The world of competitive barbecue is heating up more than ever, and 2022 marked another thrilling year for the biggest and baddest barbecue competition around – the BBQ Brawl. This intense battle of smoking skills attracts the very best pitmasters, teams, and BBQ joints from across the United States to compete for the coveted title of Grand Champion.
So who managed to smoke their way to victory at the 2022 BBQ Brawl? Let’s find out!
An Introduction to the BBQ Brawl
For the uninitiated, the BBQ Brawl is an elite barbecue competition and festival held annually in Kansas City, drawing crowds of over 25,000 BBQ lovers from far and wide. Ever since debuting in 2015, it has rapidly risen to prominence as one of the most prominent and prestigious events on the competitive BBQ circuit.
The BBQ Brawl distinguishes itself from other major contests by its unique focus on promoting new up-and-coming talent. Rather than veteran cook teams, it specifically attracts rising star pitmasters looking to make a name for themselves in the industry. Competitors must qualify through satellite contests held throughout the year across 20 different states.
Over 4 days every September, around 250 hand-picked teams compete in a rigorous gauntlet of challenges testing every aspect of their barbecue skills – from traditional meat categories like ribs, pork, and brisket to creative specialty dishes. With over $150,000 in prize money at stake, the competition is intense!
Celebrity judges like Myron Mixon and Melissa Cookston evaluate each entry on appearance, tenderness, taste, aroma, and other criteria. Whoever records the highest aggregate score is crowned the BBQ Brawl Grand Champion.
Meet the 2022 BBQ Brawl Winner
The winner of the 8th annual BBQ Brawl in 2022 is John Simone’s Texas Smoke Shack from Houston, Texas. Pitmaster John Simone led his team to the ultimate victory after a hard-fought 4 day competition against 247 other rising star competitors.
This is Texas Smoke Shack’s first time conquering the prestigious BBQ Brawl, cementing their status as one of the most talented new teams in competitive barbecue. They gained entry by qualifying through the rigorous Sam Houston BBQ Battle satellite contest earlier in 2022.
38 year old John Simone impressed judges with his masterful smoking skills across all the classic barbecue categories – juicy St.Louis spare ribs, melt-in-your-mouth brisket, and pulled pork shoulders. But it was his incredible chicken thighs that clinched his 1st place position, wowing the judges with their perfect blend of smokiness and spice.
“I’m speechless!” said an elated John while accepting the trophy. “It’s been our dream to be standing here as the BBQ Brawl champ. My team and I have put blood, sweat and smoke into this for years. We stuck to our roots and cooked Texas barbecue from the heart, and I’m so honored it paid off.”
In addition to the $20,000 grand prize, John Simone’s Texas Smoke Shack has undoubtedly earned rockstar status and priceless publicity in the competitive barbecue community. They overcame stiff competition from last year’s reigning champs and several other smokehouses heating up the BBQ scene.
How The Competition Unfolded
The BBQ Brawl is structured into multiple stages to rigorously test every facet of the competitors’ skills. Here is a recap of how the action played out over all 4 days:
Day 1 – Backyard Brawl Challenge
The Kickoff Challenge was all about creativity, requiring teams to cook backyard BBQ style on simple charcoal kettle grills rather than smokers. Unique use of the limited space to blend flavors was key.
- Themes included Smoked Mac n Cheese, Hawaiian Pork Kebabs, and Grilled Veggie Kabobs.
- John Simone whipped up mouthwatering Bacon Jam Grilled Chicken Wings that foreshadowed his eventual triumph.
Day 2 – Pork & Chicken Categories Begin
- Pork – Competitors had to turn in 6 perfect pork spare ribs. Bone-sucking tenderness and complex rubs were imperative.
- Chicken – Thighs and drums were the poultry parts of choice for this category. Ideal pieces had juicy meat and crispy skin with a rub/sauce balance.
John Simone’s consistently high scores for both pork and chicken on Day 2 secured his team’s lead position headed into the final day.
Day 3 – Brisket and Specialty Items
This penultimate day of competition brought both classic and creative offerings:
- Brisket – The most iconic meat in barbecue put cooking skills to the test. A perfect brisket has a thick smoke ring, insane tenderness, and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Specialty – Teams got to flex their innovative muscles with unique dishes like Smoked Chili, Burnt Ends, and creative sausages.
John Simone once again dominated with near perfect brisket slices and knock-out Smoked Duck Samosas as his Specialty entry.
Day 4 – Grand Finale
With the field narrowed down to the top 10 teams, the last day was all about going out in a blaze of smoking glory. Finalists had to cook anything they wanted within the provided ingredient limitations.
- Seafood – Redfish and shrimp were on the mandatory list to add a coastal touch.
- Dessert – Teams had to incorporate peaches into a creative smoked dessert dish.
John Simone clinched the title by wowing with Smoked Shrimp Jambalaya and Peach Smoked Cheesecake. His masterful flavors and well-rounded excellence across all categories made him the undisputed 2022 BBQ Brawl Grand Champion!
