Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 249: Harry Soo

It’s another guest-filled show on Episode 251 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast. Leading off is Joel Fleetwood of Meat Rushmore BBQ, which won three Grand Championships in 2023 on its way to an 11th-place finish in the KCBS Team of the Year standings. Joel also was recently voted president of the KCBS Board of Directors. We visit with Joel about his competition cooking and his role on the KCBS board. The segment begins at the 8:23 mark. Also on the show:

31:51 - Nick Davis of Double Barrel BBQ tells us about one he’s co-hosting with Wes Patterson from American Royal Pork Champion Wood Hook BBQ  next month in Moodys, Okla. 

39:00 - The Iowa State BBQ Championship has made a strong comeback and this year’s edition, March 29-30 in Altoona, looks like another good one. Joe Osbrink gives us some details.

45:57 - The Smoke ’n Magic minute with Breana Via offers some tasty ideas for St. Patrick’s weekend.

48;28 - Charlie Wallace tells us about some breaking news in our weekly Grill Guys of Missouri segment.

Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible: 
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked 
Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq 
The Grill Guys of Missouri
Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic
Vietti Marketing Group  
Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza

Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

On Episode 250 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we talk it over with two of competition BBQ’s top pitmasters - and most-colorful characters. First up is Richard Fergola from Fergolicious BBQ and marketing director of Proud Souls BBQ and Provisions. “Fergie” and the Proud Souls team is ready to throw a big first anniversary bash this Saturday, March 9th, at Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City. A full day of cooking demos and great food will be available.

Then it’s time to talk it over with Sterling Smith of Loot ’n Booty BBQ, a recent inductee into the California BBQ Association Hall of Fame. “Smitty” is always a great guest and this time he talks about the Hall of Fame honor plus his Loot ’n Booty Apple Cherry Sauce which recently earned first-place honors in the National BBQ Association awards.

Fergie and Smitty also are going to be teaching classes together, later this month in Costa Rica and suburban Chicago. What happens when they get together for a class? “It’s like riding a unicorn through a mystic land, full of meat and clowns. And there’s knives involved. And maybe we might talk about aliens or pyramids at some point,” Smith says. 

We also hear from Gene Newkirk with the Kickin’ it on Route 66 BBQ Festival, Skyler Spartan with The Grill Guys weekly report and the Smoke ’n Magic BBQ Minute with Breana Via. Co-hosts Lyndal and Steve discuss their weekly cooking adventures, plus take a quick spin through news and notes from the competition BBQ world.

Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible: 
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked 
Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq 
The Grill Guys of Missouri
Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic
Vietti Marketing Group  
Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza

Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

It’s been more than a decade since we first saw Harry Soo on the groundbreaking television show BBQ Pitmasters. People still come up to Harry to talk about his experiences, especially after re-runs of the show air on the cable channel Destination American most weekends. On Episode 249 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Harry recounts the beginning of his BBQ journey, the unscripted beginnings of BBQ Pitmasters and where’s it’s all led - to a full-time open-fire career as one of the world’s most-popular pitmasters. Harry and Slap Yo Daddy BBQ has a busy 2024 ahead with a new grill he helped design, classes, products and an always-expanding library of how-to videos on his Youtube channel. It’s always a blast to chat with Harry and this is no exception.

We also hear from Charlie Wallace with The Grill Guys weekly report, plus the Smoke ’n Magic BBQ Minute with Breana Via. Co-hosts Lyndal and Steve discuss their weekly cooking adventures, plus take a quick spin through news and notes from the competition BBQ world.

Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible: 
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked 
Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq 
The Grill Guys of Missouri
Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic
Vietti Marketing Group  
Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza

Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

On Episode 248 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we take a virtual trip to New England and talk it over with one of America’s most-accomplished competition pitmasters for nearly two decades. Bill Gillespie of Smokin’ Hoggz BBQ has Grand Championships at the Jack Daniels World BBQ Invitational and American Royal World Series of BBQ Invitational to his credit. Also author of four BBQ cookbooks and with his own line of rubs and sauces, Bill talks about his early days in competition, some of the keys to his evolution into a champion and some of the changes (good and bad) to the competition scene over the years.

While some competitions have been held in Florida and Arizona, it’s also nearly go-time for competition BBQ in the Midwest. The first KCBS comp in Missouri is coming up March 22-24. We intended to visit with Gene Newkirk from the Kickin’ It on Route 66 Barbecue Challenge but had a scheduling issue. Learn more about the contest at its Facebook page. We do hear from Skyler Spartan with the Grill Guys of Missouri weekly report and Brad Colter with the Smoke ’n Magic BBQ minute.

Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible: 
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked 
Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq 
The Grill Guys of Missouri
Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic
Vietti Marketing Group  
Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza

Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

The Kansas City Chiefs are the world champions of football, again! We’ll talk about that, plus championship BBQ on Episode 247 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast. Leading off our guest lineup is Phillip Breeden of LC BBQ out of Bandera, Texas. We visit with Phillip about his Champions BBQ Alliance Rio World Championship Cookoff last weekend and preview the upcoming Houston Livestock Rodeo and BBQ Cookoff. Phillip has been on the road competing in BBQ nearly every week for the last six years and he discusses why he embraces the grind and how he deals with the ups and downs that are involved.

Checking in from the heart of Chiefs Kingdom is Richard Fergola of Proud Souls BBQ & Provisions Kansas City. “Fergie” tells us how a winning sports team lifts an entire community - Kansas City-area residents certainly can identify - and he also gives a rundown of all the happenings at Proud Souls locations in Kansas City, Denver and Littleton, Colorado and Orlando, Florida.

Breana Via stops by with the Smoke ’n Magic Minute and Charlie Wallace brings us a report from The Grill Guys of Missouri. Meanwhile, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve review their Super Sunday cooking and give some final thoughts on the big game. 

Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible: 
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked 
Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq 
The Grill Guys of Missouri
Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic
Vietti Marketing Group  
Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza

Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Word is there’s a big football game coming up. On Episode 246 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show Podcast, we do our best to bring you both football and food perspective from both the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers sides as we countdown to Super Bowl Sunday. First up is Megan Day, pitmaster of Kansas City’s Burnt Finger BBQ. Megan again is headed for a Friday appearance on NBC’s Today Show and she offers some BBQ food ideas ahead of the big day. She also catches us up on the latest happenings for Burnt Finger in the year ahead.

From the other perspective, California native and lifetime 49ers fan Jonathon Indermuehle of Heifers, Butts & Clucks BBQ breaks down the food and football from the opposing point of view. Jonathon also tells us how the Chiefs are viewed by fans around the country and offers his pick on the game.

In our weekly segments, Brad Colter from Smoke ' Magic BBQ offers up a tip of the week that applies to new competition pitmasters and Skyler Spartan returns with product news from The Grill Guys of Missouri.

Co-hosts Lyndal and Steve make their game picks and talk about the best way to watch the big game. 

Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible: 
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked 
Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq 
The Grill Guys of Missouri
Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic
Vietti Marketing Group  
Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza

Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

There’s a lot of championship talk on Episode 245 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, beginning with pitmaster Paul Keltner of Rooters ’n Tooters BBQ out of Mount Pleasant, Tennessee. Paul knocked off a Grand Championship at the 61-team KCBS Lakeland Pit Festival to start his season in style. It’s a continuation of a remarkable last few seasons of consistent for Rooters ’n Tooters, which had 29 top-10 overall finishes in 2023. Paul tells us about the year ahead and what it’s like to chase KCBS Team of the Year honors (Rooters ’n Tooters was 4th in 2022, 5th in 2021 and 4th in 2020).

Speaking of championships, we talk top-level BBQ and Kansas City Chiefs football with Richard Fergola of Fergolicious BBQ and Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City. “Fergie” discusses Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis and the player’s love for Q and the videos he shot for Proud Souls in Kansas City. We also get the latest about all the happenings at Proud Souls locations in KC, Denver and Littleton, Colo., and Tampa, Florida. 

In new segments, Brad and Bre from Smoke'n Magic BBQ offer up a tip of the week that applies for both the backyard and competition cook, and Charlie from Grill Guys of Missouri tells us some big doings at the Republic, Mo., BBQ store in regards to the upcoming Super Bowl.

Lastly, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve offer their takes on the Chiefs-49ers and suggest two words to all the Taylor Swift bashers out there: Shut Up.

Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible: 
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked 
Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq 
The Grill Guys of Missouri
Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic
Vietti Marketing Group  
Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza

Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

After a few weeks off, we are back to fire up Season 6 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast! We want to thank our listeners and sponsors from the beginning, way back in 2016 when we started the show on local radio. 

