Tacos at Memphis in May? Meet the crowd favorite Mexico BBQ Team
Tacos at a Memphis barbecue competition? It may sound odd, but some of the best tacos you'll ever have are being cooked in Tom Lee Park this week.
Crowd favorite Mexico BBQ Team is back for its eighth year at Memphis in May, and they are once again cooking up authentic Mexican fare to share with contest attendees.
It is the “World” Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest after all, so it’s no surprise there are international teams in the competition.
At this year’s competition, there are teams from 22 states, Puerto Rico and three foreign countries. Rusty’s Smoke BBQ from Canada and The Norwegian National Barbeque Team from Norway are the other two international teams.
The 20-person Mexico BBQ Team travels all the way from its home base of Monterrey, Mexico, every year to compete.
Team captain Alejandro Gutiérrez runs the largest grilling competition in Latin America.
He founded Grill Master HEB in 2012 to create a contest like he had seen in other parts of the world. What started as a competition featuring 13 teams with 700 attendees has grown into an event with 100 teams and an expected 35,000 attendees during the Aug. 19-20 event this year.
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He said they come to Memphis every year to get experience to make their Grill Master HEB competition better.
“We learn by competing here," Gutiérrez said. "We stand in the shoes of the competitor."
He may be learning about how to host a barbecue competition, but it’s obvious he also knows how to cook barbecue — even Memphis-style barbecue.
In 2021, Mexico BBQ Team placed second in the shoulder division and received the International Hospitality Award for its team spirit and generosity serving festival attendees. Last year, the team placed third in the “Anything But – Beef” category.
For the WCBCC competition, the Mexico BBQ Team sticks to Memphis-style barbecue. But for their friends and fans, it’s all about their home country’s fare.
Each day, the team serves up authentic Mexican tacos. This year, the fare includes tacos stuffed with slices of tender pork cheek garnished with a “drunken” salsa verde made with beer and pickled red onions, as well as a “noodle” taco stuffed with fideo noodles and chorizo.
What keeps the team coming back each year is the comradery of the Memphis in May contest.
“It’s because the friends we have made here now are family,” Gutiérrez said. “The name of our website is ‘Fire Unites Us.’ That’s our mantra and what brings us all together.”
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis in May barbecue contest: Meet the Mexico BBQ Team
