FANGIRLING= “The culture of being a Fan allows for community building and an outlet to express our identities in fun, lighthearted ways.” “Fangirling= is an informal verb that means to be extremely devoted to a person, thing, or idea.” “Fangirling, Fangirled= instransitive verb.” The first known use of the word “Fangirl” was in 1934…So, PHEW—Older Than ME! According to Merriam-Webster’s definition of the word in 1934, A Fangirl is; “FANGIRL= Noun; a girl or woman who is an extremely or overly enthusiastic fan of someone or something.” Do you see where I am going here with this train of thought? Ever since I started my writing GIG for www.ribbqnews.com and was enlisted to “Track Down” and try to obtain interviews from BBQ Teams, I have been The Hugest FANGIRL of ElJefe Smoke. Have I met them in person, in real life? NO. Have I in been in communication with ElJefe Smoke via text, Social Media, and phone calls? MOST FORTUNATELY FOR ME, YES!!! From the very beginning of my “Newbie to the BBQ World” writer position and being tasked with attempting to interview BBQ Pitmasters, BBQ Teams, BBQ Chefs, and BBQ Competitors, ElJefe Smoke has been INORDINATELY KIND to me. They have given me thoughtful commentary, they are engaging and responsive to my queries, and they have never made me feel as if my questions are either intrusive or absurdly silly. That is certainly NOT the case with some other BBQ Teams/Pitmasters whom I made efforts to contact and who were condescending, incommunicative, dismissive, and, in a few cases, downright rude to me. Thus, from the GET-GO, ElJefe Smoke stood out among the BBQ crowd, IN AN OUSTANDING, GENTLEMANLY MANNER, amidst this ENORMOUS ENTERPRISE of The BBQ World. I became even more acutely aware of ElJefe Smoke’s STELLAR REPUTATION whilst researching and writing a previous article entitled, “The Red Thread: Elizabeth and Linda Robbins.” Please do feel free to refer back to that article, describing the remarkable journey of Linda and Elizabeth, and “The Most Magical Weekend in BBQ,” and “KORA KARES FOR KIDS Shriners BBQ Weekend Fundraiser.” www.korashriners.org and www.inclusivebbqevents.org “In a nutshell” Recap from my prior article, regarding “The Kid’s Q” as Coaches and Mentors: ElJefe Smoke was referred to as, “Dan and Jeff are AN AWESOME TEAM! They are MORE THAN JUST BBQ (Kid’s Q) PARTNERS! THEY HAVE BECOME DEAR, DEAR FRIENDS!…AND THEY STEP UP, AS GOOD UNCLES DO!” when they are needed. This was yet another reason for my growing admiration of ElJefe Smoke!
“El Jefe” is a Spanish phrase that translates to “The Boss” or “The Chief” in English. ElJefe Smoke is a Competition BBQ Team comprised of Jeff Kulacz and Dan Swanson. Jeff and Dan met over 25 years ago working in the tech industry as Software Quality Assurance Engineers. They worked for the same company at the same location with another Pal of theirs, Jon. All 3 men: Jon, Jeff, and Dan were “Bosses” at the tech company. As their camaraderie as co-workers grew, their relationship developed into a true friendship outside of the office environment. Jon invited Jeff and Dan to his house for a BBQ. Forthwith, each time they gathered together, Jeff and Dan were astounded at the absolute deliciousness of their Pal Jon’s BBQ fare. Jeff declared that he had eaten “THE BEST BBQ RIBS OF HIS LIFE,” at Jon’s. Both Dan and Jeff proclaim that, “Jon was The Original Smoker of MEATS!” The 3 of them teamed up together and expanded their meat repertoire. Jeff and Dan stated that as beginners, “I can tell you, we made some pretty HORRIFIC BBQ!” *SPOILER ALERT*–My, Oh, MY- how times have changed! After asking a million questions, and experimenting with different techniques and recipes, Jon bestowed upon Jeff and Dan all of his BEST WISHES as Jeff and Dan decided that they wanted to pursue their newfound PASSION of cooking BBQ in the competitive arena. Jon, Dan, and Jeff along with their families remain extremely close friends and still have “Family Get-Togethers,” and they especially enjoy Dan’s Wife—Amanda’s—ANNUAL COOKIE PARTY EXTRAVAGANZA. