FM100’s Ron Olson said at Thursday’s official lighting of the barbecue contest grill that “This is the best night of the year in Memphis.” He purposely did not qualify or categorize that statement. It stands on its own. If that’s so, then late morning and early afternoon on the Saturday of judging must get some props for being the best late morning/early afternoon in Memphis. This is when the teams knock themselves out to prepare the awesomely best pork in the world.

Over at Big Q’s Grillers, Quincy Scott and his team reflected on how the on-site judging, which had just happened minutes before, had gone. “They liked the sweetness and the deep smoke ring,” he said.  Kenneth Oatis Jr. chimed in: “It’s the rub and sauce, too.” Their presentation is pictured above; an unbelievably succulent sample is below.

“We work to make it different,” said Scott whose team is in its fifth year at the contest. It started out with the men’s breakfast on Saturday’s at Grace Christian Fellowship and Scott and some friends developed the team. “The contest is a big fellowship by people to cook and eat,” said team member Ken Adams.

Their shoulder entry was sublime, that hint of sweetness at first and then the smokiness while it melts in your mouth.

“We use sawdust,” Scott said. “The smaller the wood the better the flavor,” so they just went directly into the smallest wood units they could.

Scott’s custom sauce uses tomato juice, ketchup and different seasonings and makes a distinct and delicious flavor on its own. “I named it for my wife,” he said. “Sweet and Sassy.”

–Jon W. Sparks