America's Best Barbecue: Recipes and Techniques for Prize-Winning Ribs, Wings, Brisket, and More

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...