Annual Amateur Andy competition brings out best barbecue, creates camaraderie

Each July, the area’s top pitmasters gather for the Amateur Andy competition at the Nisqually Valley Barbecue Rally. They set up on Second Street, just outside of the Yelm Community Center and city park, for a day of camaraderie and competition in the form of barbecue.

The sixth annual Nisqually Valley Barbecue Rally took place on Saturday, July 26, and nine competition teams lined the street and helped fill the air with the delicious aroma of smoked chicken, brisket, ribs and pork shoulder.

Noel Ostrander, with Smokin’ O’s Barbecue Competition Team, said he was excited to return to the competition portion of the Nisqually Valley Barbecue Rally after a several-years hiatus. The Lacey resident was present on site with his two drum smokers and a pellet smoker for the annual Amateur Andy competition. His team had a strong showing in the Amateur Andy competition, and finished in second place in the rib category, and third place in the beef brisket category.

“We love this event. We’ve only competed a few times, but we’ve also judged this one a number of times. They put on a great event. The City of Yelm and Chamber of Commerce really does a great job,” Ostrander said. “Camaraderie is the biggest thing at these events. We’re just a bunch of guys who like to smoke meats in parking lots. The organization we normally travel with, there’s a good 10 to 15 of us that travel to most of the competitions. There’s a lot of great camaraderie. Some of them are here today, and it’s really fun to be able to do this stuff with your friends and have a good time. There’s bragging rights, prizes and trophies too.”

Ostrander, who has been competitively barbecuing since 2012, said he typically scores the best on his ribs while competing. He noted his favorite meats to cook while at home include pork belly and tri-tip.

“Normally, we do pro events. We travel around the Northwest. It’s fun to get somewhere local. It’s why we’re doing it — it’s right by our home. Around 2010ish is when we actually started barbecuing, and then we went to a competition once and tried some stuff, and I realized this might be kind of fun to do. It’s been a crazy expensive hobby since,” he said. “In competition, we have to do four meats. Typically, it’s chicken, ribs, pork shoulder and brisket. Those are the standard four meats in most of the competitions.”

Ostrander spoke highly of all the competitors in Yelm on Saturday, and noted that the quality of competitive barbecue can often be higher than what you’d find at different barbecue establishments. He noted anyone interested in barbecue, whether it’s as a hobby or competitively, could find something to learn from competitors.

“Competitive barbecuers are probably the best in the world. It’s interesting because I would probably bet that most competitive barbecuers, who do it on a consistent basis, are better than just about any restaurant you go to,” he said. “I learned a lot on YouTube, ironically, and playing with some things and trying new stuff out. In competition, you figure out what the judges like and start catering your stuff to their tastes.”

Overall, Ostrander is thrilled to see a continuous event that’s centered around barbecue and within a close distance of his home. He believes the Nisqually Valley Barbecue Rally has become one of the county’s top events of the summer.