What It Was Like Competing at Rib King NYC 2022
Sean Keever of Big Guns BBQ competed at Rib King NYC 2022 and wrote this week's guest post. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
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This week’s guest article is written by Hudson Valley-based Sean Keever, the founder of Big Guns BBQ and a self-described meat geek, whiskey snob, raconteur, and reformed competition barbecue cook. Keever has won awards at many of the world’s largest barbecue competitions. Having spent more than fifteen years crossing the nation on the competitive cooking trail, Keever continues to host classes, catering events, and pop-ups. Today, he writes about his experience competing at last weekend’s Rib King NYC 2022. If you would like to write a guest article for NYC BBQ Weekly, please get in touch.
The ribs from Smoke Sweats were a highlight at Rib King NYC 2022. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
The fourth annual Rib King NYC 2022 unofficially kicked off the summer this past weekend at Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island. There, pitmasters from around the metropolitan area showed off the best ribs they have and competed for the title of Rib King NYC, including myself.
Organized and put together by Jimmy Carbone, a widely known NYC restauranteur and the force behind Food Karma Projects events such as Brisket King and Pig Island, this all-you-can-eat picnic on Sung Harbor’s beautiful open meadow is a can’t miss event for any BBQ lover.
Darlene Lawrence of Sands Jerk Hut won the Brought the Sauce Award at Rib King NYC. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
Having competed in I don’t know how many Kansas City Barbecue Society contests over the past 15 plus years, this was my first time competing at Rib King, and I have to tell you, it will not be the last. Rib King reminds me of the reason many of us got into competitive cooking, not just to compete and win but to bring smiles to people's faces as they taste our food.
Rib King NYC 2022 was hosted at Snug Harbor on Staten Island and briefly had to deal with a rain shower. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
The mood was much more jovial and loose than is typical of a modern Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contest, with most teams laughing and having fun throughout the day. Not even a mid-day shower could dampen the spirits of the competitors and attendees, and I think this is directly attributable to the ever-smiling presence of Jimmy Carbone. The contest's camaraderie, atmosphere, and general feel reminded me of the early Grill Kings contests held in Brooklyn in the early 2000s when only a relative few of us were competing, and BBQ was just a blip on the screen here in NYC.
The ribs from Blue Smoke NYC won third place overall at Rib King NYC. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
With perennial favorite and former Rib King champ (Staten Island’s own Richie Holmes of Jucy Lucy BBQ) not returning, the competition looked to be wide open and included well-known names and regulars such as Chef Jesse Jones, Tank Jackson, and Blue Smoke’s Bret Lunsford. There were also some great newcomers that people may not have been familiar with like my team, Anthony Scerri of Smoke Sweats, Darlene Lawrence of Sands Jerk Hut, and Zabb PuTawn from Manhattan.
The top three winners at Rib King NYC were SmoKing of Meats (center), Bark Barbecue (left), and Blue Smoke (right). (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
In the end, Joe Musngi and his SmoKing of Meats operation (fresh off his 2022 Brisket King NYC win) came out on top with his St Louis Candied Ribs. Bark Barbecue came in second, and Blue Smoke came in third. Awards were also presented for Most Innovative for Zabb PuTawn for their lemongrass Filipino rib, and Sands Jerk Hut took away the award for Brought The Sauce for their excellent maple jerk sauce that added unique flavors to the ribs.
The winning rib from SmoKing of Meats. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
My team’s hopes of winning were dashed because we cooked our ribs to be a little more tender than normal to make our riff on a McRib sandwich. However, the bread we planned to use to make our rib sandwich never showed up, so we only could serve our ribs straight up. We did end up walking away with the “Smokey Robinson Award” for “most profound penetration of smoke,” an award I am sure was coined by my friend, judge, and English wordsmith Nick Solares.
Sean Keever of Big Guns BBQ served up great ribs at Rib King NYC 2022. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
Thanks to everyone involved with Rib King NYC. We had a blast. And we’ll see you next year when we bring our own bread!
Sean Keever
Founder, Big Guns BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT (NEWS)
Red White & Que Smokehouse, one of the best in NJ, officially opened its new Green Brook location this past weekend.
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
Red White and Que Smokehouse, one of the best New Jersey BBQ joints, recently moved its operations from Kearny to Green Brook. The new Green Brook location, which is much larger than its former home, officially opened its doors this past weekend with a soft open. The new location has been selling out each day, so clearly, people in and around Green Brook are excited about it. READ MORE.
Inflation and supply chain issues have continued to impact meat prices, with a recent New York Post story outlining how high prices have risen today. “The price of steaks, a Memorial Day favorite, was up 11.8% through April compared to the same month last year,” the story notes. “Uncooked ground beef rose 14.8%, while hot dogs were about 7% more expensive. Fans of chicken wings are also in for sticker shock at the grocery store, with prices of fresh and frozen chicken parts up 17.9%.” READ MORE.
Jimmy G at 92.7 WOBM argues in an article that he believes “Point Pleasant Beach is the BBQ capital of New Jersey.” He points to the presence of three top-notch joints all being close by to each other – Shore Points BBQ, Offshore BBQ, and Jersey Shore BBQ.” READ MORE.
Pig Beach NYC co-founders Matt Abdoo and Shane McBride, as part of a PR blitz surrounding their great new cookbook, have shared some of their favorite recipes. They outlined their recipes for juicy pork shoulder and collard greens.
IRL BBQ EVENTS
The Brisket Bash featuring Kimchi Smoke will be held at Hill Country Barbecue on Thursday.
Here are the top BBQ and related food events coming soon to the New York metro area:
June 9, 2022: If you love brisket (let’s get real, you probably do if you’re reading this), then you won’t want to miss the Brisket Bash with Hill Country Barbecue in NYC and Kimchi Smoke in NJ. Kimchi Smoke founder Robert Cho will join Hill Country executive chef Ash Fulk in a discussion about brisket, barbecue, and everything in between moderated by Nick Solares while guests enjoy a tasting of their smoked brisket and pickles. BUY TICKETS HERE.
June 11-12, 2022: The annual Sun BBQ Fest at Mohegan Sun casino in CT celebrates the best in barbecue with lots of food, cold beer, hand-crafted cocktails, and live music. The event invites guests to enjoy full plate vending from acclaimed BBQ teams, sample small bites in our “People’s Choice Competition”, or participate in the annual wing and rib competition. MORE INFO HERE.
June 12, 2022: Fink's Second BBQ Grand Bus Tour will take participants on a bus ride to four North Jersey spots to eat smoked meats and drink cold beer to their hearts' content. Hosted by David Finkelstein, owner and pitmaster of Fink's BBQ Smokehouse and Fink's BBQ and Cheesesteak Roadhouse, the event will be a ride of a lifetime. BUY TICKETS HERE.
June 24-26, 2022: The Rock, Ribs & Ridges Festival is back in 2022. Held at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in NJ, this event will feature lots of stands serving up ribs, alongside rock and roll acts from the past several decades. BUY TICKETS HERE.
September 10, 2022: Pig Island NYC will celebrate its 13th year on September 10, 2022, at Snug Harbor on Staten Island. Join in for all-inclusive food and drink, from all-star pitmasters and chefs who will be serving up delicious porky goodness, as well as local breweries, distilleries, and cideries. Top chefs will compete for the best dishes and event-goers reap the benefits. Expect a ton of amazing eats and a great place to picnic with friends and family for the day. BUY TICKETS HERE.
Please get in touch if you would like your food event listed here!
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