Each cook has a specialty, but who’s sharing? 

Pony rides and a petting zoo remained outside the Cyr-Gates Community Center last Saturday while the music, fun jumps and craft booths moved inside. Cedric Theyard, the conductor of the mini-train, faithfully drove families from the front gate to the barbecue tents and back again. The park was surprisingly filled with cars for a rain-threatened day.

The rain may have dampened the atmosphere, but not the spirit of anticipation as the aroma of smokers and pits brought anticipation of the taste of barbecue to festival-goers. Cooking teams completed sample plates for judges as the ticketed plate lunch patrons started lining up at Saturday’s Festival of Live Oaks and Jaycee Barbecue Cookoff.

Today’s recipes are not a reflection of the victories won at the cookoff. Secrets were not shared by the competitors who vie annually for bragging rights. The recipes, however, have been eaten by family and friends for many decades and may inspire new recipes and are similar to a couple of dishes sampled at the cookoff.

Accidental Cook

Christopher Anthony from Loreauville was the first to hold back his winning recipes. He has been attending the Live Oak Festival Jaycees Barbecue Cookoff since 2008. He said barbecuing and cooking in general are his passion. The barbecue cookoff is the only cooking competition he attends but is considering adding others this year.

“It use to be about winning,” Anthony said. “Now it’s about coming out here and having fun. As you can see with the weather today, we’re doing the best we can.”

He must have done something right. Last weekend Anthony, under the name CJ’s BBQ, won second place for Professional Chicken, second place Professional Ribs and first place Professional Road Kill. He didn’t start out to be a professional chef, but after dining at friends homes, his reputation started something he continues to enjoy doing.

Anthony said he would go to friends houses for a cookout, see what they were doing at the pit and tell them, “you don’t know how to barbecue.” Then he would take over the pit. He said his theory is, “no pit is big enough for two men.”

“I’d be on the pit and they would have a sit down,” Anthony said. “They’d end up watching and I’d be cooking. I’ve been cooking ever since.”

Since 2009, Anthony has been preparing 50 to 75 plates regularly for friends and others with word of mouth requests or texts for his barbecue.

Strictly Amateur

Friends who get together and cook once a year for competition at the Festival of Live Oaks also must be doing something right. Butch Metz is the head chef for the K&B BBQ team. Clarence “Chuchie” Loston, Eric Metz and Kerry Joe are part of the rest of the team. Butch Metz said his secret recipe is not for sharing, except when it comes to eating.

As a short cut on a dreary rainy day, they opted for a store bought sauce as the base that they doctored up. It proved to be a winning combination. K&B BBQ won first place for Amateur Chicken, first place for Amateur Ribs, first place for Amateur Brisket and the People’s Choice award. No one knows how they mastered the straight run, they’re not sharing recipes. It must be something about men and the pit.

There is a secret to the perfect barbecue chef, however, one that is not automatic for indoor cooks. It requires a balance of the right cut of meat, sauces and the method of smoking or grilling. Unfortunately, other than reporting the results, unless residents were fortunate enough to have been in serving lines and guessed the ingredients, the mystery remains.

Another dish that can only be speculated about is the Smoked Jambalaya they served as a side dish. Metz said they use all smoked meats — turkey, sausage and Boston butt with field peas. They’ve won other competitions with the jambalaya and with any luck, they will enter The Daily Iberian Cajun Creole Cookoff or allow the recipe to be featured in this year’s cookbook.

Robert Landry with the New Iberia Quarterback Club said he only does the Festival of Live Oaks and Wild Game Cookoff. This year he prepared ribs, pork chops and chicken, but again, no recipes. He cooks by sight. The team won third place in Amateur Chicken, second for Amateur Ribs and second for Amateur Road Kill.

Dustin Suire, who won first place for professional chicken, ribs and barbecue sauce, as well as Freddie DeCourt, who won third for amateur ribs and second for amateur brisket, were not available for comments.

Win or Loose, its a team effort

Carlos Martin, Cressie Daniel and Big Johnny Rae Sam were the busy cooks in charge of preparing the plates for the judges and people standing in line to try the David Merrill team barbecue. Several others from Zion Hill Christian Fellowship were there for support. The smoker they were using was a monster and was likely the secret to their success. They won third place for Amateur Brisket, mighty tasty for third place, and first place for Amateur Road Kill.

While the smoker was doing its work, the unique looking barbecue beans got well-deserved attention. The ingredients — which included ground beef, sausage, green onions, bell peppers in red, yellow, and green — were all Martin had time to share. A similar sounding recipe is included in today’s recipes.

Cornelius Joseph spoke for the team saying it didn’t matter if they placed high with the judges, they were there in support of their friend David Merrill, who is running for mayor pro-tem. Conversations were the fruit of workers coming together for a good time. David Ditch was close by engaged in conversation when Cornelius Joseph, always eager to share his thoughts about everyone coming together, said, “Each one teach one.”

A true philosophy. Now, if we could only get those barbecue cooks to teach us their recipe secrets, we’d all be cooking like the professionals and amateurs from this year’s cookoff.