Summer means BBQ, and if you have lived in these parts for long you know that on the first Saturday of June each year Oconto is the place to be! The day started out on the rainy side, but the skies parted, a beautiful evening ensued, and the crowd gathered for great food. (Courier photo by Ellen Mortensen)

This aerial shot of the Blowin' The Doors Off BBQ was taken early in the evening on Saturday, June 1. The green space between the cooker tents filled in as the night went on, with more than 1,300 people attending. Money raised durng the BBQ benefits the Oconto Fire Department. (Photo courtesy Brett Eggleston)

More than 1,300 people took advantage of the beautiful weather on Saturday, June 1, to listen to some good music and eat fantastic BBQ. Though a rain shower moved through that morning, the skies cleared off by early afternoon and the annual Blowin’ The Doors Off BBQ went off without a hitch.

I have had the privilege of being invited to judge the BBQ competition several times over the years. The BBQ is my favorite event of the summer, and my husband and I have only missed one or two in its 23year history.

While visiting with the other judges, I discovered at least one who has judged nearly every competition since Blowin’ The Doors Off began. Mike Wendorff. He graciously agreed to be on the other side of the interview after spending decades in newspaper.

“I didn’t get invited until sufficient celebrities dropped out and they started going for the lower rungs,” Wendorff quipped. “I don’t really remember the circumstances, but I was probably whining about it and Brett offered me a judging position.

“I look forward to it, because I can brag to other people that I’m a BBQ judge which is good for just about a minute of fame,” he added with a laugh.

Wendorff said his favorite category to judge is ribs, but he also really likes the specialty category. “They come up with some wonderful creations on the specialty table. A lot of stuff that you don’t see out there at the actual BBQ because they make it special for us,” he shared. “There was a really nice peach cobbler today with ice cream. I don’t know how they cooked it, but it was good.”

When asked his least favorite category to judge Wendorff responded that would be sauce. “Because I need context with sauce.”

I then turned the tables and asked him if he was on the other side of the interview, what question

cont. PAGE 5 - BBQ would he ask next? In true Mike Wendorff fashion he responded, “How is that you have managed to stay so handsome all these years?” We both laughed for a while.

While the BBQ contest had several well-experienced judges on the panel, there were also a couple of first-timers. One of those was 2023 CHS graduate Abby Stallbaumer. She just finished her freshman year at Oklahoma State University where she is studying agribusiness and agricultural communications. This summer she is interning at K-Bear radio in Broken Bow, where long-time judge Adam Smith serves as station manager. I caught up with Abby at the conclusion of the judging to get her thoughts on the experience.

“I thought it was a lot of fun. I’m not the biggest cook so I had no idea what I was saying, but I could say I had some I liked more than others,” she said. “I got to judge the specialties, which was a lot of fun, and brisket and beans. I’m a brisket person, so that category was fun for me, but the specialties were really fun too.”

When asked if she would return as a judge in the future if asked, Stallbaumer responded, “Heck yeah!”

Grill masters for this year’s contest were: 3 Amigos BBQ from Palisade, Nelson BBQ from Oconto and Colorado, Anselmo Fire Department, Limp Brisket from Lexington, Ribzilla from Cambridge, Slow Poke BBQ from Oconto, and Double D’s BBQ from North Platte.

When all the judges' results were tallied, these were the results of the 2024 Blowin’ The Doors Off BBQ contest.

Specialty - 1st Limp Brisket-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin 2nd Slow Poke-Cowboy Pig Shots 3rd Anselmo Fire-Beef Tenderloin Slider Pulled Pork - 1st Smokin' Double D's Slow 2nd Limp Brisket 3rd Anselmo Fire Beans - 1st Anselmo Fire 2nd 3 Amigo's 3rd Limp Brisket Pork Ribs - 1st Anselmo Fire 2nd Smokin' Double D's 3rd Limp Brisket Sauce - 1st Anselmo Fire 2nd Limp Brisket 3rd Slow Poke Beef Brisket - 1st Limp Brisket 2nd Smokin' Double D's 3rd 3 Amigo's OVERALL - 1st Limp Brisket 2nd Anselmo Fire 3rd Smokin' Double D's Judges for the 2024 Blowin’ The Doors Off BBQ contest were: Adam Smith-KBear Radio; Morgan Smith-Nebraska Ale Works; Ellen Mortensen-Callaway Courier; Arthur Holland-Baxter Toyota of Lincoln; Tim Reith-NTV; Shawn Jacobs-NWS North Platte; Mike Wendorff; Jeff Purinton; Cory Clay-Custer County Emergency Management; Steve Fowler-Grocery Kart; Brandon Benitz; and Abby Stallbaumer-KBear Radio Intern.

Sponsors for the event were: JR Meyer Insurance, State Farm Insurance, Broken Bow Grocery Kart, V Bar Trailer Sales, AKRS Equipment, Trotter Inc., Evans Feed, Rock's Underground, Platte Valley Auto, Gateway Motors, Mills Hardware, Thomas Livestock, MRK Trucking, Adams Land and Cattle, Sandhills Open Road Challenge, Heartland Chevrolet, Agri-Best Feeds, Downey Drilling, Nebraska Owners Insurance, Cash-Wa Distributing, Crossroads Welding, Badgley Well Service, Eggleston Oil, Big Jim's Bar, Custer County Feeders, Shotgun Annie's Saloon, Callaway True Value, Callaway Market, Sunbelt Rentals, Custer County Ag Society, Heath Johnson Farms, Don Nelson Knives, Leth's Gun Care, and National Weather Service-North Platte.

Brett Eggleston, organizer of the BBQ for the past 17 years, also wanted to acknowledge the landowners for the use of their land, spouses, and other helpers who jumped in to make the event run smoothly.