As hard as the BBQ Blaze Off folks work behind the scenes to get ready for this competition, we realize there would be no event without our competitors. We had the pleasure of interviewing one of our competitors this week.

BBQ Blaze Off Blogger:
We are excited to be speaking today to BID WIZ Players BBQ TEAM. Can you tell us a little bit about your team?
BID WIZ Players BBQ TEAM:
We are a small BBQ Team from the Kansas City Area. What makes us special is that we all have a passion for BBQ. I guess most big team dont even see us as a threat, but we have been known to take them down. Team members include Captian Richard King ,Tommy Hardin, Renee Tammons Hardin.

BBQ Blaze Off Blogger:
What’s YOUR favorite type of barbeque?
BID WIZ Players BBQ TEAM:
We like bbq that is bit of everything sweet tangy, with touch of heat on the end.
BBQ Blaze Off Blogger:
If you were to select an eighties pop-star as your team mascot, which one would it be, and why?
BID WIZ Players BBQ TEAM:
BabyFace. Because we are still a baby team in the BBQ world ,but we will be up in your face on calls.
BBQ Blaze Off Blogger:
Why did you choose to be a competitor in the Blue Springs BBQ Blaze-Off?
BID WIZ Players BBQ TEAM:
The Blue Springs BBQ Blaze off to me is one of the best cook-off’s I have been in. We love the staff that puts together the contest. The location is wonderful along with the atmosphere. We have done well at this cook off. We look forward the Blaze Off each and every year.
BBQ Blaze Off Blogger:
Thank you for your time today. We look forward to seeing you and tasting your wonderful BBQ at the Blaze Off.

The Democratic National Convention conducted a search to find the best barbecue sauce in February of 2012. They received thirty submissions in three groups: mustard, tomato, and vinegar. Barbecue sauces entered in the contest included familiar brands as well as homemade barbecue sauce. Criteria used to pick the winner came from the score sheet of the South Carolina Barbecue Society. The entries were graded on aroma, taste, and the overall impression they made on judges.

The three winners of the Taste of the Carolinas contest were announced by the Democratic National Convention. The winners are:
Dan Huntley from Pig Pucker Barbecue in Charlotte in the mustard category
Tom Montgomery and Sabra Kelly from Twelve Bones Smokehouse in Asheville for their tomato based barbecue sauce
Mark Cieslikowski from Barbecue Pit of Lake in Lake Wylie for the tomato-based group.
The winning sauces can be bought at local stores and money will be raised for the next convention 7th Street Public on Saturday

Huntley stated “It is a great honor in barbecudom having my sauce selected by the DNC.” Montgomery is excited they won and hopes all will like their sauce at the next convention. Cieslikowski stated the creation of their sauce came from several years of trying various vinegar sauces.

Judges of the barbecue sauce contest included Sherry and Brian Teigue from the Barbecue Society, Jon Fortes, chef executive of the Mimosa Grill, and Kathleen Purvis, a food writer. Also among the judges was Mayor Anthony Foxx and committee director Dan Murrey.

If you have been lucky enough to go to a BBQ competition, you have experienced the tantalizing smells and aromas from grilling recipes wafting everywhere. Nothing compares to the great food you can make on the grill, but getting maximum flavor and ideal texture can be hard. The true masters of this cooking form never tell people exactly how they do it. If you want to try your hand in such competitions like the Blue Springs Blaze Off, you need to work on your own style and maybe have something African inspired that can impress a judge. This will involve a lot of work, and hours spent on the grill perfecting the right technique. You can get a head start by simply picking unique grilling recipes.

The ideal way to catch the eye of someone is with new food products on the grill they have not seen before. Yes, pork is always a favorite, but African inspired foods such as lamb and eggplant will mean people coming over to check out your food. Just having something different will mean people remember you next year.

Remember, at a BBQ competition, there are hundreds of participants, and most of the ones with pork grilling recipes are going to be overlooked, unless they do a truly sensational job. If you really want to get noticed, you will need to have new food products, maybe something that is African inspired. It is always hard to win on your first attempt, but with some practice, and unique flavors, you can get your name out there, and show the world your grilling expertise.

This article has been reposted with many thanks to and permission from Kilimanjaro Foods.