By Molly Cerreta Smith, guest blogger, Foodies Like Us.com

You might not think that comedian-and-sitcom-writer-turned Minnesota senator Al Franken has much at all to do with barbeque. But he is actually credited for igniting one man’s passion for the pit that has since culminated into his own award-winning competition barbeque team, Central Pork West, as well as the new “docu drama” BBQ Pitmasters, which airs on TLC.

“In 1999 Al and I were working on a sitcom together in New York and he claimed to make the best ribs in New England. He invited me over for grilled ribs and they were the worst things I’ve ever had,” John Markus, executive producer of BBQ Pitmasters, recalls with a laugh. “It flipped the switch for me,” he continued, adding that those ribs inspired him to want to learn how to make them himself – only better.

Shortly thereafter, he had the opportunity to meet the legendary Paul Kirk, better known as the Baron of BBQ. “He let me cook with him at a competition and I was introduced to this subculture and great community that I was completely unaware of,” says Markus, who decided that he wanted to introduce the masses to this community.

And it is this community among barbeque competitors that Markus showcases in BBQ Pitmasters. “After being involved in barbeque competitions for six years, I decided I wanted to put a face to the world of competitive barbeque,” he says. “This is about man versus meat.”

A face that is synonymous with barbeque competitions in the Southwest is that of Michael Reimann, who has been bringing barbeque lovers together in Arizona via the AZBarbeque club since its inception in 2004. As owner and president of one of the only free barbeque clubs in the nation, Reimann is responsible for producing some of the most popular sanctioned barbeque competitions in the region.

Ribs on the smoker at a local AZ BBQ Club event!

Reimann admits that he always loved the “sport” of tailgating and, after graduating from Arizona State University, he and his buddies were looking to take the tailgating experience to another level. He researched smokers for about a year before discovering the Diamond Plate brand. He quickly became a distributor for the company and started the club and website as a way to market the smokers. “The first month I had eight members and 60 hits on the site,” admits Reimann, noting he could have never imagined the club would take off the way it has. Today, he has more than 1,300 members, and the site averages an astounding 2.5 million hits per month.

Chicken all lined up and ready to be entered in the competition!

Reimann, who says he has always loved throwing parties, began producing barbeque competitions as a way to raise money for a friend whose daughter has autism. His first two events were record-breaking. Literally. Aside from raising $40,000 for charity, his first barbeque competition in 2005 became the largest cook-off west of the Mississippi, and his second event held the following year became the largest dual-sanctioned event ever. While Reimann says he loves barbeque, his “true passion is putting on the events, raising money for charity and running the website.”

For AZBarbeque club member Sterling Smith, the club has offered a place of education and camaraderie for a rookie in the world of competitive barbeque. As head cook of the newly established Loot N’ Booty BBQ, Smith sought out barbeque knowledge via the internet, which led him to the AZBarbeque site. “There was a lot of great information on the site in terms of recipes, events, get-togethers, and general barbeque discussion that has helped me greatly,” says Smith. After joining the club and participating in some competitions and events, he says, “People are open to helping you out however they can, short of sharing their close-guarded barbeque secrets. Every team opens up their camp to you like you’re family.”

Chris Rudhe, Susie Timm & Sterling Smith of Loot n' Booty BBQ

But this is competition, after all, and with that comes factors that are out of the competitors’ hands. Just ask AZBarbeque club member Erin Hagenbuch Frank, of McFrankenboo BBQ, the team that she and her husband Jim started in 2006. At the Smokin’ in Mesquite competition in Nevada, they had quite a bit to contend with. “It was about 115 degrees during the day, and that night a huge hail and lightening storm hit,” she says. “We did our turn-ins the next day and just hoped to get a call around [the top] 15.”

Instead Erin and Jim walked away with the 1st place call in the brisket category – even beating out barbeque’s bad boy Myron Mixon, who is one of the most decorated barbeque competitors in the world and who stars on BBQ Pitmasters. “He came up and congratulated us and got his picture with us – it was crazy,” says Frank.

Myron Mixon: THE bad boy of BBQ

And while you won’t see Erin and Jim accept their 1st place call on the barbeque reality show, Markus insists that the what-you-see-is-what-you-get program is set to not only give barbeque lovers secret insider tips from some of the world’s best competitors but also to open the public’s eyes to the world of competitive barbeque. “Our hope is that this mysterious sport will now be accessible to more people and [it will] entice them to go out and compete. We want to encourage people to jump in — because the water’s fine.”

This is some serious brisket.

But an astounding number of people are already acutely aware of that. In fact, six million people annually visit barbeque competitions, and the sport of competitive barbeque is growing at an alarming 35 percent. Markus attributes barbeque’s resurgence in popularity to the current struggles our nation is enduring.

Susie Timm's handy work on the chicken presentation box for the Tempe Que n' Brew in December 2009

“On a national level, I think people are returning to comfort food because of the economy,” says Markus. “Barbeque is American; it’s simple and honest and has humble roots.” And while smoking itself can be a complex art of timing and heat, what could be more humble and American than getting together with good friends over good stick-to-your-ribs food?