One Teaspoon From Disaster

Meet Your Celebrity Meat Judges

• Posted August 16, 2005 4:07 PM
• 0 Comments

Meet the people who know good meat, or at least who’ve agreed to sample some of your best barbecue next week.

The “Death to Summer Meat Fest” barbecue contest has five local celebrity judges who will rate your masterpiece on its overall taste, presentation, sauce originality and tenderness.

They will determine who takes home the first place prize of a Thermos tailgate grill/cooler combo valued at $200, the second place $75 cash prize and the third place dinner for two at Lytle Land & Cattle Co. and Sharon’s Barbeque & Catering.

It’s not too late to register for the contest. Click on the link above to enter. Then bring us a sampling of your best between 5 and 6 p.m. on Aug. 24 to the Reporter-News, 101 Cypress St. for judging.

Winners will be announced Aug. 31.

Meat Fest judges:

Name: Sharon Allen Age: 58 Occupation: restaurant owner, Lytle Land & Cattle Co and Sharon’s Barbeque and Catering Barbecue experience: “Lots of experience … More than most people ever want to know!” What defines good barbecue? “Tender, juicy, not over-seasoned. I like the essence of the meat to be the best part of the taste.”

Name: George Levesque
Age: 33
Occupation: anchor and assignments editor, KTXS-TV
Barbecue experience: Hosts the “What’s Cooking?” weekly TV segment and an avid cook.
What defines good barbecue? “BBQ is about originality, about taste and about those subtle enhancements that come from recipes you’ll take to the grave!”

Name: Lt. Col. Rob Maness Age: 43 Occupation: Commander of the 9th Bomb Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base Barbecue experience: “Limited to the best in the world — Tennessee BBQ!” What defines good barbecue? Tennessee-style BBQ

Name: Frank Pain Age: 35 Occupation: program director and host of “The Morning After!” show, KEYJ Rock 108 FM Barbecue experience: “I’m from friggin’ Texas — we all have vast experience in barbecue. I just can’t cook it, which is why I jumped at the opportunity to have someone cook it for me!” What defines good barbecue? “Probably Webster’s dictionary, they define everything.....except ‘Bubba,’ I still can’t find the word ‘Bubba’ in the dictionary.”

Name: Janet Van Vleet Age: 45 Occupation: Arts & Entertainment writer and columnist, Abilene Reporter-News Barbecue experience: “I’m from California where the term, “Come over for a barbecue” means cooking meat on the grill outside, not necessarily requiring barbecue sauce or rubs. After being in Abilene for two years, I’ve discovered how Texas does barbecue and I love it.” What defines good barbecue? “I prefer tender meat with a sweet, tart sauce with the tang of vinegar. Too much smoke flavor (added to the sauce, NOT from the grill) and you’ve lost me.”