High Steaks
Teams fire it up at cook-off
Taylor S.P.J.S.T. Lodge No. 29 and its surroundings were filled with the smell of savory aromas during the last day of September.
The Lodge hosted its 22nd annual Barbecue Cook-off Saturday, Sept. 30, with 66 teams competing for cash prizes.
“We’ve got a good event, it’s more family-event,” said Jesse Pospisil, event organizer. “It’s a good time for everybody.”
Contest categories were brisket, pork ribs, chicken, jackpot beans, jackpot cook’s choice and jackpot pork butt. Prize money for the event was $5,000.
Anthony Dominguez prepares entry for his Serious Smoke team. The team won the best rig event, meaning impartial judges liked their cooking setup the best. Photos by Hunter Dworaczyk
James Stokes cooks for his Stokin’ it Up team during the S.P.J.S.T. Barbecue Cook-off. Stokes placed third in the jackpot cook’s choice category.
An overall Master Cook winner was decided at the end of the event, which was given to the team that has the overall best score from the brisket, pork and chicken contests. The Master Cook this year is Rockin’ A Grilling Supplies, which was led by Chuck Aleksines of Hutto.
Each category was judged by roughly 20 resident judges. The judges ranked the entries without knowing which team submitted it to ensure fairness.
The Lodge’s competition is non-sanctioned, which competitors say make it more fun. However, the cash incentives still mean there’s high stakes.
“It’s just a really fun kind of laid-back atmosphere,” said Syrissa Dominguez of Serious Smoke, the team that won the award for best rig. “They say everyone is competing, but everyone is here to have fun. It’s different from what we do at a lot of other cookoffs we go to.”
Dominguez’s team has been yearly participants in the contest for decades. She said the organizers treat the cooks well, which keeps them coming back.
The contestant said organizers routinely come by to check in on how the cooks are doing.
Her Serious Smoke team enjoys the camaraderie with the neighboring teams. Since the group first began participating in the event, they have been assigned the exact same location.
“We’ve just kept it,” Dominguez said. “Even if we can’t make it, we still pay for it and reserve our spot here. It’s been a good spot for us. Maybe a little superstitious, we feel like it is a little lucky for us. We don’t want to be moved.”
Organizers presented a “Taylor BBQ Legend” award in honor of Clay Raesz, a late resident who was heavily involved in the local barbecue landscape. Raesz’s parents accepted the award in his name.
“He was a big name in barbecue,” Pospisil said.
Results and pictures from the barbecue contest can be found on the Cook-off page in the Lodge’s website.
Inside of the Lodge, organizers brought samples to the judges. Additionally, silent auctions took place throughout the day. Photo by Hunter Dworaczyk
