When you think about saucy barbecue ribs and smoky beef brisket, Whitefish’s Depot Park may not be the first location that comes to mind. But from Aug. 17 to 19, the city park will be the epicenter of barbecue in the Flathead Valley when it hosts the 2012 Stumptown BBQ Smoke Off.
Sponsored by Piggyback Barbecue, the event will bring teams in from across the Northwest and Canada for a three-day cook off that will help raise money for the North Valley Food Bank. More than 25 groups, cooking pork butt, chicken, ribs and brisket, will compete for $8,000 in prizes in an event sanctioned by the Pacific Northwest BBQ Association.
The popular Whitefish barbecue restaurant hosted its first smoke off in 2010, when the current owners first took over. Piggyback co-owner Reeves Stanwood said the event was a hit but there was just too much going on the following summer for the restaurant to host it. In 2010, more than 3,000 people attended the weekend competition. Stanwood expects the same success this year.
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Photo courtesy of Stumptown BBQ Smoke Off |
“This has the potential to turn into a very big event,” he said.
Originally from Texas, Stanwood said barbecue cuisine is a huge part of culture in the south. That is why he is excited to bring the smoke off back to Whitefish, an area that may not be familiar with traditional barbecue.
The event kicks off on Friday, Aug. 17 with a concert featuring Adam Stroud and Canvas Blue and the Dave Walker Band. At 10 a.m. the following morning the real show begins with a meat inspection by the judges before the teams get to work preparing their best dishes.
During the following 24 hours, teams will turn in five different entrees while local bands entertain the crowd.
Stanwood said events like the smoke off are a great way for cooks to show off their favorite recipe and their craft. And even if it’s the same type of food, different cooks come up with different flavor variations.
“Everyone has a different idea of what barbecue is and it’s cool to see it all come together at an event like this,” Stanwood said. “(Some people) say ‘it’s just barbecue,’ but there is no such thing as just barbecue because everyone has a special wood, a special rub and a special technique.”
Ryan Garnache’s technique is to keep it simple. Originally from the Seattle area but now living in Kalispell, Garnache said cooking for judges he has never met is challenging and it is no time to start trying fancy recipes.
Garnache first began competing in amateur cook offs about eight years ago and his team, Knucklhed BBQ, consists of his father, wife and daughter. For him it’s as much about spending time with his family as it is the food. However, he is serious about his craft and sees events like the smoke off as a way to learn.
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Photo courtesy of Stumptown BBQ Smoke Off |
“Barbecue is a never-ending adventure and quest,” he said. “You can never master it, even if you’ve been doing it for 60 years you can still learn some things.”
Organizers expect it to be one of the largest barbecue events in Montana. Stanwood said the event is already attracting a dedicated group of teams that know how to put out a good plate of barbecue.
“Everyone is impressive and they all put a lot of love and thought into their food,” he said.
For more information about the event, check out stumptownbbqsmokeoff.com.