Local men bring home bronze in global BBQ competition
By Cory L. Higgs
As Virginias are faced with more and more quarantine time, many spring and summer activities are taking a hit.
From humble back yard digs to international competitions, nearly all barbeque contests have been canceled due to health concerns — except one.
The ‘BBQ League’ is hosting a virtual social distancing BBQ competition, open to the world. The league hosts a special category, and pitmaster from around the globe fire up their smokers and get to cooking.
Oinkers BBQ with pitmasters Lance Thompson and Mark Hylton, representing Bassett and Stuar,t in the global challenge. The father and son-in-law duo procured 3rd place worldwide among a 100 plus competitors for their delectable brisket.
“We have always felt that our brisket was something special. Lots of time, energy, note-taking, practicing, researching, learning, and trial and error have went into every type of meat (protein) that we have crafted over the years,” Thompson said.
“When we heard that a Virtual Brisket Contest was being held for members of The BBQ League from across the globe, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to find out how good it really is,” he added.
The duo said they regularly compete in the Kansas City Barbecue Society competition, where they have learned how to compete.
A traditional contest relied on three strict criteria, according to Thompson: appearance, taste, and tenderness. But, how can the criteria be judged virtually?
The BBQ league requests that three pictures be submitted of the meat – a photo before, during, and after cooking.
Next, the contestants must film a short video to showcase the tenderness of their creation and finally, a description of its flavor.
A brief recipe also must be provided; however, Thompson said, “it’s not a tell-all. We try to describe exactly what the judges would be tasting the best that we can. We try to make their mouth water by just reading the description.”
He said that he believed the team scored well because of their attention to the description and the details but he said they didn’t slack off on the cooking part either.
“We have been competing in local (Virginia and North Carolina) competitions for the past few years. Once this pandemic spread, BBQ competitions shut down/cancelled just like everything else. Once we heard about this Virtual Competition, we knew this would help our satiate our competition craving,” said Thompson.
He also explained that he and his father-in-law had been practicing their craft over the winter offseason.
The pair scored third place out of 109 teams from around the world, “not too shabby for a couple of guys from small towns in southwest Virginia,” he said, “We have always thought that our BBQ was something special. This Virtual Contest gave us the chance to prove just that. We don’t have the means and resources to compete regularly across the nation like some of the top-tier teams.”
Thompson said the win was the push they needed and the recognition the team had been sought. He said that they are looking to expand their BBQ empire in the near future, and share their passion for a barbeque with the public.
Without giving too much away, Thompson said the perfect BBQ begins with top-quality meat, a good rub of spices, plenty of smoke, timing, and lots of patience.
Oinkers BBQ can be found online on Facebook and Instagram.
