Jasper County team wins cookoff at rodeo
Over the course of three days, more than 214,000 people came out for the 2023 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest at NRG Park. That’s up from about 158,000 last year, marking a return to pre-pandemic numbers.
Most attendees show up for a good time in the tents spread across the stadium parking lots, but the real stars of the cookoff are the competing teams — 250 of them this year, from all over the state and beyond, including eight international teams.
Crowned Saturday night in front of an enthusiastic crowd, overall Grand Champion team Jasper County Go Texan is no stranger to the cookoff, having won second place in the brisket category in 2022, among other accolades over the years. This year the East Texas team bested the competition with its cumulative score in all meat categories.
Cookoff teams competed in three main meat categories (brisket, ribs and chicken); Dutch oven desserts; and an “open” category that allows teams to create a gourmet dish that shows culinary skills beyond barbecue. The Junior Cook-off Contest featured steaks cooked by kids ages 8 to 14; Brodie Daniel took the top prize.
The winners of the 2023 World’s Championship BarB-Que Contest:
Grand Champion Overall: Jasper County Go Texan Reserve Champion Overall: McLennan County Go Texan
Brisket: Champion: Always Able But Confused Cookers, Second: San Augustine County Go Texan, Third: Metro Go Texan 1/BJ’s Blue Smoke BBQ
Ribs: Champion: Hardin County Go Texan, Second: Metro Go Texan 5/The Worms BBQ, Team Third: Rancho Cerveza
Chicken: Champion: Guzzlin’ Gourmets, Second: The Star of Texas Cooking Team, Third: Paloma Blanca
Go Texan: Grand Champion: Jasper County Go Texan, Reserve Champion: McLennan County Go Texan
Dutch oven dessert: Champion: Orange County Go Texan (TX Ooey Gooey Pecan Cheesecake), Second: Hardin County Go Texan (Pecan Pie Cheesecake), Third: Shelby County Go Texan (Nana’s German Chocolate
Cake)
Open Contest: Champion: Lonesome Dove Cookers (Turf and Surf), Second: Half Fast Cookers (Surf and Turf ), Third: Ritch’s Raiders (Shrimp Grits)
Junior Cook-off: Champion: Brodie Daniel, Metro Go Texan 1/BJ’s Blue Smoke BBQ, Second: Karley Aleksines, Williamson County, Third: Braxton Kolojaco, 300 Justice Road
Specialty awards: Best Façade: Limestone County Best, Best Overall Theme: Saddle Tramps, Best Skit: BOHICA