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Women in BBQ
Wow! There are so many Smokin’ Ladies in BBQ! Barbecue used to be a man’s world, but times have changed. Two years ago, Car- olyn Wells nominated me for a business award and I won. I sat down with her a few months later to say thank you, and she said, “I was so proud to hear you won. You’re making it in a man’s world, I’m cheering for you.” Women are awesome like that; a constant community of cheerleaders. Pair that with an amazing
Jen Canfield
Pittie Q BBQ-Backyard BBQ Team
Day Job: Analyst
BBQ Job: Competition Team
My Motto? Because we are
huge fans of Letterkenny we
are always yelling “FERDA”
How did you get started in
BBQ? My husband actually
tried to start a team with a
friend, but the night before
their first competition he
couldn’t make it so he called
me in a panic. I drove up bright
an early the next morning with
my two step daughters and the
rest is history!
What award are you most proud of winning? Our 8th place Chicken at Minnesota in May. It was a first competition and the fact that we got a call showed we had what it took to be able to compete.
Best BBQ Secret You’ve Learned? How important it is to remove the fat from the skin of your chicken thighs. This time last year, I didn’t even know there was fat on the skin!
Secret to your team’s success? We take every competition as a learning experience and truly take the judges’ comments to heart. We discuss what we can change and research what we can do to change it.
Who is your BBQ Mentor? My husband Troy. He would do the
BBQ family and it is easy to understand why people fall in love with the BBQ lifestyle. So many husband/wife teams, families, and women are out there catering, judging, starting businesses, and winning! Let’s be honest, the Dobosenski girls are ready to go pro! To all the BBQ ladies and girls out there...we’re all cheering for you!
grilling/smoking and I would do the cooking inside. He has taught me the right color, the correct way to start coals, and everything that goes into this.
What’s one thing you never BBQ without? My homemade BBQ sauces that I came up with from scratch.
Melissa Raddatz
Smoke Addiction BBQ Team Brainerd, MN
Day Job: We run a small beef farm and I work for the Brain- erd School District
BBQ Job: Competing on Smoke Addiction BBQ Team. My Motto? Never think you know it all
What’s Your Team Role? I do
everything from mixing rub to
selecting which ribs are going
to get turned in to be judged!
Secret to your team’s suc-
cess? always be willing to
change things up a bit. We changed a few things with our rub and sauce, since then we have placed many more times!
Who is your BBQ Mentor? My husband and team member Lind- sey. We work so well together and have a lot of fun!
What’s one thing you never BBQ without? A smile on my face. I am always motivated to place and even more, have fun! I always love meeting new people that have the same passion for barbecuing like I do!
TWO PART SERIES
By Claire Driessen
Minnesota Upcoming Events
February 8, 2020: MN BBQ Society will host our annual meeting and awards ceremony at Doubletree by Hilton in Bloomington, MN. April 11, 2020: Spring Training 2020, University of Minnesota Andrew Boss Meat Science Laboratory, Falcon Heights, MN, FMI:
http://mnbbqsociety.com/classes.
JOIN US • #MNBBQCREW • Facebook.com/mnbbqsociety
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