Courtney King already had plans for a barbecue rib dinner with family Sunday night until she agreed to be a judge for a barbecue cook off.
King and four other judges slaved over sample after sample, bite after bite of barbecue chicken, ribs, pork and brisket. All told the judges sampled 64 different entries of protein prepared over the weekend to decide who would take home the grand champion at the annual Will Lane Alabama Elks Association Stoke and Smoke Cook Off Saturday and Sunday.
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“x H@?’E 36 62E:?8 5:??6C E@?:89E[” z:?8 ;@<:?8=J D2:5 27E6C D2>A=:?8 96C ?:?E9 C:3] “x 8F6DD x H:== D2G6 E9@D6 C:3D 7@C =F?49 E@>@CC@H]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%62>D 7C@> `e t=<D’ =@586D 24C@DD E96 DE2E6 H6C6 4@>A6E:?8 2>@?8DE E96>D6=G6D E@ D66 H9@ H@F=5 E2<6 9@>6 EC@A9:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 2 A:88J 32?< E@A EC@A9J 7@C E96 8C2?5 492>A:@?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96 a?5 w2?5 $>@<6 E62> 7C@> E96 s642EFC =@586 H2D E96 5676?5:?8 8C2?5 492>A:@? 2?5 AFCA@D6=J D6=64E65 2 D:E6 :? E96 D9256 2E E96 t=<D {@586 :? p=6I2?56C r:EJ]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“xE’D 9@E @FE 96C6[” #]y] |4z66 D2:5] “{F4<:=J[ H6 8@E 2 D:E6 :? E96 D9256 E@ D6E FA]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmp3@FE 2? 9@FC 367@C6 EFC? :? 7@C E96 49:4<6?[ |4z66’D E62>>2E6D H6C6 AF==:?8 324@? 7C@> 5CF>DE:4<D 7@C 9:D EC256>2C< 42?5:65 =@==:A@AD]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“(6 AF== :E @77 2?5 AFE D@>6 >@C6 CF3 @? E96>[” |4z66 D2:5] “xE :D D@ H6 42? 86E E96> E@ 4@=@C FA 2 =:EE=6 2?5 D@ :E :D 2 =:EE=6 62D:6C 7@C E96 ;F586D E@ 3:E6]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96 677@CE 8@E E96 a?5 w2?5 $>@<6 E62> D64@?5 A=246 :? E96 49:4<6? 42E68@CJ]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmp4C@DD E96 A2C<:?8 =@E[ qC25 p2C@? @7 E96 #@63F4< {@586 :? q:C>:?892> H2D 8:G:?8 9:D H:76 r2C=J 2== E96 4C65:E 2D D96 D<:==7F==J 2AA=:65 D2F46 E@ E96:C 49:4<6? 6?ECJ]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“$96 :D 2 H@>2?’D H@>2?[” qC25 D2:5 ;@<:?8=J] “$96 42? 4@@< H6==]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96:C 49:4<6? E@@< E9:C5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmpD a?5 w2?5 $>@<6 2?5 E96 p2C@?D H6C6 AFEE:?8 E96 7:?:D9:?8 E@F496D @? E96:C 49:4<6?[ @E96C E62>D H6C6 DE:== DECF88=:?8 92G:?8 49:4<6? ?@E J6E 5@?6 2?5 >@G:?8 :E 4=@D6C E@ E96 962E E@ 86E E@ E96 >2C< @? E96 E96C>@>6E6C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm(:E9 49:4<6? 3@I6D 5@?6[ E96C6 H2D DE:== ?@ E:>6 E@ C6DE 2D 6?EC:6D 7@C C:3D[ A@C< 2?5 3C:D<6E 925 E@ 36 4@>A=6E65[ 3FE |4z66 H2D 29625 @7 E96 82>6 2=C625J]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“~FC q@DE@? 3FEE 2?5 3C:D<6E :D 2=C625J 5@?6[” 96 D2:5 2D 96 A@:?E65 E@ 2 4@@=6C] “%96J 2C6 C6DE:?8 H2:E:?8 7@C FD E@ 86E E96> C625J]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmpD E96 4@@<:?8 E62>D H6C6 7:?:D9:?8[ E9:?8D H6C6 ;FDE 86EE:?8 8@:?8 7@C E96 ;F586D] {:EE=6 4@F=5 36 962C5 7C@> E96 ;F586D] ~?6 >:89E E9:?< :E H2D 2== >:89EJ 8@@5 3FE E96J 925 2 CF=6 E@@ ;FDE =:<6 E96 4@@<:?8 E62>D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“s@?’E E2=< 23@FE E96 6?EC:6D @FE =@F5[” p>J {2?6 D2:5] “*@F 5@?’E H2?E E@ :?7=F6?46 E96 @E96C ;F586D] %92E 8@6D 7@C D92<:?8 J@FC 9625 2?5 >2<:?8 D@F?5D E@@]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm{2?6 92D 366? CF??:?8 E96 4@@< @77 7@C D6G6C2= J62CD D:?46 E96 A2DD:?8 @7 96C 9FD32?5 (:== {2?6 H9@ DE2CE65 E96 4@@< @77 :? a__g]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmp?5 E@ >2<6 E9:?8D 72:C 7@C 2== :?G@=G65[ 6?EC:6D H6C6 2DD:8?65 2 ?F>36C 2?5 @?=J @?6 A6CD@? <?6H H92E E62> H2D 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 2 ?F>36C] $@ ;F586D 5:5?’E <?@H :7 E96 D2>A=6 @? E96:C A=2E6 H2D 7C@> E96 E62> 7C@> q6DD6>6C[ |2CD92== r@F?EJ[ r9:=56CD3FC8[ p??:DE@? @C s@E92?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmp== E92E 4@F?E65 H2D E96 AC@E6:? 2?5 9@H :E H2D AC6A2C65[ ?@ 82C?:D9>6?ED]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmyF586D D4@C65 E96 >62ED @? 2AA62C2?46] w@H :E H2D 4FE[ AF==65[ EF8865 2?5 A=2465 :? 2 H9:E6 $EJC@7@2> 3@I] %96? 6249 ;F586 E@@< 2 D2>A=6 ;F58:?8 @? E6IEFC6 2?5 E2DE6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm(:E9 6249 A2DD:?8 3:E6[ E96 =@@< @7 6I92FDE:@? H2D 2AA62C:?8 @? E96 ;F586D 7246D[ 3FE :E H2D ?@E E96 D2>6 6I92FDE:@? 2D E96 4@@<D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“(6 8@E 23@FE 7@FC 9@FCD D=66A[” |4z66 D2:5 @7 E96 @G6C?:89E 4@@<] “%92E H@F=5 36 7@C @FC 6?E:C6 E62>] (6 >2J36 8@E 2? 9@FC 6249 :? E96 492:C E96C6]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm(96? :E H2D 2== D2:5 2?5 5@?6[ %FD42=@@D2 H2D 8:G6? E96 49:4<6? E:E=6] s@E92? E@@< D64@?5 :? C:3D H9:=6 p??:DE@? E@@< 7:CDE] %96 p=6I2?56C r:EJ =@586 E@@< E9:C5 :? A@C< 2?5 q=2K:?8 qFEED 7C@> s@E92? E@@< D64@?5] %96 pF3FC? ~A6=:<2 =@586 E@@< E9:C5 :? 3C:D<6E[ a?5 w2?5 $>@<6 E@@< D64@?5 2?5 7:CDE H6?E E@ p??:DE@?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmp??:DE@? E@@< E9:C5 :? E96 8C2?5 492>A:@? H9:=6 s@E92? E@@< D64@?5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qma?5 w2?5 $>@<6 5676?565 :ED 8C2?5 492>A:@? E:E=6 7C@> 2 J62C 28@ 2?5 2== E62>D A=65865 E96:C H:??:?8D E@ r2>A p$rrp[ E92E H2D :? 255:E:@? E@ 6?ECJ 766D 2=C625J A2:5 E@ 36?67:E E96 42>A]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96 s642EFC =@586[ 9@>6 @7 a?5 w2?5 $>@<6[ H:== 9@DE E96 4@@< @77 282:? 2 J62C 7C@> ?@H]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmqFE :E H2D E96 AC@E6:? ?@E ;F5865 |4z66 :D >@DE AC@F5 @7k^DA2?m kDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm—k^DA2?m kDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm3@=@8?2] |2J36 :E :D E96 D@4:2= 9@FC E92E 8@6D H:E9 E96 ?6H AC@E6:? a?5 w2?5 $>@<6 =:<6D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“%92E :D p=232>2 DE:4< 2D H6 =:<6 E@ 42== :E[” |4z66 D2:5] “(6 5:5 @?6 ;FDE E@ 92G6 @?6 E:>6] tG6CJ@?6 D66>65 E@ =:<6 :E] $@ H6 92G6 5@?6 @?6 6G6CJ 4@@< D:?46 2?5 6G6CJ@?6 4@>6D 2C@F?5 E@ D2>A=6 :E]”k^DA2?mk^Am
