Windy City BBQ Smokes This Sunday
The second annual Windy City BBQ Classic is set to host more than 30 Pit Masters and up to 3,000 attendees this upcoming Sunday, September 1, in what has become Chicago’s only true barbecue competition. Competitors are required to use only wood or charcoal to cook meat for an accredited judging panel. This year’s daylong competition moves to the South Parking Lot at Soldier Field.
The teams will compete for more than $14,000 in prizes in categories such as Best Ribs, Best Brisket, Best Pork Shoulder and Best Chicken. Teams can use any type and make of smoker as long as they do not use gas or electricity in the cooking process. Each team will present their barbecue anonymously to the judges who will score the meat based on appearance, tenderness and taste. No garnish or sauce will be considered in the judging process. The overall Grand Champion is automatically qualified to compete in the invitation-only Jack Daniel’s World Championship held in Tennessee later this year.
During the competition, attendees will have access to watch, learn and interact with the Pit Masters as they prepare their meat for judging. Then, each guest has the opportunity to become a People’s Choice Judge, sampling and judging barbecue from another set of local and national BBQ restaurants on hand to compete for the People’s Choice Prize. Participating restaurants include local BBQ favorites like Barn & Company, Rubs Backcountry Smokehouse, Smoque, Sweet Baby Ray’s and Uncle Bub’s.
The event runs from 12 p.m. until 9 p.m. Three ticket options are now available online at www.windycitybbqclassic.com. General admission is $49 and includes admission and all-you-can-eat rib samples. VIP status is $79 and includes all the ribs and beer you can enjoy. Premium Status is $99 and includes one-hour early access to the event, premium seating, free Vintage Vine’s Bloody Marys and all-you-can-eat ribs and beer. A portion of the proceeds from the Windy City BBQ Classic will go to Operation BBQ Relief, a not-for-profit corporation founded in response to a need for relief efforts in tornado-stricken Joplin, Missouri.
