Barbecue event makes Sisters savory

When the sweet haze of burning applewood and mesquite cleared on Sunday, Smokey's Bar-B-Que from Snohomish, Washington, was crowned Grand Champion of the first-ever Sisters Brews, Views & Bar-B-Ques.

The event, an official Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) sanctioned match, was a state qualifier for larger competitions and finals held later this year. It was held on the open field at Pine Meadow Village. Sixteen teams from all over the Pacific Northwest gathered to cook up a storm over the High Desert and try for their part of $7,500 in prize money, awards and medals.

James Jones, of Smokey's, wrangled his clan for a victory snapshot and shook hands with fellow competitors after the award announcements. He was joined by his wife, Suzanne, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Kenya.

"Wow, this is great," he said. "This is only our second year doing contests, and we entered 13 last year. But this is our first overall championship. This is such a beautiful venue, so picturesque. We cook as a team and all play a part. It's our thing we do together."

On Saturday morning, competitors readied their meats and sauces, massaging secret seasonings and spices into the meats, stirring sauces and adding ginger ale, brown sugar, pineapple juice or apple sauce as flavorings, guarding their recipes like national treasures. The smell of pecan wood and plum wood perfumed the air as anxious teams prepared for a day of marathon cooking.

There was some initial confusion for people as to the exact nature of the event, with limited options to actually purchase barbecue. Competitors were not allowed to sell food according to KCBS rules, making for some disappointed and hungry fans, something the organizers hope to clarify and remedy next year. 

Many local contestants trailered their cookers onto the lawns and stoked the burners. A self-proclaimed one-man-band, Troy Fox of Big Troy's BBQ of Bend, sat waiting for the sun to set before putting his meat into his custom smoker.

"I made that smoker out of an old hot water tank and bed frames," he joked. "I'm serious. This is my first time cooking on my own. I was with 8th Street Barbecue out of Stockton, California before I moved to Bend. I'll be using mesquite wood today and a few secret woods. I was raised Southern-style, out of Mississippi. Everything I do is smoked. I'm a dry-rub man with sauce on the side. I started Big Troy's last summer because I wanted to stay in Bend and now do a lot of private functions and events. I'll barbecue anywhere, anytime, rain, sleet or snow."

Jeri Buckmann, events director for the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce, deemed the event a huge success for its first year.

"I want to thank all the competitors for coming and our KCBS reps and all our volunteers and judges, " she said before handing out the awards. "It's been a great experience, and we hope to make it bigger and even better next year. To pull off an event like this in Sisters is incredible."

KCBS representatives, Jim Monihan and Mark Silver explained the particular appeal and resurgence of barbecue competitions.

"Barbecue is the only true American cuisine," Monihan said. "It's something that takes an hour to learn and a lifetime to master. It's also something everybody can do and a great way for families to spend time together."

Monihan looked across the field at Three Sisters peaks and summarized why Sisters was an excellent choice for an event.

"Sisters is probably the first vacation stop east of Santiam Pass," he said. "This is a neat little town with great atmosphere. It's very clean and comfortable, and just look at those views."

"Fifteen teams is the minimum for a first-year contest, and you have 16 here today," said Silver. "The winner automatically goes to the American Royal Championship in Kansas City in September and gets entered into a drawing for the Jack Daniel's World Championships in Tennessee."

Sunday was judging day and teams had to be mindful of strict turn-in times beginning at noon and marked by half-hour intervals. One by one, team members delivered their turn-in containers of meats starting with chicken. Special blind boxes holding the precious food were marked with a number and sent back to judging tables where a panel of 18 judges hunkered down to score each selection. Cooks presented their finest offerings in six categories: chicken, ribs, pork, brisket, sauce and salsa, Judges tallied scores for each of the four meats and calculated an average score based on appearance, taste and tenderness.

Veteran cooks Paul Glavanits and Kodey Fitzgerald of team "Home on the Range" stood prepping their meat with dry rub behind their "Man-Camp" barbecue fortress, handing out free samples of five-meat chili and pineapple upside-down cupcakes. Glavanits is out of Bend and has been doing this for fifteen years. It was started by his brother, Doug, who passed away a few years ago.

"I've been all over the United States: Carolinas, Virginias, Tennessee, Kentucky, Idaho and Canada," he counted on his fingers. "My style is Northwestern, a little soy sauce and real sweet with some Southern influences. I took a trip down to Tennessee one year and learned I was over-cooking and under-seasoning my pork butt. I just couldn't get it right. I got to meet a lot of the big names in barbecue there and picked up some tips and advice. I love the competition and the camaraderie. It's like a big family reunion every time you go to an event."

Home on the Range won first prize in the Best Brisket category, third place for Best Sauce and fifth for Best Ribs.

Teams tended their fires all night, regulating and maintaining temperatures for 15-18 hours. During daytime, crowds roamed the grass field all weekend, chatting with the teams, enjoying Americana tunes from The Anvil Blasters and munching on ears of roasted corn and plates of barbecue courtesy of three vendors.

Slick's Que Co. owner Roy Slicker fought the good fight, battling temperature spikes in his smoke. He was awarded second place for Best Ribs, right behind the boys in black from Philyaw's BBQ.

"We had an excellent plan and timeline but stuff happens," said Slicker, who was instrumental in making he event happen. "Our grill was a little hot for chicken. BUT I'm really proud of this team because we got all our turn-in boxes in on time and that's 90 percent of it right there. There's a lot of pressure fighting a smoker for 18 hours."