Our first guest of the new year is the busiest man in BBQ, our friend Tim Scheer who’s the boss man for Blues Hog, Gateway Drum Smokers, Shake ’n Bake BBQ, Marble Ridge Farms and The BBQ League. It’s no surprise that Tim has big things in the words for 2024 with the Blues Hog brand continuing to expand and his competition teams looking forward to some of the biggest contests on the planet, including Memphis in May where Blues Hog won the 2022 World Championship. Tim also talks about his hog and cattle breeding operation and specifically raising the hogs he will take to Memphis in May. 

We also welcome a new sponsor to the show, Smoke ’n Magic BBQ with Brad Colter and Breana Via. We visit with them about their year-long run in the BBQ restaurant world at the Kansas City International Airport, the Smoke ’n Magic line of rubs and sauces and their cooking plans for the year ahead, which include a trip to Australia for Meatstock in April. We’ll hear from Brad and Breana - Pork champs at the 2023 Jack Daniels World BBQ Invitational - weekly throughout the year with a Smoke ’n Magic Minute with a tip or insight on one of their products. 

Skyler Spartan of The Grill Guys of Missouri also stops by with the latest happenings from their BBQ store in Republic, Mo., including news of a special promotion that leads up to the Super Bowl in a couple of weeks. We’ll hear from Skyler or co-owner-operator Charlie Wallace each week on the show.

Meanwhile, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve discuss what's on their upcoming BBQ menus and preview the NFL's Final 4.

Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible: 
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked 
Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq 
The Grill Guys of Missouri
Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic
Vietti Marketing Group  
Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza

Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! We hope it’s a great holiday season and a celebration of family, friends and great food! Episode 243 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast is our finale of Season 5 and it’s a good one with a pair of open-fire stars to help us conclude the year on a winning note.

First up is Bill Purvis from Chicken Fried BBQ out of Magnolia, Texas. Bill is one of the best in the competition game and he does it cooking in various sanctioning bodies. Chicken Fried earned a Grand Championship at an IBCA-sanctioned event last weekend in Houston and Bill already is looking ahead to a banner 2024. We visit with him about chicken (thighs or half-chickens, legs or wings?) and his talent in front of the camera on the Food Network show BBQ USA with host Michael Symon or on his rapidly growing Chicken Fried BBQ Youtube channel where his latest video showing how to trim a competition brisket is a fun watch. 

We also check in with Richard Fergola from Fergolicious BBQ and Proud Souls Barbecue & Provisions. It’s been a busy December of teaching BBQ classes and things get only busier in the new year and Richard gives a rundown of his classes and why someone should consider upping their competition game with a little education. The one-year anniversary of Proud Souls KC is approaching and Fergie fills us in on some party plans.

Charlie Wallace of The Grill Guys of Missouri also stops by with some great last-minute BBQ shopping ideas. If you’re in or near southwest Missouri, keep The Grill Guys in mind if you’re shopping for yourself or others. 

Meanwhile, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve preview their holiday cooking plans and look ahead to the new year and Season 6 of the show.  

Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible: 
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked 
Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq 
Clark Crew BBQ #clarkcrewbbq
The Grill Guys of Missouri
Allquedup #arkassippicombo
Vietti Marketing Group #marketing 
Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza

Have a great BBQ holiday season and thanks for listening! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

It’s always an entertaining and opinionated conversation when we get together with Travis Clark, whose Clark Crew BBQ is a former American Royal World Series of BBQ and Jack Daniels World BBQ Invitational Grand Champion, along with a two-time KCBS Team of the Year. On Episode 242 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we visit with Travis about the restaurant business as his flagship Clark Crew BBQ place in Oklahoma City just celebrated its fourth anniversary. Travis also has some thoughts on the current state of the competition BBQ world and what is the first thing he would do if named Commissioner of BBQ for a day. 

Skyler Spartan from The Grill Guys of Missouri also checks with details of a 12 Day of Christmas special that will make you want to check out his store in Republic, Missouri, for some great deals … then listen closely, as Skyler details a gift certificate that’s sitting out somewhere in the store for the first person to find it. 

Meanwhile, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve preview their cooking plans leading up to Christmas and discuss the Kansas City Chiefs in the aftermath of their latest mistake-plagued defeat. We have one more show to close out 2023 and Season 5 before a holiday break.  

Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible: 
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked 
Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq 
Clark Crew BBQ #clarkcrewbbq
The Grill Guys of Missouri
Allquedup #arkassippicombo
Vietti Marketing Group #marketing 
Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza

Have a great BBQ week and weekend, and thanks for listening! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm