Last fall, Ariane and I decided to fly to Kansas City, to the American Royal World Series of Barbecue to meet the different teams, companies and partners of this major event. The ROYAL is THE biggest BBQ competition in the world, with more than 500 teams competing for 2 days to leave with the Stanley Cup of BBQ and to be able to sit on the famous throne of the Royal. On Saturday, we find the 100+ best teams in the world. Those who have accumulated points throughout the season and who have ranked at the top of the KCBS league. These teams are invited to compete in the fiercest competition of the circuit, the Royal Invitational . Then, the next day, it's the competition open to all: the Royal Open, where teams from all four corners of the planet compete. Among others, there were Canadians, Japanese, Germans, not to mention the Australians whose BBQ culture is currently evolving as quickly as in Quebec.
Since we were going to the place with the most PRO teams on the planet, I decided to contact a few teams so I could learn from the best. The first team I contacted was Clarks Crew BBQ. They had a great record, good results throughout the season and most importantly, they were a family that worked as a team and seemed to have fun together, BBQing. The King of BBQ: Travis Clark, told me that it wasn't something he usually did, as he was very focused and concentrated during the competition, but that this time he felt it would work well. So I was going to learn directly from the team that was in first position at that moment to be crowned " Team of the Year » KCBS Team of the Year.
Not only during this competition did I learn techniques from the best Pitmaster , I also met people and lived unforgettable moments, I come back with memories that I will remember all my life like the famous fried chicken burgers of Darren and Sherry of Iowa Smokey D's, the hilarious conversations with Sterling Ball, THE famous Big Poppa of Big Poppa Smokers; in addition to meeting Darian of Kosmos Q, a BBQ enthusiast who wants to create quality products and who, in just a few years, increased his sales by more than 10x. All this but also many other cowboys, plumbers, mechanics, lawyers, police officers and dentists who all had the same passion: BBQ.
The products that impressed us the most during the competition are definitely: Kosmos Q and Butcher BBQ products. Products developed and designed especially for the BBQ competition. Among our finds, we find injections for pork, beef, chicken, in powder as well as in ready-to-use bottles, spices with all possible flavor profiles, fruity BBQ sauces, glaze sauces, Rib Glaze and even products to create your own injections, such as phosphate, “magic powder” and powdered honey. Everything to improve your results, in your backyard or in competition!
In addition to a complete collection of flavors, Travis passed on to me his passion for Japanese "Shun" knives, which belong to the Kai group. These knives are not only beautiful, they are handmade with the aim of providing you with durable, well-balanced and very sharp knives. The Shun series is the very high-end series of knives with the best quality-price ratio on the market, with hammered Japanese knives retailing at around $100-200 depending on the model. The Kai series is simply incredible, quality-price ratio, we are talking about knives that retail from $10 to $25 depending on the model and that are just as sharp as the much more expensive models. The difference? The quality of the steel used as well as the finish of the product, but let's say that for a tenth of the price, they are really worth it. Do you need good knives? BBQ Québec is your new sharp destination.
My favorite products:
• Kosmo's Q Peach Habanero Sauce
• Kosmo's Q Cherry Apple Habanero Rib Glaze
• Kosmo's Q Honey Killer Bee Spice
• Kosmo's Q Hot Dirty Bird Spice
• Butcher BBQ Butter Flavored Grilling Oil
• Butcher BBQ Prime Brisket Injection Powder
• Butcher BBQ Bird Booster Honey Injection Powder
• Kosmos Q Pork Open Pit Injection Powder