Barbecue contests are serious business. Major competitions and festivals now take place in twenty-eight states, and there are twenty BBQ associations and societies across the country committed to encouraging the art of smoking and grilling meat. While thousands of chefs compete for the best ribs or brisket, low-key backyard BBQ competitions are springing up all over the country, offering amateur smokers the chance to become the neighborhood BBQ king or queen.

Arthur Aguirre’s BBQ team, Major League Grilling, has won nearly twenty awards in his first two years of BBQ competition, including Grand Champion at the Soybean Festival in Mexico, Missouri. In this book he compiles his prize-winning recipes with those of competitors across the country to offer the best rib, pit-fired poultry, brisket, and pulled pork recipes. From applewood smoked turkey to Napa Valley ribs to smoked meatloaf in a bacon weave, this book has something for every BBQ enthusiast. In addition, readers will find tips for concocting the perfect rubs, glazes, and sauces.