truth BBQ, Matt Horn of Horn BBQ, Wayne Mueller of Louie Mueller BBQ, Elliott Moss of Buxton Hall BBQ, and Burt Bakman of Trudy's Underground/Slab BBQ. More info here.
April 3-6: National Barbecue & Grilling Association Annual Conference - Kansas City, Missouri
The National Barbecue & Grilling Association (NBBQA) Annual Conference will be held at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. Whether you are a product owner, run a restaurant, sell, buy or simply enjoy BBQ, there are boundless opportunities to network, learn, and grow at the conference. Events include bus tours, education sessions, and the BBQ bash, with presentations, demonstrations, and cookoffs. More info here.
April 10: Brisket King NYC - Brooklyn, New York
Brisket King, one of NYC’s top barbecue events, will be returning to Brooklyn on April 10. Hosted at Biba of Williamsburg, the all-inclusive event will feature 20 chefs and pitmasters serving brisket creations and much more. It will also feature a wide selection of beer, cider, wine, and spirits to enjoy. More info here.
April 14: Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit - Brooklyn, New York
Pig Beach in Brooklyn will be hosting this fundraiser to raise money for Jeff Michner’s family following his sudden and unexpected death last year. The event will have an all-star lineup of pitmasters and chefs from all over the country, including Billy Durney of Hometown Bar-B-Que, Carey Bringle of Peg Leg Porker, Chris Lilly of Big Bob Gibson BBQ, Craig Verhage and Leslie Roark Scott of Ubons BBQ, John Wheeler of Memphis Barbecue Co, and Mike and Amy Mills of 17th Street Barbecue. More info here.
April 14: Houston BBQ Festival - Humble, Texas
The 7th Annual Houston BBQ Festival will take place on Sunday, April 14th from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Humble Civic Center Arena Complex. The festival will feature Houston’s best barbecue joints all in one place, including Corkscrew BBQ, Feges BBQ, Killen's Barbecue, Pinkerton's Barbecue, Roegels Barbecue Co., Tejas Chocolate & Barbecue, Victorian's Barbecue, and more. Read Scott Sandlin's full preview here. Tickets include entry into the event and unlimited samples from each participating barbecue joint. More info here.
April 20: 11th Annual North Carolina 'Cuegrass Festival - Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh's original bluegrass festival returns to the warehouse district of downtown Raleigh on April 20, with a jam-packed day full of great 'cue, local brews, and toe-tappin' bluegrass music. Proceeds will go to SAFEchild, Junior League of Raleigh's BackPack Buddies, and Raleigh Cub Scout Troop 325. More info here.
April 20-21: Reveille Barbecue Co. VIP Charity Whole Hog & Gator Experience - Houston, Texas
Join an all-star cast of pitmasters for a one-of-a-kind experience learning techniques of whole animal cooking and open coal fire management. Highlights include a special menu prepared and served by pitmasters, bonfire, stargazing/camping on site, plus whole hog and gator cooks. Proceeds will help benefit Hogs for the Cause, which helps families battling pediatric brain cancer, as well as B’s Cracklin’ in Atlanta, which recently suffered from a devastating fire. More info here.
April 26-27: Smoke On The Water Barbecue and Music Festival - Fort Myers, Florida
Enjoy tasty barbecue, rocking tunes, and fun for the whole family at the Smoke on the Water Barbecue Competition and Music Festival. Don’t miss this Florida Barbecue Association sanctioned event, featuring teams from all over the South competing for a chance to win. More info here.
April 26-28: Austin Food and Wine Festival - Austin, Texas
The Austin Food + Wine Festival returns in April to spoil your palate with a handful of global and nationally renowned talent. This 3-day weekend in the culinary capital is the epitome of high spirits, with a packed schedule of hands-on grilling demos, up-close tastings with top chefs and sommeliers, and more interactive demos and panels. More info here.
May 4: Red Dirt BBQ Festival - Tyler, Texas
For five years, the Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival has been one of the most unique food and music experiences in Texas. The sixth annual event returns to the brick streets of downtown Tyler, Texas. Tickets are sold out at present. More info here.
May 15-18: Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest - Memphis, Tennessee
This huge, four-day competition is held in Tom Lee Park on the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown Memphis. Nearly 250 teams travel from around the world to compete for the title of World Champion and a share of the more than $115,000 in prize money. The Contest draws more than 75,000 attendees. More info here.
Barbecue Smoked Beans with St. Louis Spare Ribs - by All Things BBQ
Chef Tom Jackson from All Things BBQ shows you how to make barbecue smoked beans with rib tips added in, plus some delicious St. Louis-style spare ribs. View the recipe here.
If you’re not already subscribed to The Smoke Sheet, sign up here. Want to be featured in or sponsor this newsletter? Email us now!