Pulled Pork Madness names a winner
College basketball’s March Madness may be ongoing, but there’s a winner in Pulled Pork Madness from the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA).
In one of the closest finals in the tournament’s history, Skinny’s Barbecue in Muscatine beat Barrel Smoke BBQ of Templeton to win the championship. Owner Cord Kleist, 29 of Muscatine, will receive $250 and a Pulled Pork Madness plaque. The bracket-style competition is in its seventh year and starts with 16 restaurants, following the NCAA’s March Madness tournament stye. The public determines which restaurants advance to the next round. The starting bracket for Pulled Pork Madness was based on public nominations submitted earlier this month. Close to 850 pork connoisseurs nominated nearly 70 Iowa restaurants for the top honor. The two restaurants with the most votes in each of IPPA’s eight districts made the Sweet (and Spicy?) 16.
Kleist opened Skinny’s in September 2019. He got into grilling with a Traeger grill his parents gave him for his 21st birthday, and was influenced by Texas techniques after visiting a friend in Austin. Kleist is no stranger to the restaurant industry; he previously worked at his family’s restaurant and sports bar, Boonie’s on the Avenue, in downtown Muscatine, about two blocks from Skinny’s location.
Pork butts are traditionally covered with mustard to bind an equal mix of salt and pepper at Skinny’s. Kleist uses thick-cut pepper to create the flavorful black crust that forms on the outside of the meat during the cooking process, known as a bark. He recently began adding a special blend of seasonings. The pork is cooked on a gas-powered rotisserie smoker at a low temperature for 14 to 15 hours. The meat is wrapped for the last couple of hours to seal in moisture and juices. Oak wood is added to enhance the taste as the meat cooks. Each sandwich comes on a brioche toasted bun, with house-made pickles and onions on the side and a choice of one homemade side dish. Skinny’s has three flavors of house-made sauces – sweet, spicy or Carolina tangy gold. Pulled pork features in other items on the menu items, including tacos, quesadillas, nachos and the Grilled Mac Daddy, a sandwich with macaroni and cheese, pork, white cheddar and smoked gouda on sourdough bread. They use 250 to 350 pounds of pork each week.
Winning the title “brings a tear to my eye,” said Kleist. “It’s crazy to see how far we’ve come and adapted and changed.”
Previous winners include The Flying Elbow in Marshalltown (2023); Starbeck’s Smokehouse, now in Waterloo; Smokin’ Butt Barbecue in Davenport (2021); Whatcha Smokin” BBQ + Brew in Luther (2020); Warehouse Barbecue Co. + Brewhouse in Ottumwa (2019) and the now-closed Moo’s BBQ in Newton (2018).
Click here for more information on the Iowa Pork Producers Association.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.
