Limestone Co. Go-Texan BBQ Cook-Off Brings the Heat

Twenty-five teams competed at the Limestone County Fairgrounds over the weekend for bragging rights, plaques, and cold hard cash in the 11th Annual BBQ Cook-Off.

According to Chairman of the Limestone County Go-Texan Committee Matt Kuehn, about 10-12 teams were local, with others traveling from areas like Dallas and Waco for the opportunity to compete.

“We appreciate all the teams coming and supporting our efforts to raise funds for local scholarships. I also want to thank our sponsors who donated money for cash prizes we gave out so that we could retain money for the scholarships. Last year and this year, the event went pretty smoothly, but the weather was a lot better this year,” Kuehn said with a laugh.

Teams checked in on Friday at 5 p.m., with a Head Cook Meeting at 6 p.m., where each team paid their $200 entry fee. Competition categories included best Margarita, Bloody Mary, Beans, Cooks Choice, Chicken, Ribs, and Brisket. The first category (Margarita) was judged on Friday night, with all other categories submitting their entries the following day, staggered by hour. Many volunteer judges turned up to participate, and competition was stiff, with a couple of the meat categories resulting in 12- or 14-way ties (sharing the same total scores) that had to be broken to determine the winners.

Outlaw BBQ Association worked with judges and handled score tabulating before winners were announced at 4 p.m. Saturday. Kuehn said that hiring Outlaw, a sanctioned BBQ group, to handle the judging and scoring keeps the contest fair and blind; committee members find out winners at the same time as the teams, which adds a fun element of surprise for all involved.

WINNERS

Grand Champion: Turnbo BBQ (Dwayne Turnbo)

Reserve Champion: Young Gun Cookers (Clint Koch/Chris Hamilton)

CHICKEN:

1st Place: Turnbo BBQ (Dwayne Turnbo)

2nd Place: M.Tex Meat II (Mac Morgan)

3rd Place: Moore Ranch BBQ (Tyler Moore)

RIBS:

1st Place: Smokin Groves BBQ

2nd Place: Turnbo BBQ (Dwayne Turnbo)

3rd Place: Playing with Fire (Jared Kolar)

BRISKET:

1st Place: Turnbo BBQ (Dwayne Turnbo)

2nd Place: M.Tex Meat I (Tyler Morgan)

3rd Place: Young Gun Cookers (Clint Koch/Chris Hamilton)

BEANS: Squeals on Wheels/SOW (David Lefler)

COOKS CHOICE: M.Tex Meat I (Tyler Morgan)

MARGARITA: Bus 36 Cookers (Katelinn Hancock)

BLOODY MARY: Bus 36 Cookers (Katelinn Hancock)

*Though only the first, second, and third place winners are listed here, teams that placed up to 15th place scored points that could help them earn a chance to compete in Outlaw BBQ Association’s annual cook-off competition. 

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The Limestone County Go-Texan Committee has 20 members, and several were onsite for the competition, including Kyle Hancock, Sabrina Carter, Sheryl Wilson, Brittany Hoag, Murray Agnew, and Bradley Turrubiarte. 

Committee members Matt Kuehn, Brandy Jones, Tommy Platt, and Sonny Overton posed with the winning teams in photos.

In addition to this fundraiser event to kick off the Limestone County Fair, the Limestone County Go-Texan Committee hosts a Dinner & Dance every November, and held their first-ever Hog Hunt contest earlier this month, which they plan to host annually moving forward.

For more information about the Limestone County Go-Texan Committee, visit their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Dyn4AsPNd/?mibextid=wwXIfr.