These Vancouver barbecue masters may have been all buddy-buddy before the pulled pork competition at the Vancouver Home and Garden Show on Wednesday, but that was before they turned up the oil in their frying pans.
Duking it out for the championship title were Robert Luft, whose pulled pork is on the menu at President's Choice, and his partner in basting Paul Shipton, the fast-on-their-feet Chester Carey and Michael Kaisaris of Re-up BBQ and George Siu and Park Heffelfinger, the gourmand minds behind Memphis Blues BBQ.
The first round was a chance for all of them to display their mastery with a roasted pork. but round two certainly spiced things up. Each team was given a Black Box with agave syrup, corn nuts, and cheddar cheese as the secret ingredients to add to their new pulled pork dishes, reports our man at the show, Sujinder Juneja.
"Reup BBQ offered a Santa-Fe style chilli," Juneja says, "while Memphis Blues presented a trio of Asian-inspired pulled pork dishes. Robert won the judges over with truffle oil infused Mac and cheese and a shot of bourbon!"
