Navy veteran Sterling Smith found his post-service calling in pit BBQ. Now, he gives back

Navy veteran Sterling Smith found smokin’ success as world barbecue champion and owner of Scottsdale-based Loot N’ Booty rubs and sauce company after serving in the military.

Smith attended his first barbecue competition in Kansas City 16 years ago and he returned to the Valley inspired. He bought a $40 grill, a bag of mesquite, lighter fluid and a pork shoulder and headed to the backyard.

“I came home and made the worst piece of meat in my entire life,” Smith said.

To say he's upped his grill game since that day would be an understatement.

In the process of perfecting his craft of grilling and smoking, Smith has become a celebrity pitmaster, leading barbecue teams to numerous accolades, teaching over a hundred barbecue classes around the world and winning hundreds of awards nationally and globally, most recently, the 2022 World Barbecue Championship.

Looking back now on that first attempt, he knows exactly what went wrong. “It was over-smoked, I added more flavors than I needed to, there was no airflow. I thought you needed a lot of smoke, but you want very little smoke or the meat gets bitter.”

Lucky for him, and his loyal fans, practice eventually made perfect.

“You’ve got to burn a lot of meat to learn how to make good meat,” Smith said with a chuckle.

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From sailor to pitmaster

From 1994 to 1998, Smith served as a sonar technician on the guided missile cruiser U.S.S. Chosin, based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. During his time there, he went on mission to Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines and his experiences with international cuisine left a lasting impression.

Smith recalled a competition that took place on a Veteran’s Day weekend one year. The challenge was to put his own spin on brisket and burnt ends. Smith decided to make a pupu platter with crab and brisket fried rice topped with quail egg and sesame drizzle, brisket gyoza, overstuffed brisket eggroll and a teriyaki brisket burnt end slider. The combination earned him a perfect score.

“They asked me to explain the inspiration,” Smith said. “My time in the Navy definitely had an influence on my palate and the dishes I create.”

Born in Memphis, Smith's father was an engineer who worked as a government contractor, moving the family between Mississippi, Florida and Georgia, where he graduated from high school. And though his father wasn't in the military, many members of Smith’s family had served, including his grandfather who was in the Air Force. His four older brothers and sisters had all joined the Navy, which Smith found especially attractive thanks to the generous college tuition assistance.

“I knew I wanted to go to school after my service and expand my education and knowledge,” he said, adding that he followed up his active duty years with two years serving as active reserve and used his college benefits to earn a finance degree from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.

Smith worked in banking, specializing in commercial finance and small business lending until his last employer, who was based in Kansas City, organized that fateful company-wide barbecue competition that set him on a path to become a pitmaster.

Smith found the camaraderie of the barbecue community, with everyone working towards a singular goal, reminded him of his Navy days.

A barbecue success story

Smith's early success on the competition circuit inspired him to launch his own product line in 2009 with Loot N’ Booty BBQ, a Scottsdale-based rubs and sauces company.

While competing, Smith captured the attention of Old World Spices, a Kansas-based manufacturer of custom-blended dry seasonings known for its Championship Series of spice blends made by champion pitmasters.

The company asked Smith to collaborate with them on a pork seasoning, which was sold at Walmart and can still be found in Kroger grocery stores across the Midwest today.

The collaboration gave Smith the idea to make an “everything” rub in a bottle, which was the first of the Loot N’ Booty dry rub line. His five dry rubs and three sauces are now sold at hundreds of retailers worldwide and via the company website.

Though Smith has become known for his inventive flavor combinations, his personal tastes are more simple and classic. “I like a light smoke and salt and pepper dry rub with a light, thin sauce,” Smith said.

Smith’s wife of 19 years, Molly, runs his social media, shipping and pretty much any behind-the-scenes job required.

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Giving back to other veterans

Barbecue competitions are reliant on big crowds, so when the Pandemic hit, things changed. Smith was presented with a new opportunity to teach his craft when an editor from Rockridge Press reached out to him about writing a book about barbecue.

“Covid gave me the time to come up with new recipes and develop them in the backyard,” Smith said. The result was "The Complete Barbecue Cookbook: Expert Advice and Foolproof Recipes for Barbecue Perfection," which was followed by his second book, "Ultimate Book of Barbecue Sauces: American Classics and International Favorites."

Sharing techniques for the smoky cooking method that lead Smith to his post-service calling is just one way he gives back. Smith is also heavily involved with veteran groups and organizations, including Firefest/BBQ Salute, a charitable initiative that celebrates military families through mini-barbecue competitions.

He is the head pitmaster for the Navy team in the annual Saluting with Smoke festival and fundraiser, where Smith serves as a hands-off guide and coach for the team throughout the competition.

“It’s great to be able to give back and to give our active military something to get their minds off things for the day and come out and cook,” Smith said. “Veteran causes are very near and dear to my heart.”

Where to find Loot N’ Booty BBQ

Loot N' Booty BBQ sauces and rubs can be ordered online along with virtual barbecue classes.

Details: lootnbootybbq.com.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Veteran-owned Loot N’ Booty BBQ in Scottsdale sells award-winning rub