Following right on the heels of the Kentucky Derby each year in May, BBQ & Barrels (formerly known as the Owensboro International BBQ Festival) proves that a little competition makes for a good time … and world-class cooking.
To be held this year in downtown Owensboro on May 10-11, BBQ & Barrels is a 45-year-old Owensboro tradition. Visitors and natives alike have the opportunity to enjoy two Kentucky staples: barbeque and bourbon.
The festival features concerts, car shows, pageants, road races, a Mutton Eating Competition, church cooking teams, and the Backyard BBQ Cookoff.
The Backyard Cookoff is a crowd favorite, with a $1,500 cash prize for the team who tickles the judges’ tastebuds enough to be named Grand Champion. Categories include Beef, Chicken, Pork, and Best Booth, with free samples to be distributed to the public.
Todd Johnson, event organizer, said he first got involved with barbeque competitions while watching his father, Horse Johnson, cook with his team from Bellsouth– later on known as Telephone Pioneers.
“I grew up around it,” Johnson reflected. “I remember going down to the river as a kid and getting hooked. When I got older, I started competing in the Backyard Cookoff. One year our team won Grand Champion.”
Johnson, along with Kelly Ward, took over organizing the event around ten years ago.
“We adjusted the rules a little,” said Johnson. “We raised the entry fee to $100, so we are able to give out a large cash prize, rather than just a trophy. It just continues to grow; there used to be around 10 to 12 teams entered each year; now we have over 30.”
With mostly local teams entered, folks travel from Louisville, Evansville, and Illinois to compete. A good time is usually had by all, and camaraderie among competitors is evident.
“Most teams come back year after year,” Johnson noted. “That’s what it’s all about, having fun.”
Gene Gauger, of the Ticklin’ Ribs & Rubbin’ Butts team, said he got his start about ten years ago when he and his brother built a smoker. That’s when he first got the itch for barbeque competition, and knew he wanted to learn more.
“We were in Boonville, Indiana at the Smokin’ for Garrett BBQ Competition and Fundraiser about three years ago,” Gauger recalled. “I asked the meat inspector what they looked for. Later on, at a pitch-in dinner, I met a guy from the Old Fashioned Butcher Shoppe in Newburgh, and he suggested taking a cooking class. My wife and I took a class, and since then we have got a call at every contest except one.”
One secret to the Ticklin’ Ribs team’s success is not going easy on the rub.
“We always cook baby back ribs, chicken thighs, and beef,” said Gauger. “We buy our seasonings from Steve’s House of Smoke in Terre Haute. I’ve got two favorite sauces, Sweet Baby Ray’s and Blues Hog. I may mix them up a bit depending on which meat I’m saucing.”
Jim Hines of the Rollin’ Smoke team first started cooking in the 1990s, and when he and his brother-in-law Anthony Wolford built a smoker out of a 300-gallon tank, they were ready for a whole new era of competing. With the addition of Todd Millay to their team, they’ve stepped up their game.
“We have been cooking for BBQ & Barrels for eleven years,” said Hines. “We’ve finished in front, and we’ve finished in back; we’ve never won Grand Champion, but one of our protegees has.”
For Hines and team, the secret is in the sauce.
“For pork, we use a vinegar-based dip,” said Hines. “Our favorite thing to cook up is deer meat, and we bring about 40-50 pounds each year. We cook it two weeks in advance, then freeze it and thaw it out on the cooker.”
“It’s a great time, and we have a nice set-up,” said Hines. “Our wives are an important part of the team, and we have a lot of family and friends who stop by to socialize and help out if needed.”
Memories made throughout the years remain strong, and the passing of friend Jerry Crowe from pancreatic cancer in 2018 made an impact on Hines and other competitors.
“We have a picture of our friend Jerry on our banner,” said Hines. “It’s a tribute to him and shows that these teams don’t just compete with one another, they bond. Now we compete against Jerry’s boys each year, and they go to the same competitions we do.”
Joshua Taylor, of Big Daddy’s BBQ, has overcome nearly impossible odds after undergoing a heart and kidney transplant, enduring a medically-induced coma after cardiac arrest, and LVAD surgery … and still has his sights set on winning Grand Champion at BBQ & Barrels this year.
“I started cooking in 2011 and have competed ever since then,” said Taylor. “In 2015, I opened my first takeout place at Nona’s Market. With the health problems I was dealing with, it would have been easy to give up.”
It took Taylor nine months to learn to walk again and he spent 188 days in the hospital. In 2019, he competed in a wheelchair, giving out directions to his team. That year, they placed in the top ten out of 40 teams. Then in 2021, he still couldn’t use his hand, but he delegated and got the job done.
“My wife Jill, my brother-in-law Ronnie, and Steven Edge made it happen,” said Taylor. “We ended up placing third in chicken and second in pork.”
Besides being a tough competitor, Big Daddy’s BBQ also has its own line of products, which can be found in IGA stores in Owensboro, Hartford, and Morgantown.
“I knew that to set myself apart in competitions, I needed to develop my own sauce,” Taylor reflected. “I started making my own spice rubs in 2012. Big Daddy’s BBQ sauce is a unique blend of Kansas City style, Texas, and North Carolina flavor. Our sauce combines the tomato-based KC sauce with the vinegar flavor of Carolina barbeque with a bold, spicy Texas twist.”
Big Daddy’s sauce can also be found at Hillview Farms, and was used by Kim’s Diner during burger week, selling a whopping 15 cases. Manufactured by Louisville-based Bloemer’s Foods, Big Daddy’s sauce is headed for a Kentucky Proud listing with a new product launch this fall in Lexington. Taylor is also working on a deal with Kroger.
Backyard BBQ Cookoff 2024 will be a year to remember, giving teams the chance to show off their “skills and grills.”
“This year,” stated Joshua Taylor, with optimistic confidence. “Big Daddy’s is gonna take it all.”
