“It needs more dust,” I said. Tuffy Stone, whose Cool Smoke barbecue team is one of most prolific in the country, was about to close a styrofoam box full of pork shoulder that was bound for the judge’s table. Our team, most of which I’d first met the day prior, surrounded
There’s plenty of skill that goes into preparing competition-style barbecue, but most contestants will tell you that it’s really one thing that separates first place from tenth: luck. Luck that conditions are favorable during their cook; luck that every entry gets into its respective entry box flawlessly; and luck that the box finds its
The World’s Championship Bar-B-Que was held at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo this past Saturday, and a new world champion was crowned. Last week, I wrote about those competitors in the Champion’s Circle, but none of them took home the top prize. It was Kerry
With all the contests and various sanctioning bodies, competition barbecue can get confusing, but one thing is clear. Getting into the Champions Corner at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo World’s Championship Bar-B-Que is a big honor. It is bestowed upon the winners of the San Antonio Stock Show
For what is called the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que cook off, the event at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HSLR) is more spectacle than barbecue holy grail. Most of the quarter million visitors look longingly into private parties from the wrong side of the ropes. There’s a public
