SHAWNEE MISSION, Kan., Oct. 1, 2019 – It seems as though a pattern is developing. For the second year in a row, the first- and second-place teams in the
American Royal World Series of Barbecue® Open Competition rib category cooked with
Prairie Fresh® ribs to secure their top spots.
First-place winner Smokin' Hooks of Portland, Texas, and second-place finisher Smoke N Babes BBQ, of Olathe, Kan., were among the 13 teams using Prairie Fresh
® pork that placed in the top 20 of the pork, ribs or overall divisions of the Open Meats Contest.
Prairie Fresh awarded top 20 teams using its products with additional prize money and also matched those amounts in donations on the teams' behalf to
Operation BBQ Relief (OBR), an organization that provides meals to displaced residents and emergency personnel during times of natural and other disasters.
In total, Prairie Fresh is donating $2,450 to the 501.c.3 Disaster Relief Organization based in Pleasant Hill, Mo., including $750 in the name of Smokin' Hooks and $500 courtesy of Smoke N Babes BBQ.
"Talk about a dream come true," says Ryan Deal, Smokin' Hooks pitmaster. "I think most teams go to the American Royal Barbecue hoping to do well but to hit a first place rib is definitely something we will never forget! The American Royal is the Super Bowl of BBQ!"
To qualify for the additional prize money and OBR donations, teams were required to cook with Prairie Fresh pork, hang a Prairie Fresh banner in their space and post to social media using Prairie Fresh hashtags.
Four hundred and ninety teams competed in the Open Meats Contest.
"We're thrilled and honored that the best pitmasters in the world competed with Prairie Fresh pork in the American Royal World Series of Barbecue," says David Eaheart, Prairie Fresh senior director of communications & brand marketing. "We extend a special congratulations to Smokin' Hooks for first place and Smoke N Babes BBQ for second place in the rib category of the Open Meats Contest."
Congratulations to the following top-20 teams who used Prairie Fresh products at the American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Meats Competition.
Open Rib category: 1
st – Smokin' Hooks, Portland, Texas
2
nd – Smoke N Babes BBQ, Olathe, Kan.
5
th – Sublime BBQ, Olathe, Kan.
9
th – Slap's BBQ, Kansas City, Kan.
10
th – Kesner Family, Kansas City, Mo.
14
th – Man Meat BBQ, Stilwell, Kan.
19
th – Tebo Creek BBQ, Belton, Mo.
Open Pork category: 3
rd – Texas-car-b-que, Carrollton, Texas
7
th – Smokin' Dan, Owasso, Okla.
12
th – Oklahoma Joe's Serious Que, St. Louis, Mo.
13
th – Old Virginia Smoke, Bristow, Va.
Overall: 4
th – Oklahoma Joe's Serious Que, St. Louis, Mo.
8
th – Old Virginia Smoke, Bristow, Va.
10
th – Man Meat BBQ, Stilwell, Kan.
14
th – Fergolicious, Olathe, Kan.
17
th – BYO Grill, St. Louis, Mo.
19
th – Sublime BBQ, Olathe, Kan.
20
th – Smokin' Hooks, Portland, Texas
The 40
th American Royal World Series of Barbecue, regarded as the world's largest barbecue competition, was held Sept. 12-15 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.
About Prairie Fresh Prairie Fresh
® is the brand of a uniquely connected food system that relentlessly seeks a better way to produce wholesome pork by purposely connecting every step between its farms and family tables around the world. This commitment ensures the well-being of the animals, the environment, employees and the communities they call home. Sold and marketed by Seaboard Foods, Prairie Fresh is the official pork supplier to Operation BBQ Relief (OBR) and provided pork for OBR to serve 751,000 meals in 2018 for deployments and 350,000 to date in 2019.
Prairie Fresh Online: prairiefresh.com facebook.com/PrairieFresh instagram.com/prairiefresh ###