Texas-sized competition at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo BBQ (plus top news & events)
This week’s guest introduction is by Amy Jungk, the Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy for Old World Spices & Seasonings, and Branden Hughes, Digital Marketing Manager for Old World Spices and BBQ Spot. Amy focuses on relationship management with pitmaster partners, charitable organizations, and professional organizations. Branden is responsible for the creation and distribution of content to raise awareness, generate sales, and tell the stories of brands and pitmasters. Amy and Branden travel to BBQ events across the country to promote Old World Spices and their partners on social media. If you would like to write a guest article for The Smoke Sheet, please get in touch.
When they say everything’s bigger in Texas, they are not just blowing smoke. The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo BBQ is the largest International Barbeque Cookers Association (IBCA) contest in Texas and the third largest in the country. We were happy to visit the big contest two weekends ago and take it all in.
People of all ages joined in for cooking and serving food at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo BBQ.
While we have participated in many events with the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) and the Steak Cookoff Association (SCA), this was our first IBCA-sanctioned event, and we were anxious to learn how they do things in the Lone Star State. From the carnival atmosphere, the live-fire cooking, and the sea of cowboy hats, we knew we were not in Kansas anymore. The only thing bigger than the event itself was the size of the hearts of the competition teams.
As part of this year’s competition, each team was tasked with raising money for Kash for Kids, a Texas-based non-profit whose mission is to raise funding for support services for children who are victims of child abuse and neglect. We were invited to help Good Life Barbeque and their team raise money by providing tasty slow-roasted pork and pineapple tacos in exchange for donations to Kash for Kids.
Crowds gathered in a carnival-like atmosphere of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo BBQ.
The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo has a rich tradition dating back to 1950, and a continuing dedication to raising money for the youth of Texas. To date, the event has raised more than $200 million and it had a dedicated volunteer force of over 6,000 people at this year’s event. (If you’d like to volunteer, make a donation, or learn more, click here.)
Competition is fierce at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo BBQ.
IBCA’s competition judging is quite different from what we’ve seen in KCBS contests or Memphis in May. The proteins judged included chicken, ribs, and brisket. They are judged in multiple rounds, with the top picks from each table moving up in consecutive rounds until the final table ranks the top 20 entries. (We were invited to judge chicken in round two of five.)
The IBCA uses a secret, double-number system of blind boxes. No one knows the winner until the number is called at awards, and the winning team presents their ticket with the matching number to the contest organizers. If you lose your ticket, you lose your win — and this actually happened to a team this year!
Lots of cooks and clowns were present at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo BBQ.
The best part of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo BBQ by far was the people. From the outrageous outfits to the cowboy pitmasters, we never encountered a soul who wasn’t smiling and gracious to us Northerners. We had the opportunity to sit down with Clint Swindall, pitmaster of Good Life Barbeque and Board Member for the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, to learn more about his personal journey into competition barbecue with his wife, Heather. You can view a video of our interview with Clint here.
After all the great food and hospitality we experienced in San Antonio, we can’t wait to visit the Houston Stock Show and Rodeo BBQ later this month!
Amy Jungk & Branden Hughes
Old World Spices & Seasonings & BBQ Spot
Here are the top recent barbecue news stories from around the country:
Congrats to the Kansas City Chiefs on winning the Super Bowl this past weekend!
Kansas City, one of the most celebrated barbecue towns, also has reason to celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs after they won Sunday’s Super Bowl LIV. Congrats to the Chiefs, their fans, and their elected officials for winning bets. (Kansas City-born Ryan Cooper and Sean Ludwig of The Smoke Sheet are ecstatic, for the record.)
The Smoke Sheet’s Sean Ludwig recently attended an insightful BBQ 101 class from Hoodoo Brown BBQ, one of the Northeast’s top barbecue joints. These types of classes are becoming more popular around the country, but it’s the only one of its kind in the Northeast.
While hotshot Oakland pitmaster Matt Horn waits for his much-anticipated Horn Barbecue to open, he is also working on a fried chicken concept called Kowbird.
Johnny’s Bar-B-Q’s Mission location in Kansas City recently closed its doors. Flatland wrote about the closing of the joint and pitmaster Johnny White’s story.
Black Wood Smokehouse in Charleston has closed, with owner Joseph Jacobson citing “stiff competition,” high rent, and a lack of signage as the reason the restaurant shut its doors.
Waco, Texas has an exciting new option with Koko Ramen inside Union Hall. At Koko Ramen, chef Cade Mercer combines smoked meats from Guess Family Barbecue with Asian specialties, writes Daniel Vaughn of Texas Monthly.
Daniel Vaughn of Texas Monthly also ventured out recently to search for “great Tex-Mex ribs” but after many bad or fine ribs eaten, the quest was ultimately futile.
