There’s a new No. 1 team in the KCBS Team of the Year standings this week and we talk it over with Joe Pearce of Slaps BBQ on Episode 124 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show Podcast.

Joe discusses the grind of cooking doubleheaders, the chase for Team of the Year and what he looks for in the details after receiving his scoresheets. We also touch on the BBQ restaurant business (Joe and brother Mike’s SLAPS is arguably Kansas City’s best) and what Joe likes to cook at home.

The effort to give exposure to up-and-coming teams continues in our “Under the Radar” segment. We go to South Dakota to learn more about BNB BBQ where Brooks Alexander and B.J. Hughes are knocking on that Grand Championship door. When that GC happens, the couple say they’ll take the leap from engaged to married.

Meanwhile, Lyndal and Steve recap their cooking weeks, included the Tailgate Guys BBQ team’s leap into a tough field (including Joe and Slaps) at the double KCBS cook in Osceola, Missouri. The highlight: A first-day call in Brisket and a notable Day 2 improvement in chicken.

Thanks to our sponsor/marketing partners who make our show possible: Blues Hog BBQ Sauce, Royal Oak Charcoal, The Butcher Shoppe, Iowa BBQ Store, Affordable Income Tax & Payroll, DDR Fabrication, Arkassippi Smoke Live and The Arkassippi Combo, Vietti Marketing, In the Garden of Eden and The BBQ League. Special thanks to Marty “Sign Man” Prather and Domino’s Pizza, an “Official American Royal World Series of BBQ” sponsor of our team.

Have a great BBQ Week!