BBQ Bash Winner Ready to Compete Again

One barbecue team competing in the 7th annual St. Louis Home Fires BBQ Bash claims "Porkin' Ain't Easy." They've even adopted that as a team name.

However the Wildwood-based barbecue team made barbecuing ribs look easy when they took first place in the category in last year's Bash cookoff.

Although this team will be competing only and not be selling to the public, they do plan to feed a whole family of Junior Varsity soccer team members at the Bash, said Chip Caraway, a Wildwood resident.

"This is THE contest we look forward to each year, with several hundred friends planning to come," he said, who also shared they had competed in the Bash since the fourth annual event.

The Porkin' Ain't Easy team prepared the meal on Friday to feed the police, National Guard and firefighters who were protecting the Bash grounds.

Caraway said barbecue competitions are a fun hobby, and good reason to pull together friends. In fact, the team's pitmaster and team captain, Michael Curry, flew in from California Thursday evening to join the others. Caraway said Curry has been competing in barbecue contests for nearly 25 years, and that Curry declares the St. Louis BBQ Bash is one of the best organized and well run events in which to be.

He said the team participates in a handful of barbecue competitions each year. "The BBQ Bash in generally ends our season."

"Some people have muscle cars in the garage. We like to eat," said Caraway.