Barbecue fans gathered on Aug. 1 at the Ohio State Fair to see which top-notch barbecue competitor would come out victorious in the Ohio Pork Council’s annual Pork Rib-Off competition.
The participants vied for top honors in categories for ribs, pulled pork, people’s choice and barbecue sauce, the Ohio Pork Council said in a release. Ale Yeah BBQ of Delaware, Ohio, was awarded Grand Champion Pork Ribs. Bark Brothers BBQ of Cincinnati, Ohio, was awarded Grand Champion Pulled Pork.
The grand champions and their competitors were scored by a group of four judges that included Virgil Strickler, Ohio Expo Center & State Fair General Manager; Representative Bob Peterson (R-17); Jeff Reese, Ohio Ag Net; and Gregory J. Lestini, Bricker Graydon.
“This is the only day that I come to the fair because I know there will be amazing barbecue,” a fairgoer who has come specifically on Rib-Off day for the last eight years told the Ohio Pork Council. “This is something that I look forward to coming to every year for the amazing pork.”
For the past 25 years, the Pork Rib-Off has been hosted annually by the Ohio Pork Council on the first Tuesday of the Ohio State Fair.
Other highlights include:
- Reserve Champion Ribs: Bark Brothers
- Reserve Champion Pulled Pork: JR’s Place, Millersburg, Ohio
- Champion BBQ Sauce: Smoke ‘Em If You’ve Got ‘Em of Middleport, Ohio
- People’s Choice Award: Hickory River BBQ of Tipp City, Ohio
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