Que on the Yazoo, Greenwood’s annual barbecue competition sanctioned by the Memphis Barbecue Network, began ramping up Friday.
Tents have been pitched, and food trucks have been parked on Front, Howard and Main streets downtown. The event continues Saturday.
“This kind of kicks off the season for us,” said Drew Griffin of Cleveland, who is competing with his grilling sidekick, Zach Grubb of Hollandale. “It’s nice to get it back going.”
The two are longtime friends who have participated in several barbecue competitions.
“It gets kind of addicting,” Griffin said. “Once you start winning a couple of trophies, get a couple of calls ... it becomes an addiction.”
Que on the Yazoo is a fundraising event for Main Street Greenwood. It wasn’t held for two years due to cancellations resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, but it returned this weekend under warm, sunny skies.
Drew Griffin, left, and Zach Grubb say barbecue competitions get addicting once you start winning. (By Kevin Edwards)
Griffin and Grubb said they were hoping the weather doesn’t get too humid.
“I think we’ll be OK today,” Grubb said. “Humidity isn’t that bad, so I don’t think we’ll have a problem with the pit. When that humidity is high, fires don’t cooperate.”
Que on the Yazoo is one of the four Delta BBQ Battle events. The others are the Great Ruleville Roast in Ruleville plus Delta State University’s Pig Pickin’ and Octoberfest’s Mississippi Delta State Barbecue Championship, both in Cleveland.
Que on the Yazoo’s People’s Choice competition, which requires a $5 entry fee, allows anyone to sample the barbecue entries. It is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The Bloody Mary bar will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
There will also be a fashion show featuring six dogs and their handlers from the Leflore County Humane Society at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Titled “Fashion for the Fur,” it is a partnership with retailers Fincher’s Inc. and Smith & Co.
Ulysses Kelly of Greenwood partnered with a friend, Shannon Terry, for this year’s barbecue competition. The two are entering with pulled pork and ribs.
Kelly said he enjoys the camaraderie. “It’s fun. I like cooking, and I like to try to do some good flavors for these ribs.”
Howard Hill of Greenwood, known as “Buck” to friends, turns 60 on Sunday and is entering his first competition.
“Just throwing myself a birthday party,” he said.
He recalled selling hamburgers and hot dogs for Greenwood’s CROP Day in 1985 and also serving as arm-wrestling judge.
Stationed at the intersection of Front and Howard streets, he pointed down the road to where his vendor station was. “I was cooking so many hamburgers I had grease running out in the street.”
He’s cooking Boston butt, pork loin and catfish for the competition. He hasn’t decided on what rub he wants to use and is debating between his homemade recipe “Love Spice” and a store-bought rub.
Describing his recipe, he said, “You just open up your spice cabinet and just dump everything in.”
He said he’s doing it for fun but would consider entering more competitions if he wins.
“I have a big barbecue grill that’s on a trailer,” he said. “It’ll cook a whole hog. If I win this, next year I may enter the whole hog competition.”
- Contact Kevin Edwards at 662-581-7233 or kedwards@gwcommonwealth.com.
