Kansas City Barbecue fires up at Cullman fairgrounds

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Participants in the Kansas City Barbecue Cook-off were setting up Friday afternoon at the Cullman fairgrounds. According to event officials, 66 total teams have signed up for the cook-off, which is in its first year as part of Cullman’s Oktoberfest celebration. Justin Graves

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October 8, 2011

Kansas City Barbecue fires up at Cullman fairgrounds

By Justin Graves The Cullman Times The Cullman Times Sat Oct 08, 2011, 09:00 AM CDT

CULLMAN — Driving south on U.S. 31 Friday afternoon, the aroma in the air was undeniable.

Smoked meats. Plenty of it cooking, too.

More than enough to feed an entire high school.

And that was only the prelude.

That distinct scent in the air is guaranteed to get stronger today when the Kansas City Barbecue Cook-off is officially under way.

According to event officials, 66 total teams have signed up for the Kansas City Barbecue Cook-off, which is in its first year as part of Cullman’s Oktoberfest celebration.

An immediate success, indeed.

“I was speaking with some of the organizers (with Kansas City Barbecue) and they’re extremely impressed with the turnout,” Cullman Mayor Max Townson said. “This could be a huge event for our city.”

By early Thursday afternoon, the Cullman County Fairgrounds had taken on the appearance of a Southeastern Conference campus on a college football game day, with campers flying their favorite school’s colors lining the field by Sportsman’s Lake Park.

Only in this instance, the aroma of the food being cooked was much stronger — and arguably smelled much better.

Thirty of the teams participating aren’t newcomers to the competitive barbecue circuit. Professionals barbecuers have flooded Cullman for the weekend with aspirations of qualifying for a spot in a national championship cook-off.

But there’s plenty of local talent on hand, too.

West Point town councilman Steve Link is among those.

Link and his team, Three Butts a Cookin’, are one of 36 groups who will be competing in the Backyard Division today.

“Looks like we’re in pretty deep,” Link said while standing beside his custom smoker and trailer which was set up in front of three coolers packed down with raw meet.

“There’s a lot of good competition out here, but we’re going to give it a whirl and see what we can’t do.”

Link is new to the world of competitive barbecuing.

A few tents down, his counterpart, Shawn Herald, of Addison, was able to tout a tad more experience.

Herald has been competing as a professional in barbecue cook-offs for three years now, and his team enters the competition with the high hopes of earning one of those coveted spots in the national championship cook-off.

Unlike most teams Thursday, Herald, who was once a restaurateur, already had meats smoking.

That meat wasn’t for the competition, though. Simply a mid-afternoon snack — of smoked bologna with jalapenos and cheese — for he and his team.

“I’ve traveled all over for competitions, and with the number of people who have entered here, this is impressive,” Herald said. “There’s some impressive competition here, so this is going to be a whole lot of fun.”

Herald and John Milsap, of Double Springs, said their team will begin to place their meats on the smokers around 8 p.m. Friday night. As professionals, they will be cooking Boston Butts, ribs, chickens and a brisket for competition.

Link said his team plans to put their meat on the smoker around midnight. As amateurs, they will be cooking everything except a brisket.

The competition will be open to the public today, with awards being handed out at 5 p.m.

* Justin Graves can be reached by phone at 734-2131, ext. 225 or by email at justing@cullmantimes.com.

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