Page 43 - Barbecue News Magazine May 2022

Brian Decoud
By: Donna Fong butchersdaughter@hotmail.com
At the age of 54, the great American business- man, Lee Iacocca, was fired from his job as presi- dent of the Ford Motor company after 32 years of service. At the time, he had the wherewithal to gather his senses and write, “In times of great stress and adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.” Iacocca went on to become president of Chrysler and saved it from the brink of collapse.
Without a doubt, many positive things have come from the last two years, and I see it as one of mankind’s greatest worldwide scientific experi- ments. Luckily, BBQ people can endure adversity and thrive; case in point, Brian DeCoud, KCBS Master CBJ based in California. Five years ago, someone asked him where the best BBQ in Los Angeles was. He admitted he didn’t know but
that left him curious. He invited 14 BBQ judges to join him for a BBQ dinner in downtown LA and BBQ Meatings was formed.
Over time, the core whittled down to 6-8 people once a month. The general topics were about the BBQ they ate and the traffic they fought to get there. What is not discussed are politics, race, ethics, or religion...just BBQ. Brian loved it be- cause people from different cultures could sit at the same table and share a meal like family.
When the pandemic made eating together impos- sible, Brian pivoted to a monthly virtual meeting for California judges on zoom. At each BBQ Meating, he would ask judges to talk about their experiences at restaurants and share photos. With fewer restaurants open for business, he began to invite a monthly guest so his audience
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