Why steak cookoffs are getting hot all over the country (plus top news & events)
This week’s guest introduction is by Kell Phelps, the publisher of the National Barbecue News. Phelps has been an active barbecue competitor and writer for many years and serves on the board of the National Barbecue and Grilling Association (NBBQA). In today’s issue, Phelps discusses the Steak Cookoff Association, which is growing more popular with each year. We spoke to Phelps last year about his personal experience with SCA as well. If you would like to write a guest article for The Smoke Sheet, please get in touch.
Since its founding in 2013, the Steak Cookoff Association (SCA) has caught the attention of the barbecue and grilling community like few other organizations before it. Cookoffs are held all over the country today and in 2014 I was shocked to win one of the first SCA-sanctioned events during the annual NBBQA conference that was being held in San Marcos, Texas.
The most astounding fact of that experience was I used the exact and simple recipe we use for steak at home. That same recipe has never finished worse than 11th in any of my SCA competitions. Because this simple recipe has been so effective, I have no doubt that anyone who can fire up a grill has a shot at winning any SCA-sanctioned event!
Selecting the best steak you can at the beginning of the SCA competition is incredibly important.
Taking a step back, SCA was founded in late 2013 by Brett Gallaway and Ken Phillips. At that time only nine steak cookoffs were being held in the United States. In 2014, SCA sanctioned 19 events and by the end of 2015, they sanctioned 47 events, including cookoffs in both Europe and Canada. In 2017, SCA sanctioned 116 different events in a total of seven different countries. 2020 is shaping up to be another record-breaking year with an estimated 450 total events in 11 different countries.
The SCA's primary focus is ribeye steak competitions, but it also conducts ancillary categories to challenge cooks and help involve the entire family. Its goal is to create a fun and relaxed environment while overseeing a fairly run competition. SCA events provide all the steaks at an event to ensure a level playing field for the teams. They use a double-blind judging process, which adds integrity and helps ensure that the best cook that day wins.
SCA cooks like Joey Machado have tried-and-true methods for getting a steak perfect before it goes on the grill.
Typical SCA events are one-day formats held on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. The standard day-long event begins with a cooks meeting at 10 a.m. with awards happening around 4 p.m. This allows teams ample time to travel to and from events in a single day. Most events will host anywhere from 20 to 150 cook teams with total payouts ranging from $750 to over $2,000 for larger contests. The average entry fee per event ranges from $125 to $150 per team for the steak category. The ancillary events will include a separate entry fee most of the time.
All SCA events are family-friendly, and it's common to see entire families participating in cookoffs. The SCA even hosts children-focused events that are tailored for the younger generation. Husbands and wives, fathers and sons, and sometimes even three generations compete at the same event against each other, creating a different type of atmosphere from most barbecue and grilling competitions.
Jeff “Alamo” Romero puts the finishing touches on a steak before turn in at an SCA competition.
If you have a passion for grilling and are searching for a new experience, I suggest you check out the full SCA schedule and attend an event soon. Just beware that once you get hooked, you might become the next member of the #SCAFAMILY.
You can find out all the details about this fast-growing organization from the SCA’s official website. They are also highly visible on social media with pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Kell Phelps
Publisher, National Barbecue News
Here are the top recent barbecue news stories from around the country:
An emphasis on “smoke” will be one of the top 2020 culinary trends, according to chefs polled by Food & Wine.
To get ready for 2020, Food & Wine asked celebrated chefs and industry experts to predict the next big food trends for the new year. The 34 chefs predicted many things including using more smoke, higher quality meat, sustainable seafood, better-than-ever bread, environmentally friendly kitchens, hyper-regional cooking, and more.
Comparisons were being made between the Kansas City and Houston barbecue scenes ahead of the NFL divisional round of the AFC playoffs that took place last weekend. Not only did the mayors of the two cities make friendly bets on the game but pitmasters Tyler Harp of Harp Barbecue in Kansas City and Joseph Quellar of JQ’s Tex Mex BBQ in Houston agreed to cook in the winning city. With the Chiefs victory, Quellar will be cooking at an upcoming special event at Harp Barbecue at a future date.
Speaking of JQ’s Tex Mex BBQ, the Houston Chronicle’s J.C. Reid recently wrote about how Joseph Quellar and other Houston pitmasters are creating barbecue tacos by doing more than simply putting smoked meats in a flour tortilla. Reid notes that birria tacos, costra tacos, and puffy tacos with fried tortillas have begun to appear on menus.
Kansas City barbecue institution Johnny’s Bar-B-Q in Mission will close at the end of January after more than four decades of business. Owner Johnny White, who got his start as a teenager working at Rosedale Barbeque, said he is not leaving barbecue behind completely, saying he’s “got some stuff in the fire.”
If you’re in Los Angeles and looking for barbecue, Texas Monthly has published a list of where you should eat (and avoid) for Texas BBQ in LA. Weirdly missing from the list is celebrated popup Moo’s Craft Barbecue, which we’d recommend stopping by Smorgasburg LA for.
Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn says Wright on Taco, located in the small town of Harleton, Texas, offers good smoked barbecue tacos with an emphasis on brisket. The joint also serves as the town’s coffee shop.
Shreveport, Louisiana is just east of the Texas border, but you can find some good Texas barbecue there thanks to the joint Real BBQ and More. Owner Harvey Clay has faced a lot of adversity but is happy to introduce barbecue from his Texas youth to the people of Shreveport.
Former Blue Oak BBQ pitmaster Shannon Bingham has opened Emmylou’s, a Texas-style barbecue stall at St. Roch Market in New Orleans.
This summer, rising star chef Jake Wood will be opening Lawrence BBQ in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina and will be serving whole hog pulled pork, brisket, ribs, sausage, and more.
Tulsa World food writer Scott Cherry writes that Bayou Boyz BBQ in Jenks, Oklahoma offers up flavorful thick-cut bologna, a great chopped brisket sandwich that is moist and tender, and much more.
In a Tuscaloosa News feature, the 70-year-old Panola United Methodist Church Barbecue is spotlighted for still drawing crowds each summer. The article dives into the history of the unique event and shares a few recipes from the people involved with it.
The mid-sized barbecue chain Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill has a new CEO and menu, with big plans to revitalize the operation, writes FSR Magazine. The new menu includes appetizer burnt ends, bologna and brisket sliders, and house-made BBQ chips.
In a new article from the Macon Telegraph, the history of GeorgiaBob’s Barbecue is explored. Owner Bob Evans opened the first GeorgiaBob’s next door to Exxon gas station and now the chain has seven locations around Macon.
Apartment Guide recently ranked Memphis the top city for barbecue in the United States by looking at the percentage of barbecue restaurants to all restaurants. (There are clearly many ways to attempt to figure out the "top city" for barbecue.)
In observance of National Blood Donor Month, the non-profit organization We Are Blood is giving twenty blood donors in Central Texas the opportunity to win a special dinner from Franklin BBQ by donating at one of three locations in Austin.
Here are BBQ shows, podcasts, or books you should check out this week:
Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, Texas is known as the Cathedral of Smoke.
Watch: Cathedral of Smoke — Matt Rainwaters
This short film by Matt Rainwaters features Wayne Mueller, the “reluctant pitmaster” of Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, Texas. After returning to a family business he never wanted to run, Mueller eventually became one of the most influential voices in Texas barbecue. “We are the shamans of the present, keeping watch over the flame,” says Mueller. Watch here.
Listen: Malcolm Reed and the State of Affairs at the Kansas City Barbeque Society — The BBQ Central Show
Host of The BBQ Central Show Greg Rempe chats with regular guest Malcolm Reed of How to BBQ Right. The two discuss the holidays and talk about the biggest news of 2019 before looking ahead to what Malcolm has planned for 2020. Then Greg tackles the recent article that we included in from NPR affiliate station KCUR about the current state of the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS), which portrayed the organization as having financial problems and losing membership. Greg reads the official KCBS response to the story and gives what we feel is a much more accurate depiction of the current state of affairs at the organization. Listen to the episode here.
Read: Weber's Ultimate Grilling: A Step-by-Step Guide to Barbecue Genius by Jamie Purviance
Much more than just a recipe collection, Weber’s Ultimate Grilling is an entirely new take on grilling today, with every recipe step visually depicted in full-color photography. With these extensively tested recipes, anyone—from amateur to ace—can be a barbecue genius. Foundational recipes for popular grilled foods—steak, burgers, pork chops, ribs, chicken breasts and wings, and salmon fillets—are masterfully explained in this keepsake classroom-in-a-book. “Flavor Bomb” spreads offer inspiring, weeknight-friendly recipe ideas for how to create wonderful variations of the most-loved grilled foods. And fun food science facts, along with infographics, illustrations, and tips, help you get the absolute best results every time. Buy it here.
This weekend's Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge will bring BBQ competitors and more to Arizona.
January 17-18: Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge — Bullhead City, Arizona
The 6th annual Slab-O-Rama is a large KCBS-sanctioned competition that will invite teams to compete in eight categories over two days. Outside of the competition, there will be something for everyone including a winter beer garden, vendors, live music, line dancing, a Bloody Mary bar, and more. More info here.
January 18: Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ Festival — Brooklyn, New York
The 10th Annual Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival is leaving Manhattan after a decade and heading to Brooklyn. A ticket buys you access to tasting great local barbecue from NYC, hot sauce samples, and tons of spirits and craft beers. The event’s signature “Beast Cage” will be back too with exotic smoked meats, including alligator, lamb, bison, longhorn rounds, and much more. The Smoke Sheet’s Sean Ludwig will be at the event, so if you go, be sure to say hello. More info here.
January 20-21, 2020: Whole Hog Extravaganza 2020 — Murphysboro, Illinois
Start 2020 with a barbecue educational and networking experience at the Whole Hog Extravaganza. You’ll watch the top hog and brisket cookers in the country prep and cook their famous styles of barbecue and enjoy a feast at the end. While the barbecue is on the pit, the pit masters, joined by some savvy marketing and media minds, share their best practices and discuss timely and relevant issues in the BBQ MBA portion of the seminar. More info here.
