Two years later, 'Poosa Q brings BBQ excellence back to Montgomery this weekend
In 2019, when Tim Evans heard about the first 'Poosa Q at Wind Creek Montgomery, he and some of his north Alabama BBQ cooking buddies were a little hesitant to sign up.
It seemed too good to be true.
"They were offering so much money, it almost sounded like this was going to be a joke," Evans said.
Fortunately, he decided to sign up anyway.
"We got down there, and I'm telling you, this is the best BBQ competition I've ever been to in my life," said Evans, a Huntsville police officer who has competed since 2013. "It didn't take long for the word to spread that this is one of the best BBQ competitions, I'd say in the country, but definitely in the Southeast."
Evans' BBQ team Thin Blue Swine became 2019's Backyard Grand Champion, and on the pro side the Grand Champion team was Under The Radar. They'll both be back this weekend. In all, there are 128 teams (76 pro and 52 backyard) scheduled to compete Friday and Saturday for a share of $75,000 in cash and prizes.
"They treat the people so good," Evans said. "It was an amazing time, and we've all been saying we can't wait to get back."
Along with the BBQ competition, Wind Creek Montgomery is hosting a free public festival Friday and Saturday, with live music, cooking demonstrations, live carvings, silent auctions, food trucks and vendors. They're also giving away a BBQ package with a grill, cooler, and gift certificates.
“’Poosa Q is the perfect way to kick-off summer with our community," said Jake Carlton, general manager at Wind Creek Montgomery. “We have vendors, competitors, and visitors attending from all over the United States."
This weekend is the second 'Poosa Q. Pandemic conditions cancelled plans for it in 2020 and 2021.
Talking with 2019's backyard champ
Evans said the past couple of years have slowed things a lot for him in the BBQ competition world. Along with the pandemic shutting events down, the price of gas and meat has been on the rise. Last year, Evans did 3 BBQ contests, and this year he's had two so far.
"I was blessed a couple of weeks ago," said Evans. "In a field of 56 teams, I came in third."
His BBQ team's name, Thin Blue Swine, was his daughter's suggestion. It honors a family tradition of serving in law enforcement. Evans and his wife, who will both be at 'Poosa Q this weekend, each retired from Huntsville Police before going back into service again part time. Both Evans' grandfather and father were police, and his son-in-law is also one. Evans also has a firefighter son and a daughter who is a nurse.
"Our whole family is just civil servants of Huntsville," said Evans, who is a proud grandpa.
He's part of a group of north Alabama barbecue enthusiasts called the 256, who were well represented at the first 'Poosa Q.
"We cook against each other, and make each other so much better," Evans said. "It's almost like we're semi-professional... We're probably some of the best backyard cooks in the Southeast."
Equipment wise, Evans said backyard and pros competitors are pretty close these days. He said the main difference between the backyard groups and the pro teams is backyard groups just do ribs and chicken. The pros cook those, plus pork and brisket.
"We've all picked up some tricks from the professionals," Evans said.
Among them is wood choice for smoking meats. Evans cooks with mostly pecan and scaly bark hickory, which he said gives the meat a really good flavor that judges in the South recognize.
"We understand what goes into it to make judges enjoy the food," Evans said.
It's an art in itself to please six judges to the point where they'll all give high marks (9 is the max) that'll add up near the elusive perfect 180 score.
"My goal is to be the least offensive barbecue on the table," Evans said. "I just want them to take a bite and say, that's good. It wasn't too hot. It wasn't too cold. It wasn't too spicy. It wasn't too bland."
He hit the mark with judges' tastebuds in 2019. Proof is sitting in his trophy room in the form of three chainsaw carved 'Poosa Q trophies. The Grand Champion one is seven foot tall.
"It turns out, I was first place in ribs and third place in chicken," Evans said. "And that was the first time I've ever felt really good about my cook, and it scored as good as I thought that it was."
One of the toughest parts about the competition came when it was over, figuring out how to get the the 7-foot chainsaw carved steer, pig and chicken trophy home to Huntsville in one piece.
"It took about three of us," Evans said. "We bubble-wrapped it, put blankets around it and got it up into my camper. Then we ratchet strapped it to the bar. It made the trip and didn't fall, so I was thankful for that."
Whoever wins this year should be prepared for even "bigger and better" trophies to cart home, 'Poosa Q officials said.
The Thin Blue Swine name has grown beyond BBQ. Evans is also a partner in Thin Blue Line Racing, a team with a 1986 "Bill Elliott" Thunderbird that competes in 24 Hours of Lemons. None of the cars that drive in this group are worth more than $500.
"Now we're a barbecue team and a race team," Evans said.
Live music
Live music on Friday features the Carson Carlisle Duo from 5-6:30 p.m., The Diviners from 6:30-8 p.m., and Outshine from 8:30-10 p.m.
