Every guy you know thinks they can make barbecue. Growing up in the south, most of the men I knew all had their own “secret barbecue sauce” recipe that they kept to themselves as though it were the recipe for Coke. I later found out that MOST of those men were lying to us all. They were basically using bottled sauce and “doctoring it up” with their own spices and flavors (usually mustard or liquid smoke).
But that’s not what I saw today at the 22nd Annual, 100 Black Men of Valdosta Barbecue Competition. These men were throwing down for a trophy and bragging rights for the next year…and many have been competing for years in this same competition. They had to bring their A-Game and the best of their sauces.
And boy did they bring it! I tasted 8 different vendors’ items including Pork Ribs, Pulled Pork, Beef Brisket, Chicken, Alligator, I think even some deer but I’m not sure. Some of the best barbecue I’ve ever put in my mouth. (With apologies to my uncle Jimmy Clements who was a barbecue legend when I was a kid and actually DID make his own sauce.)
I spent a small fortune sampling all those vendors, but the cook-off is a fundraiser for an organization called 100 Black Men of Valdosta and the money goes toward mentoring programs provided by the organization. It’s been done around Valdosta since the 90s. I have friends whom I trust, who tell me that they do good work. So I didn’t mind the expense one bit.
One of the great things about having a “real camera” is almost everyone will talk to you. They would see my camera and start asking questions. Who was I with? What was my website? Could I take their picture?
Adults of all ages, races, shapes and sizes were eating together and talking about the day and the food. For their part the kids would enjoy a bite or two of barbecue and then head straight to the funnel cakes, shaved ice, ice cream, fruits and candies. The weather was almost perfect. All the old men I ran into talked about how cool it was for August in South Georgia. It was only in the low 80s, which no one could remember happening in years, and was a topic of much discussion.
Everyone had an opinion on the barbecue of course, even the kids. Everyone had their favorites, and i have no idea who actually won…because I didn’t see the judging finish, but for my money, Big Nick’s was the top dog. His meat was perfectly cooked, the sauce was off the chain. Close second, and I mean close enough so I would hate to have to live off the difference between them was Mike’s Creations. He threw down but ultimately Nick edged him out for my tastes.
I’m definitely gonna go again next year if it’s at all possible…and hope some of you will as well.