January 25, 2020: The Shed Steak Showdown — Ocean Springs, Mississippi
The Shed will be hosting a huge SCA steak cookoff on January 25th. More than 100 teams competed at last year’s event, so expect fierce competition and lots of prizes. More than $20,000 in prizes will be given out to winners, so if you have interest in cooking steak or other proteins, this is a great event for you. More info here.
February 2, 2020: Super Beef Sunday — Houston, Texas
The first Sunday in February means one thing in Houston: Super Beef Sunday. Oh sure, there’s also a football game being played that day but the focus of the 7th Annual Super Beef Sunday at Saint Arnold Brewing Company will be Texas-style BBQ. Louie Mueller Barbecue, Reveille Barbecue Co., and JQ’s Tex Mex BBQ will serve their finest smoked meats to fill your belly before you go to your game-watching party. More info here.
February 15-16, 2020: Meatstock Music and Barbecue Festival (Auckland edition) — Auckland, New Zealand
Meatstock Auckland is back again in its fourth installment of excessive meat and rockin’ blues. The sell-out festival will be returning to its NZ home, the ASB Showground, on the 15th-16th of February. The Festival includes live music, demonstrations, food trucks, barbecue expo, live art, the Rod + Custom Rumble, competitions, free rides for the kids, and refreshments by Liberty Brewing and Jack Daniels, plus more. More info here.
February 27-29, 2020: Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Bar-B-Que Contest — Houston, Texas
More than 250 teams, led by barbecue aficionados, compete in the World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest. While most team tents are invitation-only, visitors can enjoy several public venues, including The Garden, Rockin' Bar-B-Que Saloon, and the Chuck Wagon. Activities include live music, rides, games, and more and visitors will receive a complimentary sliced brisket plate with chips and beans. More info here.
March 4-8, 2020: Charleston Food and Wine Festival — Charleston, South Carolina
The Charleston Wine + Food infuses homegrown flavor with top chefs, winemakers, authors, storytellers, artisans, and food enthusiasts from around the globe for a five-day event that spans the first full weekend each March. More info here.
March 14-15, 2020: Meatstock Music and Barbecue Festival (Melbourne edition) — Melbourne, Australia
Meatstock returns for its fourth year with a typically stacked line-up of barbecue enthusiasts and bands. The sell-out, two-day event brings big-name American pitmasters Down Under; sees 50 teams from across Melbourne 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. This year, American pitmasters Moe Cason, Wayne Mueller from Louie Mueller Barbecue, and Ronnie Evans and Philip Moseley from Blue Oak BBQ will be putting on demonstrations. More info here.
March 27-28, 2020: Hogs for the Cause — New Orleans, Louisiana
Hogs for the Cause returns as the largest, tastiest BBQ festival in New Orleans. The city welcomes numerous 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 27-28, 2020: Suncoast BBQ & Bluegrass Bash — Venice, Florida
Since 2010, the Suncoast BBQ & Bluegrass Bash has established itself as a destination for the best barbecue competition and bluegrass entertainment in Southwest Florida. It is the signature fund-raiser for the Suncoast Foundation for Handicapped Children (SFHC). More than 20,000 people are expected to attend the event, which will feature a large Florida BBQ Association competition, lots of live music, parties, cornhole tournament, family fun, and more. More info here.
April 1-4, 2020: National Barbecue & Grilling Association Annual Conference — Louisville, Kentucky
The National Barbecue & Grilling Association (NBBQA) Annual Conference will be held at the The Galt House Hotel. The conference gathers members and people from across the industry to network, learn, and participate in a variety of topics and activities around the Business of BBQ. Whether you are a product owner, run a restaurant, involved in media, or any other sector of BBQ, there are boundless opportunities to network, learn, and grow at the event. More info here.
April 5, 2020: 8th Annual Houston BBQ Festival — Houston, Texas
The 8th Annual Houston BBQ Festival will take place on Sunday, April 5th 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 Blood Bros BBQ, Brett's BBQ Shop, Buck's Barbeque, CorkScrew BBQ, Daddy Duncan's BBQ, Eaker Barbecue, and Feges BBQ. Read our to learn about the experience. More info here.
See the full Smoke Sheet events calendar online here.
Malcom Reed shows you how to cook ribeye steaks that will wow judges at a competition.
How to Cook Ribeye Steaks for Steak Contests — How to BBQ Right
For this week’s Recipe of the Week, we chose this video on how to cook ribeye steaks for steak contests by Malcom Reed of How to BBQ Right. First Malcolm talks about what to look for to select a good ribeye steak. Next he talks about trimming and seasoning the meat before cooking on the grill and getting the perfect grill marks to impress the judges. He then talks about preparing the steak for turn in. You can use this recipe to enter a Steak Cookoff Association event or even to impress your family and friends in the backyard. View the recipe here.
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