Bowieite in battle of the BBQ By MATT ARMES Staff Writer
Fire up the grill, assemble the cooking utensils and prepare for the culinary battle of the summer: The title for "National Barbecue Champion" is at stake.
Bowie resident Corries Hardy, a 15-year cooking veteran and owner of Hardy's Divine Ribs and Chicken, will be one of many participating in Safeway's 16th annual National Capital Barbecue Battle this weekend during the America's Food & Music Festival in Washington, D.C.
Hardy has already established himself as a force to be reckoned with in this famous battle for the best beef. From 2005 to 2007 - the only years he entered the competition - he captured awards for his superior grilling.
"Every weekend I'm cooking, and every time I cook, I cook as if I'm competing," he said. "So whoever gets my food, they get competition quality."
"A lot of the times when I'm competing, I see teams that get stressed out," he explained. "But for me, I come in calm and ready to compete. And this year, I gotta bring home the bacon!"
The Barbecue Battle is not only a Washington tradition but also one of the world's largest contests of its kind, drawing more than 100,000 people and challenging local, regional, national and international barbecue enthusiasts to battle or behold the National Barbecue Championship contest.
With his extensive cooking experience, Hardy has also solidified his reputation within the community as an excellent grill man.
"I decided to go ahead and open my own business in 2003, and I kept hearing the same thing: 'This is good!' " he said.
"Now every January, my calendar is full throughout the year," he added. "People know what they want and they want to secure me early in the year and I can appreciate that."
Saturday, teams will cook in the KCBS Barbecue Challenge Contest. Categories include beef brisket, chicken and pork, with a special prize going to the Rancher's Reserve Beef Champion. Saturday's winner will also receive guaranteed entry into the prestigious American Royal BBQ Contest in Kansas City, Mo.
Sunday, contestants in the pork-centric Memphis in May World Barbecue Contest will be chomping at the smoker to compete in pork shoulder, rib and whole hog categories for the enviable title of National Pork Champion.
The winner of this contest will be awarded entry into the 2009 Memphis in May World Barbecue Championship, the pinnacle of the competition pork-cookers. Past Safeway Barbecue Battle teams have traveled from as many as 29 states to compete for the national pork champion title and over $25,000 in cash and prizes.
Hardy, an all-American football player at the University of Miami during its national title-winning season, will prepare for his fourth year of competing solo in the contest.
"I see some teams that compete with five to 10 people, and that's a lot of work to distribute to everyone," he said.
"So I compete by myself. It's just me, my wife and four kids. They come and cheer me on."
And as with previous years of competing and winning awards for his workmanship, Hardy said he expects nothing less than the top prize.
"Failure is not an option," he stated. "This is more than just a competitive spirit. I know I have 50 to 60 teams against me, and it's the best from around the world."
"When I have that, I feel that as a previous champion I have to be my best, and I want to secure some type of award to put Bowie on the map."
The Safeway Barbecue Battle has been voted a Top 10 BBQ Event by The Travel Channel and Discovery.com and has been featured on broadcasts all over the world. The battle is the largest annual fund raiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington Metropolitan Police Clubhouses, and has raised almost a million dollars for the organization.
The battle will get under way Saturday at 11 a.m. and end at 9 p.m. Sunday, the contest will start at 11 a.m. and end around 7:30 p.m.
Event tickets are $10, $5 for ages 6 to 12, and under 6 are free. Admission includes a donation to the boys and girls clubs, food samples, live music, six cooking stages, celebrity chefs and other family entertainment. For information, call 202-828-3099 or visit www.bbqdc.com.
