AUSTIN (KXAN) — Teams from around the country will be in Hutto, Texas this weekend preparing their rubs, sauces, and meat ahead of the National High School Barbecue Championship.
Next Monday, the cooking will begin with pork chops, skirt steak, chicken, ribs, and pork butt.
The competition runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 19 at Texas State Technical College.
National High School BBQ Championship Director Mike Erickson talked with KXAN about how this started, and what to expect.
Tom Miller: What is the National High School Barbecue Championship?
Mike Erickson: It started as a group of educators, and it’s high schools, teachers and schools from all over the state of Texas, and now we have it in Missouri and Florida. The kids are competing for scholarships and trophies, and it’s the top high school barbecue teams in America.
Tom: This started out in Burnet years ago. How is it developed?
Mike: I was a teacher at Vernon High School, and it started there, and it’s grown all over Texas. And it’s just basically kids are engaged through teachers.
Tom: I saw the winners get a big WWE-style championship belt.
Mike: That’s one of many trophies and championships. They’re going to win a 55-gallon drum smoker and scholarships and all kinds of prizes. The trophy is a little taller than us, but the kids are very excited. It’s bragging rights for a whole year. And right now, Missouri and Texas have been going back and forth.
Tom: What kind of variations do you get in the types of barbecue?
Mike: It varies everywhere, even in Texas. You go to West Texas versus South Texas, mesquite versus dry rubs and wet rubs, and that’s a big challenge. They’ve got to learn to cook everywhere. This year, our kids in Texas are at a little bit of a disadvantage because we’re doing pork butt as our national meat. We normally do brisket in Texas.
Tom: This is also a co-ed sport. There are some ladies cooking up some mean barbecue here.
Mike: Oh, they’re dominating. We call it food sport. But we’ve got the Barbecue Babes. We’ve got the Bar-be-cuties. We’ve got the Meat Mommies, and it’s groups of young people. We actually have an award the Tootsie Tomzant barbecue award for the top all-girls team in the United States and a middle school team as well.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Teams from around the country will be in Hutto, Texas this weekend preparing their rubs, sauces, and meat ahead of the National High School Barbecue Championship.
Next Monday, the cooking will begin with pork chops, skirt steak, chicken, ribs, and pork butt.
The competition runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 19 at Texas State Technical College.
National High School BBQ Championship Director Mike Erickson talked with KXAN about how this started, and what to expect.
Tom Miller: What is the National High School Barbecue Championship?
Mike Erickson: It started as a group of educators, and it’s high schools, teachers and schools from all over the state of Texas, and now we have it in Missouri and Florida. The kids are competing for scholarships and trophies, and it’s the top high school barbecue teams in America.
Tom: This started out in Burnet years ago. How is it developed?
Mike: I was a teacher at Vernon High School, and it started there, and it’s grown all over Texas. And it’s just basically kids are engaged through teachers.
Tom: I saw the winners get a big WWE-style championship belt.
Mike: That’s one of many trophies and championships. They’re going to win a 55-gallon drum smoker and scholarships and all kinds of prizes. The trophy is a little taller than us, but the kids are very excited. It’s bragging rights for a whole year. And right now, Missouri and Texas have been going back and forth.
Tom: What kind of variations do you get in the types of barbecue?
Mike: It varies everywhere, even in Texas. You go to West Texas versus South Texas, mesquite versus dry rubs and wet rubs, and that’s a big challenge. They’ve got to learn to cook everywhere. This year, our kids in Texas are at a little bit of a disadvantage because we’re doing pork butt as our national meat. We normally do brisket in Texas.
Tom: This is also a co-ed sport. There are some ladies cooking up some mean barbecue here.
Mike: Oh, they’re dominating. We call it food sport. But we’ve got the Barbecue Babes. We’ve got the Bar-be-cuties. We’ve got the Meat Mommies, and it’s groups of young people. We actually have an award the Tootsie Tomzant barbecue award for the top all-girls team in the United States and a middle school team as well.