February 25, 2008

LIVINGSTON, Ala.--The University of West Alabama will host the first Kansas City Barbeque Society sanctioned Sucarnochee BBQ & Blues Cook-off on April 18-19 in Livingston, in conjunction with the fifth annual Sucarnochee Folklife Festival.

“We're excited about our first KCBS event, The Sucarnochee BBQ & Blues Cook-off,” said Dr. Tina N. Jones, event organizer. “Barbecue is a part of the traditional folkways of this area, and we feel that a cook-off sanctioned by KCBS will give our great cooks of the region the opportunity to showcase their talents on a larger stage.”
 

The cook-off boasts a total payout of $7,000. Professional cooking teams will compete for cash prizes in four categories: chicken, ribs, pork and brisket. The grand champion team will receive $1,000, with reserve grand champion taking home $750. First, second and third prizes in each category will earn $500, $350 and $200, respectively. An additional $150 will be awarded to the team with the best barbecue sauce.
 

Backyard teams competing with ribs can earn $250, $200 or $100 for placing. Young cookers in the kid’s chicken category can take home $75, $50 or $25 prizes.
 

Entry fees range from $250 for professional teams, $125 for backyard teams and $25 each in the barbecue sauce and kid’s chicken competition. Each team will receive five tickets to Thursday night’s catfish dinner and five tickets for Friday night’s social, along with T-shirts and other giveaways.
 

With more than 8,500 professional members, KCBS sanctions and judges nearly 300 barbecue competitions in 44 states, promoting barbecue as America's cuisine. KCBS sanctions competitions by providing the most respected form of judging and scoring in the world of barbecue. The organization provides a representative for each contest and an appropriate number of certified judges who have been trained to judge world-class barbecue in a blind judging process. KCBS judges are trained to appropriately judge all types of barbecue, from St. Louis and Texas styles to Memphis and Carolina styles.
 

For more information or to sign up for the cook-off, please contact Monica Moore at 205-652-3497 or visit www.centerforblackbelt.org.