Is New York Barbecue America's Best?

OAKLAND, Calif., May 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Start spreading the news: New York barbecue can compete with anyone.

Or at least that's become a common refrain among the scribes who chronicle the world of smoke. Now, Kingsford Charcoal, the fuel that fires barbecue pits nationwide, is putting that notion – ludicrous just a few years ago – to the test.

The trial by (and with) fire will transpire at the 3^rd annual Kingsford Invitational taking place at Hudson River Park's Pier 26 on May 1^st and 2^nd. The Kingsford Invitational seeks to name a best of the best in barbecue by pitting the winners of the nation's top barbecue contests against each other in a high-stakes, winner-take-all competition. This year, in addition to the winners of the most prestigious barbecue competitions in America, Kingsford is giving a team from New York the chance to shed the city's underdog status as a barbecue capital once and for all. The team will be comprised of three top New York barbecue restaurant chefs hand-selected by food and lifestyle authority Thrillist.com. 

"With the Kingsford Invitational back in New York, we thought it was time to see if New York pitmasters can hang with the best," said Kingsford associate marketing director Lauren Kahn. "Since the Kingsford Invitational brings together winners from the country's top barbecue regions, it is the perfect place to determine if the country's culinary capital can bring home the bacon, or if those raving about the rising scene are just blowing smoke."

Six teams will put their skills to the test with the hope of walking away with $50,000 – the biggest prize in competition barbecue. The teams vying for bragging rights and the cash prize represent the best barbecue regions in the country and include:

• The Dirty Water Dogs, New York's team of Billy Durney (Hometown Bar-B-Que), Hugh Mangum (Mighty Quinn's Barbeque) and Will Horowitz (Ducks Eatery)
• Bar-B-Que Commanders (Grand Champion, Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest)
• Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q (2014 Grand Champion, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest)
• Warren County Pork Choppers (Grand Champion, Blue Ridge BBQ Festival)
• Cool Smoke (Grand Champion, American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Contest)
• Rescue Smokers (Grand Champion, BBQ Pitmasters TV show)

The competition winner can't simply rely on skill with just one item. Competitors will need to turn in expertly barbecued meat in three categories: brisket, "pick your pork" (ribs, shoulder or whole hog), and chicken. The fourth category, the One Bite Challenge, presented by Walmart, is unique to the Kingsford Invitational. Each team will prepare a steak that represents their home region using a charcoal grill and five ingredients or less, including a top-quality Walmart USDA Choice Premium steak provided by the retailer. Designed to allow the teams to showcase their backyard, fire-fueled cooking chops, the winning team will receive $5,000 and an extra point added to their overall score, making this component a crucial part of the competition.

Judging for the three core categories will be blind and the judges include:

• Melissa Cookston (first-ever Kingsford Invitational winner, author of "Smokin in the Boys Room")
• Brad Orrison (Founder of The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint in Mississippi)
• Moe Cason (Ponderosa BBQ team lead from Des Moines, Iowa and judge on Destination America's BBQ Pitmasters)
• Amy Mills (author of "Peace Love & BBQ," daughter to legendary barbecue expert Mike Mills who runs 17th Street BBQ in Southern Illinois)
• Ben Robinson (Thrillist.com editorial director)

A special on the competition will premiere on Destination America on Memorial Day, May 25, 2015 at 10/9 CT. The show will be hosted by Dhani Jones, a former pro football player who started his career in New York and frequently fires up his grill at home. For more information on the Kingsford Invitational visit www.Kingsford.com and follow #KingsfordInvitational on social media to track the 'cue conversation.

About Kingsford® Charcoal
For nearly 100 years, the Kingsford® Charcoal brand has been synonymous with the authentic barbecue experience. Kingsford products, including original blue bag, Match Light, Competitions Briquets, and the flavored briquets and chips are a fixture of outdoor cooking worldwide. The brand is part of The Clorox Company, a leading multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products with about 7,700 employees worldwide and fiscal year 2014 sales of $5.5 billion. In addition to Kingsford Charcoal, Clorox markets some of the most trusted and recognized consumer brand names, including its namesake bleach and cleaning products; Pine-Sol® cleaners; Liquid Plumr® clog removers; Poett® home care products; Fresh Step® cat litter; Glad® bags, wraps and containers; Hidden Valley® and KC Masterpiece® dressings and sauces and Burt's Bees® natural personal care products. The company also markets brands for professional services, including Clorox Healthcare®, HealthLink®, Aplicare® and Dispatch® infection control products for the healthcare industry.  

About Destination America
Destination America is the only network to celebrate the people, places, and stories of the United States. The inclusive network targeting Adults 25-54 is available in nearly 60 million homes, emblazoning television screens with the grit and tenacity, honesty and work ethic, humor and adventurousness that characterize our nation. Destination America features travel, food, adventure, home, and natural history, with original series like BBQ Pitmasters; A Haunting; Mountain Monsters; Buying Alaska; Buying the Bayou; and Railroad Alaska. For more information, please visit DestinationAmerica.com, facebook.com/DestinationAmerica, or twitter.com/DestAmerica. Destination America is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 pay-tv programmer reaching nearly 3 billion cumulative subscribers in 220 countries and territories.

SOURCE Kingsford Charcoal

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