History . . .

I have worked in meat processing, from slaughter to finished products of all variety’s, from Georgia to New York State, beginning in 1976.  I have spent almost 10 years cutting meat in the retail setting.  
 
Cooking competitively since 1996, and as part of the Buttrub.com Competition Cooking Team, we have ranked  in the top 10 cooking teams for the past 6 years.  
 
I owe a lot of my success to the barbeque community from which I have learned the “Art of Barbeque Cooking”.   In the spring of 99 I attended Ed Roith’s cooking school and later that year I also took his judging class and was certified as a KCBS BBQ Judge.  Publications such as the KC Bullsheet and The National Barbeque News, not to mention the many books now available on how to barbeque,  have also provided a wealth of knowledge.  But I must say,  some of the best help has come from fellow cooks.  In July of 2000,  I started cooking with Byron Chism, graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and President of Bad Byron’s Specialty Food Products,  Inc.    I have learned a great deal from him and cooking as a team has been very rewarding.  Some of the highlights of the Buttrub.com Competition Barbeque Team accomplishments is winning the Illinois State BBQ Championship two years in a row, the 2001 Grand Champion at the American Royal Invitational Barbecue Contest (the Superbowl of BBQ), and in 2002 placing 3rd Overall out of 370 Competing Teams at the World’s Largest Barbeque Contest, The American Royal Open.   One of my proudest moments in the competition circuit was taking the First Place Trophy in Whole Hog at the Jack Daniels World Championship in 2000. 
 
My approach to cooking is that there is always something new to learn.