BBQ Fest recreation for some, business for others

They descended on Cape Girardeau's Arena Park on Friday, some coming from hundreds of miles away.

They came with names such as Three Men and a Grill, Rockin' Rotary Roasters, Penny Street Porkers and Smelly Butts and BBQ.

Some came for the fun and socializing; others were more interested in the prizes.

But the common thread that united the 45 teams entered in this weekend's Cape Girardeau Jaycees 19th annual Cape BBQ Fest was a passion for cooking meat.

"We all love to cook," said Dennis Spurlock of the Papa John's Flying Swine Team. "Sometimes we do well, sometimes we don't. But the main thing is we can get together and see old friends and have a good time."

Spurlock, of Jonesboro, Ark., said barbecue events are a good excuse to reunite with old friends Steve Nesler, Bob Myers and John Far­quhar of Cape Girardeau and Bill Brentlinger of Jackson. All but Farquhar formerly worked in Sikeston, Mo., at the old Malone and Hyde/Fleming food distribution warehouse.

"One thing we did as a company get-together every year was to do a cooking competition," Spurlock said about the team's origin about 20 years ago. "When the company closed, we all had to go our different ways, but we still get together about three times a year at a cooking contest."

A three-person team from Southaven, Miss., the Killer Hogs, take the competition more seriously. Team member Malcom Reed said he team competes in about a dozen barbecue events a year.

Since the other members of the Killer Hogs are Reed's wife and brother, they don't need to get reacquainted at competitions. It's about the barbecue and the prizes.

"We're pretty serious about it," Reed said. "It was a hobby, but now it's kind of a passion."

The teams arrived Friday to check in and set up. While the serious competition was reserved for Saturday, there was some friendly competing in the form of a showmanship contest, won by the Cape Kiwanis Club team, and a Bloody Mary contest, won by Four Smokin' Butts from Glen Carbon, Ill. The showmanship contest drew only one entry, but 20 teams offered up their version of the traditional cocktail for the panel of tasters. Many of the teams gave out samples of their meats to visitors.

The cooking competition itself got officially underway at 5 a.m. Saturday, and the teams started turning in the first of their entries at noon. Categories for judging were chicken, ribs, pork and beef brisket.

A panel of 48 judges, many of them certified as barbecue judges by the Kansas City Barbeque Society, decided how more than $5,000 in prize money would be divided.

Dale Newstone and wife Vicky Peyton of Carterville, Ill., oversaw the judging as representatives of the society, which sanctions hundreds of barbecue competitions internationally, according to Newstone.

Newstone said appearance is the first thing judges consider when grading the entries.

"If you buy a food magazine and you see something on there that just invites you to go ahead and eat it, that's what we're looking for," Newstone said.

After judging appearance, the panel looks at taste and tenderness. Each of the three categories is rated by each judge on a scale of two to nine, with two being inedible and nine being excellent.

The winner of the grand champion trophy and $2,000 cash was Redneck Grillers from Kennett, Mo. The $750 reserve grand champion prize went to B&B BBQ from Washington, MO.