Sterling Smith of Arizona-based Loot N’Booty has been involved in high-level competition BBQ for more than a decade, also teaching and traveling the world spreading the good word of ‘Q. Now he’s sharing his knowledge in written form. On Episode 136 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show Podcast, Sterling tells us about his new book, out this week: “The Complete Barbecue Cookbook: Expert Advice and Foolproof Recipes for BBQ Perfection.” Also joining us for some steak talk is Brent Howard. The school superintendent from Mountain View, Arkansas, discusses the challenges of leading a school district during times of Covid-19 and how steak cooking has been a great outlet for him on weekends. Brent also is one of the few SCA cooks using a pellet cooker and we discuss that. The co-hosts talk about their recent cooking adventures, including Lyndal’s weekend leading the Tailgate Guys cooking team into its final competition of the year at Smokin’ in Sugar Creek in Kansas City. The narrative: We aren’t world beaters, but we’re getting better! Thanks to our great sponsor/marketing partners who make our show possible: Blues Hog BBQ Sauce, Royal Oak Charcoal, The Butcher Shoppe, Iowa BBQ Store, Affordable Financial Services, Arkassippi Smoke Live and The Arkassippi Combo, Vietti Marketing, In the Garden of Eden, Pro Technology Solutions, Gray Wolf Smokers and The BBQ League. Have a great BBQ Week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast

Tailgate Guys BBQ Show, Episode 136: Sterling Smith, Brent Howard

It’s been one of the greatest competition BBQ seasons anyone’s ever compiled, with double-digit Grand Championships and a third KCBS Team of the Year honor nearing the finish line. But Brad Leighninger’s latest title - Grand Champion of The Jack Daniels World BBQ Invitational - might have been the biggest accomplishment of his career so far. On Episode 135 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show Podcast we visit with Brad about Gettin’ Basted’s triumph in Lynchburg, Tennessee, what it meant to the Missourian, how friendly rival Joe Pearce pushes him to excel and how he keeps the competitive fires burning hot. We also visit with Randy Vanslyke of High I Que BBQ after his 9th-place Brisket call in his first appearance at The Jack. Randy also is a new sponsor of the show with his Pro Technology Solutions, a Kansas City-area company that specializes in installation of smart technology, including visual and audio systems in homes and businesses. Meanwhile, Lyndal previews the Tailgate Guys’ final KCBS competition of the season - Smokin’ in Sugar Creek - and Steve discusses his backyard cooking adventures over the past week. Thanks to our other sponsor/marketing partners who make our show possible: Blues Hog BBQ Sauce, Royal Oak Charcoal, The Butcher Shoppe, Iowa BBQ Store, Affordable Income Tax & Payroll, Arkassippi Smoke Live and The Arkassippi Combo, Vietti Marketing, In the Garden of Eden, Pro Technology Solutions, Gray Wolf Smokers and The BBQ League. Have a great BBQ Week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Tailgate Guys BBQ Show, Episode 135: Brad Leighninger, Randy Vanslyke

It’s Episode 134 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show Podcast and we visit with reigning Jack Daniels World Invitational BBQ champion Travis Clark. It's a wide-ranging conversation about The Jack, his Clark Crew BBQ restaurant, the state of competition BBQ, judging, meat quality and more. Travis is never afraid to speak his mind, which as a show host or listener is rewarding. We also talk turkey with Beth Breeding, vice-president for communications and marketing for the National Turkey Federation. The addition of a Turkey Smoke championship chase has been a positive move for KCBS and Beth said the organizations are fired up to do it again, in bigger fashion, in 2022. Make sure to check out TurkeySmoke.org for some great recipe ideas, plus more competition info. Meanwhile, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve talk about their cooking week, which included a leap into the deep waters of Steak Cookoff Association competition. They also talk MLB playoffs, which is truly one of the great times on the sports calendar. We want to thank a new sponsor this week, our friend Randy VanSlyke of High I Que BBQ. Randy owns and operates Home Technology Solutions in Gardner, Kansas. Pro Technology Solutions offers Gardner and the Kansas City area services such as audio/visual installation - so if you need someone to install those big-screen TVs and sound systems or provide various other home automation expertise, give Randy a call at (913) 927-1185 Thanks to our other sponsor/marketing partners who make our show possible: Blues Hog BBQ Sauce, Royal Oak Charcoal, The Butcher Shoppe, Iowa BBQ Store, Affordable Income Tax & Payroll, Arkassippi Smoke Live and The Arkassippi Combo, Vietti Marketing, In the Garden of Eden, Gray Wolf Smokers and The BBQ League. Special thanks to Marty “Sign Man” Prather and Domino’s Pizza, an “Official American Royal World Series of BBQ” sponsor of our team. Have a great BBQ Week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Tailgate Guys BBQ Show, Episode 134: Travis Clark, Beth Breeding

Our American Royal World Series of Barbecue champions tour continues on Episode 133 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show Podcast as we’re joined by Grand Champion of The Open, Travis Duffy of Last Call Heroes out of Pierre, S.D. Travis tells us about his biggest career win and how he got it done at Kansas Speedway. Nick Davis of Oklahoma’s Double Barrel BBQ also joins us to preview a contest he’s hosting this weekend, aimed at backyard cooks in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Kevin Hesse from Kansas City’s Weekend Bum BBQ also joins Nick to discuss a tell-all class aimed at competition newcomers, set for Nov. 6 at American Fire BBQ. It’s also a chance to ask Kevin about his first-place Pork at the American Royal Open. Meanwhile, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve discuss the great cooking weather that October offers and blast through a sports 2-minute drill with a focus on the red-hot baseball Cardinals. Thanks to our sponsor/marketing partners who make our show possible: Blues Hog BBQ Sauce, Royal Oak Charcoal, The Butcher Shoppe, Iowa BBQ Store, Affordable Income Tax & Payroll, Arkassippi Smoke Live and The Arkassippi Combo, Vietti Marketing, In the Garden of Eden and The BBQ League. Special thanks to Marty “Sign Man” Prather and Domino’s Pizza, an “Official American Royal World Series of BBQ” sponsor of our team. Have a great BBQ Week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Tailgate Guys BBQ Show, Episode 133: Travis Duffy, Nick Davis, Kevin Hesse

On Episode 132 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show Podcast, we visit with an American Royal World Series of BBQ Grand Champion - and even get to brag on ourselves a bit! We also tell you how you can apply to be a contestant on a popular televised BBQ program. The lowdown: Bill Heyen took a break from fall harvest in the fertile farm fields of west-central Illinois and captained Triple H BBQ to a world championship in the American Royal Invitational over the weekend. Bill recaps how it went down at Kansas Speedway. The 41st American Royal was an unforgettable experience for the Tailgate Guys BBQ cooking team, which made its first dive into the deep end of the BBQ water in the 467-team Open. Lyndal Scranton recaps the thrill of a 12th-place Chicken call and what it means to a podcast co-host to experience competition success on a huge stage. Stephanie Lewis is casting producer for the American Barbecue Showdown’s Season 2, which returns to Netflix in 2022. Stephanie tells us how aspiring pitmasters can apply to be a part of the lineup, as applications at bbqshow.castingcrane.com are open now. Co-hosts Steve Koehler and Lyndal also talk backyard cooking as autumn arrives along with a sports two-minute drill. Thanks to our sponsor/marketing partners who make our show possible: Blues Hog BBQ Sauce, Royal Oak Charcoal, The Butcher Shoppe, Iowa BBQ Store, Affordable Income Tax & Payroll, DDR Fabrication, Arkassippi Smoke Live and The Arkassippi Combo, Vietti Marketing, In the Garden of Eden and The BBQ League. Special thanks to Marty “Sign Man” Prather and Domino’s Pizza, an “Official American Royal World Series of BBQ” sponsor of our team. Have a great BBQ Week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Tailgate Guys BBQ Show, Episode 132: Bill Heyen, Stephanie Lewis

The world’s largest BBQ competition is about to fire up. It’s American Royal World Series of BBQ week as nearly 500 teams converge on Kansas Speedway to fill the air with delicious smoke and light their pits feeling unbridled optimism. To preview the event, we visit with six first-time competitors about their hopes, expectations and to learn a bit about their BBQ journeys. Our first roundtable brings together Wes Garrett of Piglitically Incorrect BBQ out of Brandon, Mississippi; David Lillis of Kansas City’s Barking Dog BBQ and Brian Anglin of Who Dat BBQ out of Vermillion, South Dakota. We then bring in Chad Peterson from Mad Chad’s BBQ from Sioux City, Iowa; Jim Self of Papa Jim’s BBQ of Worden, Illinois; and the husband-wife team of Mike and Nichole Mulkey of Mulkey’s BBQ from St. Louis. Meanwhile, co-host Lyndal talks about the Tailgate Guys BBQ team’s prep for its first Royal and Steve discusses his cooking week in the backyard, where the judges always give winning scores. Thanks to our sponsor/marketing partners who make our show possible: Blues Hog BBQ Sauce, Royal Oak Charcoal, The Butcher Shoppe, Iowa BBQ Store, Affordable Income Tax & Payroll, DDR Fabrication, Arkassippi Smoke Live and The Arkassippi Combo, Vietti Marketing, In the Garden of Eden and The BBQ League. Special thanks to Marty “Sign Man” Prather and Domino’s Pizza, an “Official American Royal World Series of BBQ” sponsor of our team. Have a great BBQ Week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Tailgate Guys BBQ Show, Episode 131: American Royal 1st-time competitors

The American Royal World Series of BBQ is just one week away and we have a preview on Episode 130 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show Podcast. Kicking things off is the reigning Royal Open Grand Champions, Fred Robles of Rio Valley Meats. Fred tells us what winning the major meant to him and how things are going in the inaugural year of the Texas-based Champions Barbecue Alliance he helped create. We also talk it over with Emily Park, event manager of The Royal about last-minute preparations and what the public can expect at Kansas Speedway, Sept. 16-19. There’s also a Steak Cookoffs Association comp on Thursday night on site and SCA rep Jim Altic gives us the details. Co-hosts Lyndal and Steve also review their big holiday weekend of cooking and talk a bit of professional and college football. It’s a fun time of the year for sports and BBQ! Thanks to our sponsor/marketing partners who make our show possible: Blues Hog BBQ Sauce, Royal Oak Charcoal, The Butcher Shoppe, Iowa BBQ Store, Affordable Income Tax & Payroll, DDR Fabrication, Arkassippi Smoke Live and The Arkassippi Combo, Vietti Marketing, In the Garden of Eden and The BBQ League. Special thanks to Marty “Sign Man” Prather and Domino’s Pizza, an “Official American Royal World Series of BBQ” sponsor of our team. Have a great BBQ Week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Tailgate Guys BBQ Show, Episode 130: Fred Robles, Emily Park, Jim Altic

On Episode 129 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show Podcast we have a terrific conversation with David Page, author of the new book “Food Americana.” David was a long-time television news producer, covering some huge international stories over the years including the fall of the Berlin Wall. Later, he created the ground-breaking television program “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” and now takes us inside the love of food - including BBQ - throughout the USA. We also take a trip to southeast Missouri to visit with Travis Bickings, pitmaster of the competition team Shot in the Dark BBQ. Travis tells us about getting into competition BBQ after a 20-year career in the Marines and how his team has taken its game to a new level in 2021 with its first Grand Championship. Co-hosts Lyndal and Steve preview the big Labor Day Weekend, always a prime time to fire up grills and smokers. They even mix a little college football talk in. Thanks to our sponsor/marketing partners who make our show possible: Blues Hog BBQ Sauce, Royal Oak Charcoal, The Butcher Shoppe, Iowa BBQ Store, Affordable Income Tax & Payroll, DDR Fabrication, Arkassippi Smoke Live and The Arkassippi Combo, Vietti Marketing, In the Garden of Eden and The BBQ League. Special thanks to Marty “Sign Man” Prather and Domino’s Pizza, an “Official American Royal World Series of BBQ” sponsor of our team. Have a great BBQ Week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Tailgate Guys BBQ Show, Episode 129: David Page, Travis Bickings

He’s a nuclear engineer and, now, a Kansas City Barbeque Society Grand Champion pitmaster. On Episode 128 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show Podcast, we take a trip to Hartsville, S.C., to tell the BBQ story of Phillip Mason of Fallout BBQ after his team’s first GC, last weekend in Myrtle Beach. We also drop into northwest Arkansas for a Sponsor Spotlight segment, checking in with Brian Gunterman of DDR Fabrication. Not only does Brian make some spectacular steel signs and custom grilling accessories for BBQ teams, he’s launched a new line of BBQ rubs while preparing to cook The American Royal Open for the first time. Lyndal also reviews the Tailgate Guys BBQ team’s results at last weekend’s Smoke on the Harbor in Warsaw, Missouri. Co-host Steve discusses some indoor cooking ideas during a scorching hot week in mid-America before he gets back out on the deck this weekend. Thanks to our sponsor/marketing partners who make our show possible: Blues Hog BBQ Sauce, Royal Oak Charcoal, The Butcher Shoppe, Iowa BBQ Store, Affordable Income Tax & Payroll, DDR Fabrication, Arkassippi Smoke Live and The Arkassippi Combo, Vietti Marketing, In the Garden of Eden and The BBQ League. Special thanks to Marty “Sign Man” Prather and Domino’s Pizza, an “Official American Royal World Series of BBQ” sponsor of our team. Have a great BBQ Week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Tailgate Guys BBQ Show, Episode 128: Phillip Mason, Brian Gunterman

