By G.D. Maxwell
It was all meat, all the time and enough to give any committed vegetarian the heebie-jeebies.
And when the smoke cleared, history was made maybe. What is beyond doubt is that Rockin Ronnie Shewchuks Butt Shredders ran off with the grand prize. The team, from North Vancouver, just might be the first homegrown winners the Canadian Nationals have ever spawned. Or maybe not.
While competitive barbecuers are long on record keeping when it comes to what theyre cooking, noting temperature, time, the type and quality of smoke, rub and sauce employed, theyre not so anal about the historical record. Popular opinion round Dustys Smokin Joint at Whistlers Creekside base last weekend was that Ronnie was the first Canadian to win the Canadians.
Didnt matter though. There was no podium, no national anthem, no flags. Just the holy trinity of smoke, spice and meat and that other trinity salt, sugar and fat. And a good time was had by all.
"It was a great weekend," opined Paul Street, Whistler-Blackcombs bar manager and competition organizer. "The crowd had a great time, the cooks had a great time and everybody got to taste some of the best barbecue ever to come out of a smoker."
Indeed, it was legendary. Myron Mixon, World Champion whole-hog cook was up again this year from his Jacks Old South restaurant in Vienna, Georgia. Friday evening he gave a lesson in the art of barbecuing a 165 pound hog that gave his life so those of us who showed up 24 hours later could have dinner.
Paul Kirk, the Kansas City Baron of Barbeque and multi-time world champion, led a dozen-and-a-half true believers in a detailed convocation to the artful preparation of pork spareribs on Saturday afternoon.
And while not famous, several local teams were smokin their hearts out, including Adam Protter who was awarded Best New Cook for his efforts representing his Big Smoke Mountain BBQ restaurant in Pemberton. Teams from Texas, Illinois and Washington rounded out the field of 20.
Saturdays action centred around the Anything Goes appetizer contest, where teams wowed the judges with everything from delicate lamb chops to an outrageous platter of prawns and catfish, and the Backyard Burger cookoff where competitors seemingly tried to escalate the lowly burger into well, into something you almost couldnt get your mouth around no matter how much you wanted to. It was a battle of North and South as Rockin Ronnie traded blows with Myron Mixon, each winning one event and each coming second in the other.
But in Sundays grand finale, it was clear that the Butt Shredders, after a decade of hard work, have the sensibilities of the local judges dialled. For their efforts, they won bragging rights, enough cash to make the weekend worthwhile, automatic entries in the KC Royal and Jack Daniels Worlds and a free trip to Jamaica mahn to compete in the big Carribbean BBQ Jerk-off.
"This is great," Ron said when hed come back down to earth. "A Canadian winning the Canadians? Finally!"
Yeah, finally. Who knows where this could lead. More barbecue restaurants in Canada, eh?
Backyard Burger
Jacks Old South Vienna, Georgia
Butt Shredders North Vancouver
Smokin the Beast North Vancouver
Anything Goes
Butt Shredders North Vancouver
Jacks Old South Vienna, Georgia
Bad Ass BBQ North Vancouver
Canadian National BBQ Champions
Butt Shredders North VancouverReserve Champions Ranch House Seattle, Washington
3 rd Olalla Smokers
4 th Jacks Old South Vienna, Georgia
5 th Sue B. Que McKinney, Texas
6 th Beaver Castors Eatonville, Washington
7 th Smoke a Fat One Snohomish, Washington
8 th Pork Butt BBQ Redmond, Washington
9 th Eh Team Whistler, B.C.
10 th Big Smoke Mountain BBQ Pemberton, B.C.