On Saturday, there's live music from Brendan Crimi 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Parrott Tales from 12:30-2 p.m., and Plato Jones fro 2:30-4 p.m.
Cooking demonstrations
On Friday at 5 p.m, there will be a cooking demonstration with Brocmar Smokers, featuring the BBQ teams General Lee Smokers, Flaps Up and Brisket, Butts & BBQ.
Saturday, there will be cooking demonstrations by Hasty Bake at 1 p.m., and B&B Charcoal at 2:30 p.m.
Contest winner announcements
On Friday, winners from the seafood and desserts competitions will be announced at 9:30 p.m.
BBQ winners will be announced Saturday at 4 p.m.
If you go
Location: Wind Creek Montgomery, 1801 Eddie L Tullis Road
Days and hours: It's open to the public Friday from 5-10 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Parking: Free
What you can bring:
Chairs and blankets
Bags and purses (subject to search)
Don't bring these:
Outside food or drinks
Knives, guns or any type of weapons (including actual, toy or replica).
Coolers
Large umbrellas or tents
Pets (except service animals)
The 'Poosa Q BBQ teams
Pro teams:
Apocalypse Sow
Atlanta BBQ Store
Bad Azz Mule BBQ
Bald Hawg BBQ
Barking Pig BBQ
Bayshore Porkers
Bearded Monkeys Twisted Q
Bee's Knees
Big Daddy's Meat House
Brisket Butts and BBQ
Boog-A-Lou Smoke Crew
Bubba Grills
Chicken Fried BBQ
Chunky BBQ
Claude's Q
Cocamoke Smoke BBQ
Crossed Rifles BBQ
Done Right Smokin'
Elite BBQ Smokers
Fat, Drunk & Stupid BBQ Team
Flying Butts BBQ
Gardenvalley Smokers
General Lee Smoking
Gettin' Basted
Going Yard BBQ
Good Googly Goo BBQ
Hold Your Horses BBQ
Hot Wachula's
Jacks Old South
K&E Little Smokers
Keepin It Smokin
Kilt-N It BBQ
Kings BBQ
Kith N Kin
Lang BBQ Smokers
LC BBQ
Mad Dog BBQ
Maya Jane BBQ Co.
Meatz By The Pound
Na-Da-Bone BBQ
Old Henry's BBQ
Peach Coast BBQ
Perfectly Blended Competition BBQ
Pig-EEE-Licious
Piglitically Incorrect BBQ
Poppa Pig
Pot's BBQ
Q-Bones BBQ
Quenut BBQ
Real-Licious Q
Rio Valley Meat
Rooters-N-Tooters
Shark Bite BBQ
Sheats Smoked Meats
Slapulator BBQ
Slayton's Barbecue Company
Smoke Me Silly
Smokey Anderson BBQ
Smokin' Ain't EZ BBQ
Smoking Butt Heads
Soulful Smokin
Southern Q
Squeals
Stewbabys BBQ
Stoked & Smoked Competition BBQ GA
Sweet Cheeks Pit BBQ
Sweet Smoke Q
Tennessee Smoke Showin'
Texas Smoke Whisperer
The Pit Crew, GA
The Specialists
Three Brothers Different Mothers
Uncle Pig's Barbecue Pit
Under The Radar (RETURNING CHAMPS)
Who Cares BBQ
Wine Me, Dine Me, Swine Me
Backyard teams:
2 Crackers Cooking
2 Swine Crew
Auburn BBQ/Grill Association
Bama Boys BBQ
BA's Barbecue
BB King's All Star BBQ
Bentley Q
Carlee Cue's BBQ
Countryside BBQ
Dang Good BBQ
Dixie Pigs & Chicks
Dogpatch Q
Etowah Smoke
Fatboy BBQ
Flaps Up BBQ
Flatland Smokin BBQ
Georgia Coastal Que
Groundhog Smokers
Hell On Squeals
Hesshogs4
Hickory Hangover
Holy Smokers
Holy Smokin'!!!
Kaddie Kue BBQ Team
Leela Q
Lem's Meat Varnish
Lenox & Son BBQ Co.
Low N'Slow Locomotives
LWS Smokin Aces
Mad Rocket Barbecue
Magnolia BBQ
No Lookin' Cookin'
Norala BBQ Team
Petty Q
Pops Family Grill
Pork Life
Rammer Jammer BBQ
Redbones
Riblife
Roux BBQ
Scuttlebutts
Semper Chicken & Ribs
Serious Hog
Simply Smoked
Smokestack Lightning
Sneaky Creek BBQ
Steak Princess BBQ
Struttin Smokers
The Real Squeal BBQ
Thin Blue Swine BBQ (RETURNING CHAMPS)
When Pigs Fly
Wright On Que
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel at sheupel@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: 'Poosa Q brings BBQ excellence back to Montgomery this weekend