It’s been far too long since we visited with Kansas City Barbeque Society CEO Emily Detwiler. We correct that on Episode 127 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show Podcast, with Emily giving us her thoughts on the first two years into her run as CEO of the world’s largest BBQ organization. She discusses what it’s been like dealing with a pandemic, plans for continuing education for judges and the new competition pork rule for 2022, which does away with a minimum starting weight. This week’s other guest has a desire to help newcomers to competition BBQ and is doing so by starting a new contest this fall, for backyard cooks. Nick Davis of Oklahoma’s Double Barrel BBQ tells us why it’s important for him to grow the sport while also raising funds for a worthy cause that is personal to him. Co-hosts Lyndal and Steve talk about their latest cooking adventures and weigh in on The Field of Dreams baseball game in rural Iowa. Home run or foul ball? They discuss. Thanks to our sponsor/marketing partners who make our show possible: Blues Hog BBQ Sauce, Royal Oak Charcoal, The Butcher Shoppe, Iowa BBQ Store, Affordable Income Tax & Payroll, DDR Fabrication, Arkassippi Smoke Live and The Arkassippi Combo, Vietti Marketing, In the Garden of Eden and The BBQ League. Special thanks to Marty “Sign Man” Prather and Domino’s Pizza, an “Official American Royal World Series of BBQ” sponsor of our team. Have a great BBQ Week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Tailgate Guys BBQ Show, Episode 127: Emily Detwiler, Nick Davis

We hope everyone is having a great BBQ week and is ready for terrific BBQ conversation on Episode 126 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show Podcast. Lee Hickel could be the poster subject for that old Willie Nelson song “On the Road Again.” From his home base near Corpus Christi, Texas, the pitmaster of Red Mule’s Bad Ass BBQ is piling up the miles as he travels the KCBS circuit for the first time. A former IBCA Team of the Year, Hickel tells us his journey from a gas-griller just a few years ago to one of America’s best competition cooks. Winning a Grand Championship is a goal for all who fire it up on the competition circuit. Matt Bohannon of Parts ‘R’ Smokin’ BBQ out of Harrisonville, Missouri, realized that dream last weekend and we learn his cooking story and what the GC at the Laurie Hillbilly BBQ meant. Cooking with his dad, Matt was dominant with a KCBS winning score of over 706. Co-hosts Lyndal and Steve discuss their cooking weeks and Lyndal gives his impressions of judging a KCBS contest for the first time. Thanks to our sponsor/marketing partners who make our show possible: Blues Hog BBQ Sauce, Royal Oak Charcoal, The Butcher Shoppe, Iowa BBQ Store, Affordable Income Tax & Payroll, DDR Fabrication, Arkassippi Smoke Live and The Arkassippi Combo, Vietti Marketing, In the Garden of Eden and The BBQ League. Special thanks to Marty “Sign Man” Prather and Domino’s Pizza, an “Official American Royal World Series of BBQ” sponsor of our team. Have a great BBQ Week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Tailgate Guys BBQ Show, Episode 126: Lee Hickel, Matt Bohannon

When Carey Bringle lost a leg to cancer at 17, the Tennessee native didn’t let it slow him down. Instead, Bringle turned his situation and BBQ knowledge into marketing genius. For a quarter-century, he’s been serving up and competing in BBQ as “Peg Leg Porker.” On Episode 125 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show, we visit with Carey about his BBQ roots, his Nashville restaurants and get some timely tailgating tips as football season nears. We also go “Under the Radar” with another up-and-coming competition BBQ team, this time taking a trip to central Ohio to visit with Chris Pannell and Heath Bletzacker of Ale Yeah BBQ. The duo recently won their first KCBS Grand Championship and we find out more about their journey from childhood friends to KCBS professional champs. Meanwhile, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve discuss backyard cooking experiences from the past week and give a review of the latest episode of Food Network’s BBQ Brawl. Thanks to our sponsor/marketing partners who make our show possible: Blues Hog BBQ Sauce, Royal Oak Charcoal, The Butcher Shoppe, Iowa BBQ Store, Affordable Income Tax & Payroll, DDR Fabrication, Arkassippi Smoke Live and The Arkassippi Combo, Vietti Marketing, In the Garden of Eden and The BBQ League. Special thanks to Marty “Sign Man” Prather and Domino’s Pizza, an “Official American Royal World Series of BBQ” sponsor of our team. Have a great BBQ Week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Tailgate Guys BBQ Show, Episode 125: Carey Bringle; Ale Yeah BBQ

