Local BBQ caterers receive recognition at Memphis in May

Josh Ford is a military veteran who spent some time in Afghanistan. When he returned home in 2011, he said he needed something to focus on unrelated to the military and what would end up being his fulltime job in law enforcement.

That search for a hobby found itself in barbecuing.

That hobby of barbecuing has progressed into Battle Brothers Que, which has become a side hustle for Ford, his business partner Derek DeTimmerman.

“We do a catering business for small gatherings after work and on the weekends,” Ford said. “We’ve done a few graduation parties the past few weeks, and family get-togethers, holiday parties and we smoked a few turkeys for a few families last Thanksgiving.”

Battle Brothers is in its second year of existence as an LLC. But the team has recently ventured out into competitive barbecuing, and they hit early success this past weekend.

They were named the grand champions of the Patio Porkers on Beale barbecue contest that was a part of Memphis in May this past weekend.

“This was our second sanctioned event to compete in and third overall,” Ford said. “So to take home a grand championship is something I’m very proud of.”

Ford said the team has worked hard for years trying to come up with the perfect blend for their barbecue. They have gone to multiple training events, including one earlier this year in Kansas City, where they learned from a few mentors who are professionals on the competitive barbecue circuit.

“Some of them were at Tom Lee Park for the professional competition, but the backyard competition, which is what we do, was moved to Beale Street,” Ford said. “But ours was sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society.

“We went down a day early, and I spent some time hanging out with some of our mentors and they were asking what we were going to do with our ribs. We told them, and they gave us a few subtle tips here and there that helped us out.”

Ford said during the journey from barbecuing for a hobby to it becoming a side hustle and a competition for bragging rights, he’s seen how much of a science it is.

“There’s a lot of things to watch for and figure out,” Ford said. “Because you want to get the ribs – or whatever meat you’re cooking – to the right temperature for the right amount of time.

“And even before that, you’ve got to make sure you’re cutting the meat correctly so you don’t make any wrong moves that can throw off the barbecuing process. It really becomes more complicated than going out in the backyard and firing up the grill.”

Ford said anyone who’s interested in having a party catered with their award-winning barbecue can contact them on the Battle Brothers Que page on Facebook and see videos of them at work on their Instagram page.

Brandon Shields, brandon@jacksonpost.news