Just hours ago, the Carcass Cookers of Pueblo learned whether they’d hang onto their title in the dessert category of the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue, and if they managed to boost their showing in pork ribs. (They took ninth place in 2006.) The Carcass Cookers are formidable competition at Colorado cook-offs, including the 2007 BBQ at the Summit, where their winnings included $2,500 in cash, a $2,300 Kingfisher Kountry Kooker and the unique championship buckle. We chatted with team leader Mark Welte shortly before yesterday’s showdown in Lynchburg, Tenn.
Q: Is the Jack Daniel’s competition akin to the World Cup of barbecue contests?
A: The Jack doesn’t have a big payout, just a lot of prestige in getting down there. It really is a special place to cook, kind of like going back in time. Lynchburg only has 300 or 400 people who live there, and we add 10,000 people during the Jack. Plus, Lynchburg is dry, even though we’re at a distillery.
Q: What? No alcohol allowed?
A: Well, they bend the rules a little for the sauce contest, and give you a little bottle to use, 350 milliliters, a little bigger than airline bottle. You actually cannot buy Jack Daniel’s at the distillery unless you buy a commemorative bottle. And even then you’re not allowed to drink it in public.
Q: How did you become a competitive barbecuer?
A: Actually, my wife and I started out as barbecue judges, judging the Frisco contest in 2003. Then we decided to create a team the next year, so 2004 was our first competition. There’s myself, my wife, Jennifer, Mark Jesik from Lakewood and Mark Fischer from Pueblo.
Q: You win a lot. You must be pretty good.
A: I guess “good,” is one way to put it, but I’d say we’re lucky also. It all comes down to getting judges who like your food that day. There’s no magic button to win. You turn in six pieces of meat, whether it’s chicken, brisket, pork shoulder or ribs, and six judges sample that, along with samples from five other contestants.
Q: That’s, what, 30 pieces of meat? That’s a lot of barbecue.
A: Oh, they only take one or two bites of each entry. If they ate everything presented to them, they’d eat 4 pounds of barbecue in a day. I have seen one or two judges do that – eat everything. People tried to warn them not to eat that much meat in one sitting. They were never themselves afterward.
Q: Do you ever get tired of barbecue?
A: Funny thing is, barbecue used to be my favorite food. I’ve cooked it so much that I have a really difficult time eating it now.
