I’ve been wanting to attend the World Championship Steak Cookoff ever since I first saw it on the Food Network. It’s always the same weekend as Memphis in May though so it hasn’t worked out…….until this year that is. So on May 17th I showed up in Magonlia, Arkansas and cooked this steak.

It looked good and was done properly, but I marinated it a little longer than I had intended and I thought it was a little too salty. That day they awarded first through fifth place and I didn’t get called. But we had a great time and I vowed to return. Well today I learned that I actually finished 9th out of 62 teams! I’m really happy with that. I’ve cooked in a couple hundred contests in my life but this one is pretty unique and it’s always hard when you are a rookie. But I’ll be back next year with a little experience under my belt.

As part of the event I had to cook 30 steaks to pass out to the public. The guests got in line for a salad, potato, roll and a glass of sweet tea, and then they went to whatever steak stand they chose to get the main course.

It’s really a great event in a great city. The folks of Magnolia couldn’t have been nicer and I look forward to seeing them again. This event is highly recommended for everyone.

This recipe is from my first book “Dr. BBQ’s Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook”

My Mom’s Rotisserie Pork Roast

This was a family favorite that we only got about once a year. Like so many families, grilling was a special event at my house growing up. Happily that has changed for most of us.

1 Pork Loin Roast, about 5 lbs, boneless, rolled and tied

Black Pepper

1-1/2 cup ketchup

1-1/2 cup soy sauce

Prepare your rotisserie to cook at medium hot.

Whisk together the soy sauce and ketchup. Season the roast liberally with the black pepper. Place the roast on the rotisserie per the manufacturer’s instructions.

While the roast is cooking brush the soy sauce and ketchup mixture on every ten minutes. Do it gently so as not to brush off the buildup of caramelization. Continue applying the sauce until the roast reaches an internal temp of 145°. This should take 1-2 hours but could vary a lot depending on your equipment. Carefully remove the roast from the spit and transfer it to a platter. Let it rest for 15 minutes tented loosely with aluminum foil. Slice and serve.

Serves 8-12

I’m writing from California today. I’m here to do a presentation this Saturday in Modesto called The Secrets of Great BBQ with Brent Walton and Shuji Sakai. It’s going to be a three hour show on stage sponsored by Save Mart

Brent and I will cook ribs on the Big Green Egg and then they will be judged by some local celebs and and audience members. We’ll also be cooking tri-tip and Shuji will do a great Pizza on the Grill demonstration. Today and tomorrow we’ll be on Sacramento and Co. to promote the event and we may let a few rib secrets slip. So watch us or come on out to the event on Saturday. There will be fun and lots of BBQ eating. We’ll even share the ribs we cook if there are any left after the judging and we’ll share all of the tri-tip. We’re gonna have fun so come on out to The Meet.