A Legendary Place for Barbecue
For the last 37 years, the Murphysboro Praise the Lard Cook-Off has been a cornerstone on the national barbecue circuit, having earned the reputation as one of the best three-days to experience and celebrate the competitive barbecue culture. This year, 17th Street Barbecue was thrilled to welcome a record 119 teams from 20 states, all seeking to be one of the 2024 Praise the Lard Cook-Off winners. They competed for Grand Champion bragging rights, entry into the Kansas City Royal, the Jack Daniel’s draw and over $36,000 in prize money.
This year also saw the ninth year of our successful partnership with the Steak Cook Off Association, as we expanded the widely popular Friday night competition into a Doubleheader taking place through Saturday afternoon. We also added Taco and Appetizer Cook-Off ancillaries. A strong field of teams competed in the Steak Doubleheader.
This year marked the 16th year of a dual-sanctioned barbecue event with teams cooking for both the Memphis Barbecue Network (MBN) and Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) sanctioned contests.
Breakdown of teams and entries:
58 KCBS
24 MBN
37 Steak #1
26 Steak #2
27 Fish ancillary
35 Wings ancillary
16 Appetizer ancillary
6 Taco ancillary
Barbecue = Food + Family + Love
The three-day event continues to pay tribute to the memory of my dad, Mike Mills, affectionately known as “The Legend,” who passed away at the end of 2020. Originating as a one-day effort hosted by him and a committee of volunteers 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, IL and show the teams and judges the gracious hospitality that is a trademark of Southern Illinois. We’re continuing his legacy of promoting barbecue as a conduit for community.
The trophies at our competition are coveted works of art. Winning teams received one-of-a-kind hand-blown glass apples, exclusively commissioned for The Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off by the Douglass School Art Place in Murphysboro. The two Grand Champions each received a chainsaw-carved pig from Southern Illinois Chainsaw Carving in Marion, Illinois.
We are thankful for the generous support of the city, sponsors, community at large and hardworking volunteers to make the 37th year of this treasured weekend possible.
2024 PRAISE THE LARD COOK-OFF WINNERS
MBN GRAND CHAMPION:
Aint It The Life (in pork)
RIBS
1) Ain’t It The Life
2) Smoke Til Ya Broke
3) Goin’ Hog’n
4) Smoke Masters
5) Get Your Grill On
PULLED PORK
1) Ain’t It The Life
2) Que N D 662
3) Smoke Masters BBQ
4) Poker Porkers
5) BBQ Bus
WHOLE HOG
1) Swine Life BBQ
2) Will Be Que BBQ
3) Church of Swinetology
4) Old Booger Bears BBQ
5) Poker Porkers
KCBS GRAND CHAMPION:
The BBQ Bus
KCBS RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION:
We Will Rock ’Que
CHICKEN
1) Good Googly Goo BBQ
2) Iowa’s Smokey D’s BBQ
3) DB-BBQ
4) Continental Barbeque Co
5) Machete Boys BBQ
RIBS
1) Janky Leg BBQ
2) Bleacher Bums BBQ
3) Man Meat BBQ
4) Glamping Grillers
5) Continental Barbeque Co.
PORK
1) SmokinGhost BBQ
2) Blinkeys Offset BBQ
3) The BBQ Bus
4) Hefty Lefty BBQ
5) Rusty Pig BBQ
BRISKET
1) Man Meat BBQ
2) Mulkeys BBQ
3) Smoke Masters BBQ
4) QueU
5) The BBQ Bus
ILLINOIS SOY FIELD OF BEANS
1) Triple H BBQ
2) SmokinGhost BBQ
3) Janky Leg BBQ
4) Mulkey’s BBQ
5) Can Country Outlaw BBQ
ILLINOIS SOY FIELD OF BEANS MURPHYSBORO WINNER
1) The BBQ Bus
SCA COOK-OFF 1
1) TIE: Rusty Hadacek and Heath Bletzacker
3) Dale Benson
4) Tim Brown
5) Pat McDevitt
SCA COOK-OFF 2
1) Melissa McDevitt
2) Jeff Jacobsen
3) Rodney Jones
4) Marty Plute
5) Tom Sieck
6) Rusty Hadacek
7) Scott MacDonald
8) Cooper Wallace
9) Kevin Jaenke
APPETIZER
1) Pat McDevitt
2) Aaron Christ
3) Brandon Scott
4) TIE: Kaleb Green and Lindsay McDonald
TACO
1) Melissa McDevitt/WI
2) Laura Lea Green/MO
3) Kaleb Green/AR
4) Sandy Brown/IL
5) Pat McDevitt/WI
6) Virgil Smith/MO
Winners photos: ©Kyle Quigley
Drone and event photos: ©Black Chapel Productions
Praise The Lard Murphysboro Barbecue Flagship Cook-Off Sponsors include 17th Street Barbecue, Faye, Ole Hickory Pits, Certified Angus Beef, Townsend Spice, Pepsi, Silkworm, Samron, City of Murphysboro, Graue Inc, Big Muddy Brewing, Kingsford, Oliver & Associates, Brews Brothers, Henson’s Septic Service, Mileur Orchard, Republic Services, SIH, Schwebel Printing, Arthur, Voss Heating & A/C, US Foods, PFG Performance Food Group, Wichita Packing Company, Southern Illinois Tourism, UA 160, and Donnewald Distributing Co.
Would have like to see where these teams came from, especially local ones. Great event though.
I don’t have all of that information readily available as it isn’t on any list when they hand us the winners. Teams came from 20 states this year and Goin’ Hog’n, third place MBN ribs is a Murphysboro team that’s cooked for 24 years — and this was the first time they’ve placed. Very exciting for them! The BBQ Bus, KCBS Grand Champion, is from Chicagoland, 1st Place Chicken was Good Googly Goo, from Maryland.
Love this! Congratulations to all the teams, and thank you, 17th Street team, for another fabulous Praise the Lard Cook-Off!
We had the best time and we’re so proud of and thankful for our staff and all of the volunteers who help us produce this event! Thanks for all you do, Joanna! Appreciate you and David so much.