There’s a new No. 1 team in the KCBS Team of the Year standings this week and we talk it over with Joe Pearce of Slaps BBQ on Episode 124 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show Podcast. Joe discusses the grind of cooking doubleheaders, the chase for Team of the Year and what he looks for in the details after receiving his scoresheets. We also touch on the BBQ restaurant business (Joe and brother Mike’s SLAPS is arguably Kansas City’s best) and what Joe likes to cook at home. The effort to give exposure to up-and-coming teams continues in our “Under the Radar” segment. We go to South Dakota to learn more about BNB BBQ where Brooks Alexander and B.J. Hughes are knocking on that Grand Championship door. When that GC happens, the couple say they’ll take the leap from engaged to married. Meanwhile, Lyndal and Steve recap their cooking weeks, included the Tailgate Guys BBQ team’s leap into a tough field (including Joe and Slaps) at the double KCBS cook in Osceola, Missouri. The highlight: A first-day call in Brisket and a notable Day 2 improvement in chicken. Thanks to our sponsor/marketing partners who make our show possible: Blues Hog BBQ Sauce, Royal Oak Charcoal, The Butcher Shoppe, Iowa BBQ Store, Affordable Income Tax & Payroll, DDR Fabrication, Arkassippi Smoke Live and The Arkassippi Combo, Vietti Marketing, In the Garden of Eden and The BBQ League. Special thanks to Marty “Sign Man” Prather and Domino’s Pizza, an “Official American Royal World Series of BBQ” sponsor of our team. Have a great BBQ Week!

Tailgate Guys BBQ Show, Episode 124: Joe Pearce; BnB BBQ

Harry Soo calls himself an “accidental pitmaster,” a self-proclaimed IT nerd who cooked his first BBQ contest only at the urging of co-workers. What a ride it’s been, as Harry went on to become a competition BBQ champion and a hero to many pitmasters - amateur and pro - with his vast knowledge via a large Youtube following. It was tremendous to welcome Harry for an extended conversation on Episode 123 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show Podcast. Not only did we discuss BBQ techniques, but Harry tells us about some of his incredible adventures, including cooking a Musk Ox Steak under the Northern Lights of Alaska. For Harry, BBQ is not about the trophies, it’s about the experiences and memories - and helping others improve their BBQ game. Ever heard of Brisket Sushi? Harry tells us about his newest creation. Co-hosts Steve and Lyndal also discuss their BBQ week, highlighted by Steve’s beef ribs cook. Meanwhile, Lyndal previews the Tailgate Guys’ dive into a KCBS doubleheader this weekend in Osceola, Missouri. Thanks to our sponsor/marketing partners who make our show possible: Blues Hog BBQ Sauce, Royal Oak Charcoal, The Butcher Shoppe, Iowa BBQ Store, Affordable Income Tax & Payroll, DDR Fabrication, Arkassippi Smoke Live and The Arkassippi Combo, Vietti Marketing, In the Garden of Eden and The BBQ League. Special thanks to Marty “Sign Man” Prather and Domino’s Pizza, an “Official American Royal World Series of BBQ” sponsor of our team. Have a great BBQ Week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Tailgate Guys BBQ Show, Episode 123: Harry Soo

On Episode 122 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show Podcast, we catch up with our friend Craig Verhage marketing director for Royal Oak Charcoal to find out about the new Royal Oak charcoal pellets. Craig also put his BBQ “uniform” on last weekend as “The BBQ Ninja” at the Windy City Smokeout in Chicago and he gives us a recap of a festive weekend. As the baseball season has reached the All-Star break, it’s a perfect time to chat with the co-hosts of the Baseball & BBQ Podcast, Leonard Aberman and Jeff Cohen. We discuss their show and it’s blend of two passions and the big storylines from MLB so far in 2021. Co-hosts Steve and Lyndal also discuss the latest episode of BBQ Brawl on The Food Network and touch on a proposed KCBS rules change eliminating the minimum weight for cooking pork. Thanks to our sponsor/marketing partners who make our show possible: Blues Hog BBQ Sauce, Royal Oak Charcoal, The Butcher Shoppe, Iowa BBQ Store, Affordable Income Tax & Payroll, DDR Fabrication, Arkassippi Smoke Live and The Arkassippi Combo, Vietti Marketing, In the Garden of Eden and The BBQ League. Special thanks to Marty “Sign Man” Prather and Domino’s Pizza, an “Official American Royal World Series of BBQ” sponsor of our team. Have a great BBQ Week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Tailgate Guys BBQ Show, Episode 122: Craig Verhage, BBQ & Baseball

Two regular guys talking to the biggest names in BBQ. Tips, techniques, recipes. We even cook against some of the best in the business in KCBS and SCA on occasion.

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Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast

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