You can’t utter the word barbecue without Texas far behind. So, it should come to no surprise that the Lone Star State has started a statewide competition that is bringing together students studying everything from culinary arts and consumer sciences to livestock production and welding for a good old fashion barbecue cook off.
“We have students learn how to raise animals to become beef, weld the barbecue pits in class, learn cooking techniques to become chefs and own restaurants, and develop the lifelong skill and Texas tradition of smoked meats, beef brisket, and Texas barbecue – it’s a celebration and capstone experience of what they learned throughout the school year,” said Mike Erickson, a culinary arts teacher at Burnet High School and the organizer of the event.
Three years ago, Erickson and Burnet High started the State of Texas High School Barbecue Cook Off as an opportunity for students across the state to showcase their welding skills, culinary arts skills, and much more. Each team is made up of members from Career and Technical Education Programs such as Family Career and Community Leaders of America, Skills USA, and FFA.
Kianna Moss was one of those FFA students who decided to give the barbecue cook off a try that first year.
“I decided to join the cook off because all the teams were mostly boys and I wanted to show that girls can do it too,” Moss said. “I gathered up an all-girls team that wanted to help me. Also, my dad had always been a great cook and it was something we always did together.”
Her team Jalapeno Hotties took first that year.
Since the contest kicked off in 2016, the number of competing teams has doubled in size each year. This year the State of Texas High School Barbecue Cook Off brought in more than 40 teams.
Teams are judged in 12 categories: beef brisket, pork ribs, ½ chicken, best beans, best bbq sauce, best dessert, best potato salad, best dressed, best t-shirt, most school spirit, freestyle, and best student built pit.
For senior Cade Ringstaff, it was the welding that originally attracted him to the cook off. An active FFA member, Ringstaff, whose team Up in Your Grill took fourth overall this year, has an extensive welding portfolio that includes a 32-foot double-sided trailer and a king size bedroom suite that have captured several grand champion, reserve, and showmanship awards. However, it was during his sophomore year, Ringstaff realized the cook off was the perfect place to showcase his prized work that year — a barbecue pit he built on top of a tractor.
“At the high school level (cook off), we could show off what we build, and not just cook, but show off what we made and teach them about it,” Ringstaff said.
While welding originally attracted Ringstaff to the event, the cook off has given him an opportunity to brush up on his barbecue skills. After all, once the competition starts, it’s all hands-on deck. By 6 a.m. teams are building fires, the meat has to be placed on the grill by 7, and items like potato salad and dessert need to be rolled out by 9 for judging.
A busy day for the teams to say the least … so what makes it even more amazing is Moss decided to enter the competition last year individually … and won.
“Being an individual last year was way different then doing it as a team. As a team it was more relaxing because we each had a job and helped each other out,” Moss said. “As an individual I had to turn in seven items by myself. It was a lot of work, but I wanted to prove to myself that I could do anything I set my mind to. Also, I wanted to show that hard work can pay off.”
She says the secret is really to have a plan and work hard.
“I had great mentors to teach me new things and I learned so much from them. You have to know you are there to learn and to cook good food,” Moss said. “Another secret is to never give up just because something is not going your way … just keep trying.”
Moss said she would encourage other FFA members in the state to consider joining a team.
“I would encourage people in FFA to enter this contest because it is another way to show your skills and have fun. Also, the food we raise and grow gets to be put together into a meal to make people happy to eat,” Moss said. “To cook a good meal and to make people smile because you cooked it is special. You get to see the whole process of what farmers do for us.”
Ringstaff echoes Moss.
“Cooking, it brings agriculture into it,” Ringstaff said. “You have to have agriculture to be able to eat and cook.”