Inside John Simone’s Winning Barbecue Strategies
As a rising star on the barbecue circuit, John Simone’s mastery of flavor, technique, and competition strategies propelled Texas Smoke Shack’s victory. Here’s some insight into the keys to his BBQ Brawl success:
Bold Texas-Style Flavors
Rather than getting fanciful with complex rubs and creations, John stuck to the down-home soulful flavors of his Texas barbecue roots – particularly for staples like brisket, ribs, and sausage. Time-honored techniques like salt/pepper rubs and oak wood smoking let the meat’s natural flavors shine.
Masterful Brisket
Brisket is serious business in Texas barbecue, so absolutely nailing this notoriously challenging meat was crucial. John’s competition brisket strategy focuses on:
- Prime grade beef and meticulous trimming
- Maintaining consistent low heat (225-250°F) in an offset smoker
- Daily rubs and re-seasoning the meat while smoking
- Long smoke times – up to 18 hours for competition brisket!
- Monitoring thickness of smoke rings
- Achieving a flawless rest before slicing to prevent dryness
Attention to Detail
From meat quality to temperature monitoring and rest times, the Texas Smoke Shack team was meticulous in every aspect of their barbecue process. John also emphasizes regular equipment maintenance and cleanup as a key to consistency.
Creativity Within the Rules
While John stuck to his Texas roots for the classic categories, he unleashed his creative side for the Specialty dishes like smoked duck samosas and shrimp jambalaya. Knowing the ingredient constraints and judging criteria was key for a winning entry.
Passionate Perfectionist
According to his peers, John Simone’s intense passion for barbecue translates into an almost fanatical quest for smoking perfection each time he fires up the pits. He has the patience and persistence needed to prevail in such an ultra-competitive field.
Spotlight on Other Top Contenders
While John Simone took top honors this year, the competition was filled with amazing talent pushing barbecue boundaries. Here are a few other breakout stars who made their mark:
Emily Jones – Jones’ Good Eats (Atlanta, GA) – This pitmaster prodigy soared all the way to 2nd place in her BBQ Brawl debut, including a perfect 180 score for her chicken. Her innovative flavors like Smoked Peach Salsa set her apart.
Corey Rogers – Rogue’s Smokehouse (St.Louis, MO) – With his background as a chef, Corey brought a culinary flair to his Midwestern barbecue styles and took 3rd place. His Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends were mind-blowing.
Reggie and Evelyn Wilson – Wilson’s BBQ (New Orleans, LA) – This husband-wife duo blended Big Easy flavors into their barbecue for a solid 7th place finish. Their Creole Smoked Sausage was a huge crowd pleaser.
Alex Garcia – Garcia Competition BBQ (Los Angeles, CA) – Despite hailing from the West Coast, Alex proved he can smoke meat with the best of ’em. His brisket bark and ribs scored huge points en route to a Top 10 result.
The Future of Competition Barbecue
The 2022 BBQ Brawl demonstrated that the new generation of pitmasters is raising the stakes when it comes to competitive barbecue excellence. As more incredible talents emerge, it will be exciting to see how they push boundaries with both traditional and experimental approaches in the years ahead.
While techniques and technology will inevitably evolve, the time-tested cooking methods crisscrossing America – from Texas-style to Memphis-style to Kansas City-style barbecue – will remain beloved. The experts ensuring these deeply rooted traditions not only survive but progress into the future will be figures like John Simone.
The competitive barbecue community has never been more robust and passionate. As smokers continue billowing across backyards, festivals, and contests nationwide, barbecue lovers everywhere will reap the delicious rewards!
Frequently Asked Questions About BBQ Brawl 2022
Here are some common questions about the 2022 BBQ Brawl competition:
Who won bbq brawl 2022?
The big winner of the 2022 BBQ Brawl was pitmaster John Simone and his team from Texas Smoke Shack in Houston, Texas. This marked their first time taking home the BBQ Brawl grand championship.
How many teams competed in BBQ Brawl 2022?
There were a total of 248 teams from around the country that competed in the 2022 BBQ Brawl after qualifying through satellite contests. Only 10 teams advanced to the final day of competition.
What types of meat did they cook?
Over the 4 days of the contest, teams had to cook staples like ribs, chicken, pork, and brisket. There were also creative specialty categories featuring smoked duck, shrimp, sausage and more.
Where was BBQ Brawl 2022 held?
The BBQ Brawl competition takes place annually in Kansas City, which is fitting given KC’s fame as one of America’s barbecue capitals. The 2022 event was held from September 8-11.
What was the grand prize for winning?
The BBQ Brawl Grand Champion receives $20,000 in prize money along with the coveted BBQ Brawl trophy to display until the next competition. Winners gain publicity and cred that is priceless in the competitive BBQ community.
What is special about the BBQ Brawl contest?
Unlike most contests dominated by veteran teams, the BBQ Brawl specifically showcases rising stars and up-and-coming talent on the competitive barbecue circuit across the country.
How are the winners determined?
Winners are selected based on blind judging across a rigorous set of criteria including appearance, tenderness, aroma, and overall taste. The team with the highest aggregate scores across multiple categories is awarded the grand prize.
Conclusion
The 2022 BBQ Brawl represented another thrilling year of innovative barbecue magic by the nation’s most promising pitmasters. John Simone’s Texas Smoke Shack finally claimed the title after years on the competition circuit. While barbecue traditions remain at the core, the future looks bright as new creative talents move the industry forward. BBQ lovers everywhere eagerly await seeing who will reign supreme at the 2023 BBQ Brawl!