Minnesota’s top grillmasters are coming to the Nicollet County Fairgrounds to smoke out the competition in the largest barbecue competition in the state.
On the weekend of May 10-11, the Minnesota Barbeque Society is returning to St. Peter for their second year in a row to host the 25th Anniversary Minnesota in May Barbeque Contest. Around an estimated 100 teams will be competing for $14,000 in prize money across several meat smoking competitions over the weekend.
Originating in 1999 in Cambridge, Minnesota, the Minnesota BBQ Society stands as the state’s oldest barbecue competition sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society, the world’s largest competitive barbeque organization. What started as a small event with only six teams competing has become a major draw for hundreds of cooks from across the midwest and beyond.
For the 25th anniversary, the Minnesota BBQ Society is hosting their largest barbeque contest yet, and offering the public a special opportunity to showcase their skills on the grill. Typically, events are restricted to Minnesota BBQ Society members, but for the first time in 10 years the general public will get to compete in three of the Minnesota BBQ Society’s grilling competitions.
“Just the fact that we are opening and having a public portion to the event is a pretty new thing for us,” Craig Grefe of the Minnesota BBQ Society.
The public competitions are all set to take place at the fairgrounds on Friday, May 10. Kids ages 16 and under are free to register in the Compart Kid’s Que Challenge, where they’ll be competing for a $50 top prize. The competition is divided into two categories: KidsQ for participants age 10 and under and JuniorQ for those between 11 and 16 years old.
At the same time as the kids competition, members of the public can compete for a $1,000 grand prize in the turkey smoke contest. Then at 7 p.m. community members can light up their grills for the One Meat Rib Challenge and a chance to win $425 in prize money.
While only KCBS certified judges will have a chance to taste the prize-winning meats, community members can satiate their cravings for barbeque at the Sugar Shack BBQ truck. Alongside the competitions, the event will feature a scavenger hunt, a poker walk and live music.
The competition heats up on Saturday, May 11 as top KCBS barbeque teams face off for large cash prizes and a chance to collect points in the KCBS Team of the Year program. The Team of the Year program recognizes the top barbecuers from around the globe, who earn points by collecting top marks in KCBS competitions like Minnesota in May.
“This is not a trivial thing. This is a pretty high end contest,” said John Scharffbillig of the Minnesota BBQ Society.
Minnesota BBQ Society members will have the opportunity to collect points in the Masters Series competition, where participants will cook chicken, ribs, pork and brisket for a shot at winning $1,300, as well as the Backyard Series competition, where competitors grill just two meats on the barbeque.
The Minnesota BBQ Society has also partnered with US Soy to deliver their first Backyard Pork Ancillary Contest. The competition pits participants in the Masters Series and Backyard Series against one another with the top three teams across the board being awarded the US Soy Combine Award and a top prize payout of $1,500.
Scharffbillig said it’s more than just a competition; it’s also a large social event to bring people from the barbeque community together, as well as give back to the local St. Peter community.
“We’re working with the St. Peter Ambassadors here, and all the money will be going back to the Ambassadors to be given out to the community in St. Peter,” said Scharffbillig.
Not only is the Minnesota BBQ Society donating revenues from the event, the organization is also giving away the excess meat to people in need.
“All the extra food, we take that from the teams and package that up and take it down to the disadvantaged homeless shelter just down the road from the fairgrounds and donate all that food to them,” said Scharffbillig. “Last year, we gave around 300-400 pounds, and we’re hoping for the same amount this year.”
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