The town of Rutherford College will once again be flooded with barbecue masters on Thursday as they prepare for the annual Pigmaster’s BBQ Challenge.
The competition will be held Friday and Saturday at Rutherford College Town Hall, located at 980 Malcolm Blvd., Connelly Springs.
A 2019 Pigmaster’s Challenge competitor shows off the barbecued ribs he cooked for the judges.
News Herald file photo
The Pigmaster’s BBQ Challenge is a competition sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society. The event will be a Master Series-sanctioned competition that requires teams to cook four types of meat: chicken, pork ribs, pork butt and pork belly, according to the city’s Pigmaster’s BBQ Challenge Facebook page.
The Facebook page states that KCBS sanctions barbecue and grilling competitions across the United States and promotes barbecue as American cuisine. KCBS has an extensive certified barbecue rating program and is the world’s largest society of barbecue enthusiasts, with more than 20,000 members worldwide.
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Terra Brieno, Rutherford College town clerk, said 34 teams from across the Southeast will arrive Thursday afternoon to prepare for a full weekend of food and fun.
She said the teams will compete Friday afternoon in the Dessert War, Burger Battle and Turkey Smoke series. On Saturday, the official Kansas City Barbecue judges will arrive to taste and score the pork, brisket, ribs and chicken.
The Pigmaster’s BBQ Challenge will return Friday and Saturday to the town of Rutherford College.
CREATIVE METRO
The awards ceremony will take place Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Rutherford College Community Room, where one lucky team will walk away with a custom metal piece of art, a check for $3,000 and the title of Grand Champion, said Brieno.
Brieno said Foothills Service Project will sell barbecue plates from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. that will include a sandwich, coleslaw, pickles, chips and water for $10. All proceeds will go directly to the Foothills Service Project, she said.
She said “Pig on Fire” of Woodruff, South Carolina, would be set up to sell its lunch and dinner food Thursday and Friday at City Hall.
Brieno thanked event sponsors including College Pines Health & Rehabilitation, Farris Insurance, Paramount Ford and Hyundai, Kellex Furniture, Castle Bridge Marina, Foothills Service Project, UNC Health Blue Ridge, Kathy’s Clean Sweep, Truist, Highlands Family Farm , Connelly. Springs Electric INC, Chick-fil-A and Damark Screen printing and embroidery.
The Facebook page states that no parking will be available on site. Parking areas within walking distance include:
- Abernathy Memorial United Methodist Church: 960 Malcolm Blvd., Connelly Springs.
- RC City Park: 950 Malcolm Boulevard, Connelly Springs.
- Grassy lot at 1000 Malcolm Blvd., Connelly Springs.
Find the city’s Pigmaster’s BBQ Challenge Facebook page at www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057406151122.
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