Memorial Day is a revered American holiday that
honors the men and women of the U.S. Armed Services who gave their lives for
our country. At BBQ Island, we stand with our nation in recognizing these
heroes, and we salute all current military members, veterans, and their
families who have sacrificed so much for us.
But, Memorial Day is also traditionally known as
the beginning of summer. And, for many, that means a celebration that includes
a delicious BBQ meal. If you haven’t already thought about what you’re planning
to cook on Memorial Day, now is the time!
As we think about summer grilling, we have to give
a shout out to one of our favorite competition BBQ teams, Phoenix-based Lip S-Macn BBQ.
Aside from their delicious BBQ, one of the first
things that people wonder about this dynamic team is why they spell their name
the way they do. Here’s what the team had to say about that:
“The Lip S-Macn BBQ name is a play on words that shows our Irish heritage and
also describes our BBQ. We have been very competitive on the BBQ circuit, and
our name gives people a taste of what to expect from our food,” says team
leader, Rick McEvoy.
Rick, along
with wife Janelle McEvoy, Vicky Vanderlin, and other family members currently
make up the Lip S-Macn BBQ crew. They’ve been competing on the BBQ circuit
since 2012 and are big fans of Green Mountain Grills.
Rick says he
got into competition for two reasons: His competitive nature and the fact that
he loves to cook. Plus, he says, “BBQ competitions are a lot of fun!”
One of the
team’s biggest accomplishments in BBQ competition came in 2014 when they won
the AZ BBQ Team of the Year when they were also crowned as the only team ever
to win every category. Most recently, the team took 4th place among
some tough competition for their outstanding chicken cookin’ at the annual Show
Low BBQ Throwdown on May 6.
We asked Rick
for some advice that he would give to backyard BBQers. He said that, no matter
what you’re cooking, “Let the meat tell you when it’s done, and have an open mind
to different cooking techniques. There is more than one way to BBQ!”