LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Benny Chang used to be a realtor, but that didn’t quite cut it.
“I became obsessed with barbecue about 10 years ago,” he said.
So he started the Q Joint, and now he’s doing something he loves.
“I feel like in Orange County there’s not enough of that traditional barbecue,” Chang said.
For years, he judged barbecue contests, but now for the first time ever, he’s bringing his best food to the table and competing at the Inaugural Queen Mary Waterfront Cookoff. It’s a barbecue and chili competition held at the Queen Mary Events Park.
“Barbecue from brisket to pork to chicken, some tasting booths and plenty of activities for the kids,” said Chef Henderson, the executive chef of Queen Mary.
It’s an official event with judging by the Kansas City Barbecue Society and the International Chili Society.
“Most people don’t realize it takes a lot of technique and skill. You have to have the fire right, the smoke right,” Chef Henderson said.
That’s exactly what Chang loves about it, and why he says he’s obsessed.
“The technicalities, there are so many variables,” he said.
Chang and the Q Joint could potentially win thousands of dollars this weekend at the competition, which Chang said he’d invest back into his business. He’s currently selling his barbecue at the farmers market at Mariner’s Church in Irvine but hopes to open his own brick and mortar store someday.
“So people of Orange County can taste what real barbecue should taste like,” he said.
The event is Saturday, May 11 from noon to 5 p.m.
There's a lot of food on the table, and Chang's will be there ready for the judges, made with a little obsession, and that secret ingredient of love.