"Thank you, William Brohaugh. Thank you for writing this book. Barbecue is the better for it." --Doug Mosley in The National Barbecue News "The blend of travel, social and culinary history is exceptional and fun in this highly recommended pick." --Midwest Book Review "A must read for aspiring pit masters and great for armchair cooks, too." --Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue Bible and host of PBS's Barbecue University		Galax, Year 4 A new competition, a new banjo owner. Once more, luthier Tom Barr handcrafted a fabulous banjo as the Grand Champion trophy for the 4th Annual Smoke on the Mountain. The first year's trophy was an exaggerated fiddle (actually, it was a viola), and it went to Natural Born Grillers. In year 2, the hand-made banjo was brought in, and since then, three years, three banjos, three winners: 2006: Barnyard Roasters 2007: Natural Born Grillers 2008: Jack's Old South Injuries may be the key to winning. John David Wheeler, leader of the Grillers, was hobbled by back pain that led to surgery the first year; this year, Myron Mixon, leader of Jack's, was presenting on a foot cast after some bone-spur surgery. Two of my personal delights this year: The honor of judging chair Carlene Poole and MBN rep Larry Ohrberg inviting me to be a finals judge The opportunity to judge DJ's Smoking Misfits in the finals—DJ's competed in the first Smoke on the Mountain as Pit Connection, when they were at the very early stages of reforming their team. The other teams in the finals (Jack's, Grillers, Roasters, and Road Hogs) were, of course, excellent, but they'd all been in the Galax finals before. So it was a particular pleasure seeing the good-hearted folks from this family-run team hit the finals in ribs. My congratulations to all the contestants, and my thanks to the kind hosts at Galax for another year of fun and well-organized competition. Memphis in May Recap As always, the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest at the 2008 Memphis in May was fun, exhausting, and a new experience for me. I joined a team and cooked this year. Barefoot in the Pork is a team formed by Ed Richardson and Claud Mann (of TBS's Dinner and a Movie, who wrote the kind introduction to The Grill of Victory. Each year, Memphis in May holds a Patio Porkers division, in which amateur teams compete against each other in the ribs category. The winner of Patio Porkers must move on to the pro division the next year. Last year's Patio Porker winner was our very own Barefoot in the Pork, so we cooked with the big boys this year. I subjected the team to cooking the exotic category, and came in third . . . third to last, actually. I warned you guys. Hey--at least I outscored four teams that were disqualified. The team walked the stage twice, with wins in the vinegar sauce and mustard sauce categories. Congrats, mates. Several of the teams that played important parts in The Grill of Victory once again made an impressive show this year: Grand champion was Natural Born Grillers in the whole hog category, who did rather well in the competition described in The Grill of Victory as well. The Gwatney Championship Barbecue Team took second-place hog. Fifth-place hog went to Porky's Pride. Rib Boss Clara and Winfred Geer didn't cook in Galax, but they, like the others mentioned here, contributed so much to the background and writing of the book. Sweet Swine o' Mine stepped up a notch from 2007's second place to take first place in shoulder--now the third time in four years they've made finals in that category. When Richard Lackie, Pat Rooney and friends were cooking in Galax, they were coming off a first-place finish in 2005, so now it's three pieces of major hardware for the Rock and Roll Barbecue Stars. Fifth-place shoulder went to the 2006 grand champion, Red Hot Smokers and the gracious Wayne and Linda Booth, who also helped me prep the book. First-place rib went to Rib Ticklers. They, too, did not cook in Galax, but their contributions to The Grill of Victory are very similar to those of Porky's Pride and Red Hot Smokers. Congratulations to all, and to all, thanks for letting me mooch off you and taste all that good stuff. For some thoughts on the fun of judging finals at the competition, check out "The View From the Golf Cart," a first-person account from one of the finals judges at the 2006 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. Me. Lucky, lucky me. Read my account here.