J.C. Reid of the Houston Chronicle writes that Katy, Texas (a little west of Houston) is becoming a capital of creative barbecue, with joints like Harlem Road Texas BBQ, Brett’s BBQ Shop, and Daddy Duncan’s BBQ food truck all offering innovative items.
Early pioneers in the burgeoning Ft. Worth barbecue scene, Heim Barbecue recently announced the opening of a third location, this time in Dallas.
Pitmaster Ronnie Killen announced a new location of Killen’s Barbecue will open in The Woodlands in the near future.
Tyson Fresh Meats has announced it is entering the world of competitive barbecue, sponsoring a noteworthy team of pitmaster ambassadors that includes Tuffy Stone, Sterling “Big Poppa” Ball, Fred Robles, Tim Scheer, and Justin McGlaun.
Grand Prairie, Texas renamed Locker Street, which adjoins beloved barbecue joint Zavala’s Barbecue, to “Brisket Lane” to honor the restaurant's location.
The Travel Channel recently featured Tomball, Texas barbecue joint Tejas Chocolate and Barbecue on the show Trending Fear. Employees and customers have experienced a series of unexplained events, including opening doors, strange sounds, and broken objects.
Here are BBQ shows, podcasts, or books you should check out this week:
Veteran pitmasters discuss the history and culture of competitive barbecue with Fran Healy.
Watch: Competition Barbeque — Focused
This short documentary takes a look at the mouth-watering world of competitive barbecue. Host Fran Healy sits down to talk with veteran competition pitmasters Chris Lilly, Ray Lampe, Brad Leighninger, and Stan Hays ahead of last summer’s 2019 BBQ Smokedown competition at the Chicagoland Speedway. Watch here.
Listen: Jess Pryles and Megan Day — Tailgate Guys BBQ Show
In this episode of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show, hosts Lyndal Scranton and Steve Koehler welcome two powerhouse pitmasters to talk about cooking ideas. First, they talk with pitmaster Jess Pryles, a native Australian and Texas transplant who is recognized for her line of Hardcore Carnivore rubs and expertise over open fires. They chat about the recent Brisket Camp she attended at Texas A&M University. Next up is Megan Day from Kansas City’s Burnt Finger BBQ, who had a big week last week with her edition of Chopped Champions airing on the Food Network, along with a spot on NBC’s Hoda & Jenna, cooking against a San Francisco pitmaster. Listen to the episode here.
Read: BBQ&A with Myron Mixon: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Barbecue — by Myron Mixon
Have you ever wondered if you can make good barbecue without a smoker, pit, or grill? If you need to use a rub or marinade? Not sure what a brisket is, whether you need to trim it, and if so, how? In BBQ&A with Myron Mixon, bestselling author and TV personality Myron Mixon answers the questions most frequently asked of him during his many live cooking demos, TV appearances, and private cooking classes. Myron’s lively, informative answers are paired with practical visuals and cover techniques and methods, flavors and preparations, recipes and formulas—all collected in one place for the first time by the winningest man in barbecue. Buy it here.
Meatstock Music and Barbecue Festival takes place in Auckland, New Zealand this February.
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 and 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 22, 2020: Rock the Block — Charleston, South Carolina
The gang at Home Team BBQ in Charleston will soon host their third annual block party benefiting the Hogs for the Cause event in late March. (More on Hogs below!) The Rock the Block event is free to attend and there will be tons of pitmasters and chefs there making food. VIP tickets will get you access to even more food and BBQ options. If you love food and music and aren’t too far from Charleston, you won’t want to miss this. More info here.
February 28 - March 1, 2020: New School Barbecue University — Austin, Texas
Leroy & Lewis Barbecue of Austin, Texas (which we included in ) will soon be “sharing their secrets” at its New School Barbecue University. During one long weekend, you’ll learn how to create popular items like beef cheeks, brisket, barbacoa, whole hog, sausages, and more. Attendance is limited to just 30 attendees so be sure to get your applications in quickly if you are interested. 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 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.
Learn how to make a winning competition chicken entry from Fire Dancer BBQ with this recipe.
Competition Chicken Thighs by Fire Dancer BBQ
In this week’s Recipe of the Week, Malcolm Reed from How to BBQ Right welcomes Eric Lee from Fire Dancer BBQ to demonstrate his technique for producing a winning chicken entry in Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) competitions. Eric cooks 16 fresh, air chilled thighs of uniform size so they will cook at the same rate. With minimal trimming, he then injects the thighs and seasons with Fire Dance Chicken Rub before placing them on the smoker. The thighs are finished with a pat of margarine and then glazed for 10 minutes before turn in. The resulting recipe is a proven winner, with Eric’s 19 first place calls in KCBS competitions. View the recipe here.
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