MURPHYSBORO, Ill. (WSIL) -- The results are in for the 37th Annual .
Amy Mills, with 17th Street Barbecue, announced the winners of the cook-off celebration at the culmination of the three-day event.
The competition brought in a record 119 teams from more than 20 states for the competition.
The competition announced the Grand Champions, along with other winners in the various categories. Winners are able to claim bragging rights, entry into the Kansas City Royal, the Jack Daniel’s draw and the World Steak Cook-off. There were also more than $36,000 awarded in prize money.
There were other competitions on hand as well, including the Illinois Soybean Association's Field of Beans series, Doubleheader Steak Cook-off and Tacos and Appetizers contests.
The Praise the Lard Cook-Off had fish, wings, chicken, shoulder, ribs, brisket and a whole hog contest which were evaluated by the Memphis Barbecue Network (MBN) and Kansas City Barbecue Society.
"The three-day event continues to pay tribute to the memory of my dad, Mike Mills, affectionately known as “The Legend,â€� who passed away at the end of 2020," Amy Mills said. "Originating as a one-day effort hosted by him to benefit the community, Praise the Lard Cook-Off has become as much a jewel in the crown on the barbecue circuit as one of the most anticipated fall weekends in the world of barbecue. We’re so proud to showcase the city of Murphysboro and show the teams and judges the gracious hospitality that is a trademark of ¾ÅÓÎÌåÓý Illinois. We’re continuing his legacy of promoting barbecue as a conduit for community."
Winning teams received a unique, one-of-a-kind hand-blown glass apple, which was exclusively crafted for The Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off. This glass apple was made by the Douglass School Art Place in Murphysboro.
The two Grand Champions also each received a chainsaw-carved pig from ¾ÅÓÎÌåÓý Illinois Chainsaw Carving in Marion, Illinois.
Below is the 2024 Praise the Lard Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-off Results...
MBN GRAND CHAMPION:
Ain't It The Life (in pork)
RIBS
- Ain’t It The Life
- Smoke Til Ya Broke
- Goin� Hog’n
- Smoke Masters
- Get Your Grill On
PULLED PORK
- Ain’t It The Life
- Que N D 662
- Smoke Masters BBQ
- Poker Porkers
- BBQ Bus
WHOLE HOG
- Swine Life BBQ
- Will Be Que BBQ
- Church of Swinetology
- Old Booger Bears BBQ
- Poker Porkers
KCBS GRAND CHAMPION:
The BBQ Bus
KCBS RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION:
We Will Rock ’Que
CHICKEN
- Good Googly Goo BBQ
- Iowa’s Smokey D’s BBQ
- DB-BBQ
- Continental Barbeque Co
- Machete Boys BBQ
RIBS
- Janky Leg BBQ
- Bleacher Bums BBQ
- Man Meat BBQ
- Glamping Grillers
- Continental Barbeque Co.
PORK
- SmokinGhost BBQ
- Blinkeys Offset BBQ
- The BBQ Bus
- Hefty Lefty BBQ
- Rusty Pig BBQ
BRISKET
- Man Meat BBQ
- Mulkeys BBQ
- Smoke Masters BBQ
- QueU
- The BBQ Bus
ILLINOIS SOY FIELD OF BEANS
- Triple H BBQ
- SmokinGhost BBQ
- Janky Leg BBQ
- Mulkey’s BBQ
- Can Country Outlaw BBQ
ILLINOIS SOY FIELD OF BEANS MURPHYSBORO WINNER
The BBQ Bus
SCA COOK-OFF 1
- TIE Rusty Hadacek
- TIE Heath Bletzacker
- Dale Benson
- Tim Brown
- Pat McDevitt
SCA COOK-OFF 2
- Melissa McDevitt
- Jeff Jacobsen
- Rodney Jones
- Marty Plute
- Tom Sieck
- Rusty Jadacek
- Scott MacDonald
- Cooper Wallace
- Kevin Jaenke
- Joe Osbrink
Appetizer
- Pat McDevitt
- Aaron Christ
- Brandon Scott
- TIE Kaleb Green
- TIE Lindsay McDonald
Taco
- Melissa McDevitt/WI
- Laura Lea Green/MO
- Kaleb Green/AR
- Sandy Brown/IL
- Pat McDevitt/WI
- Virgil Smith/MO