For several years, Steven’s assistant, Nancy Loseke, has had “get certified as a Kansas City Barbeque Society judge” on her bucket list. Thanks to KCBS instructor Mike Lake, who is also the President of KCBS, Nancy got her wish, as did the more than 50 other barbeque enthusiasts who attended the 6-hour class in Emmetsburg, Iowa, last month.

If you’re not familiar with it, the Kansas City Barbeque Society is the closest thing to a ruling government that barbeque has. With more than 13,000 members worldwide, this nonprofit organization has an unimpeachable mission:
“to celebrate, teach, preserve, and promote barbeque as a culinary technique, sport, and art form.” And promote it does, sanctioning more than 300 barbeque
events each year in the U.S., including the prestigious Memphis in May and the American Royal. No wonder successful competitive barbequers know its rulebook by heart.

Of course, those events need judges who are equally well-versed in the rules, which is why the KCBS sponsors classes across the country each year. For more information on membership and/or judging schools, visit Kansas City Barbeque Society.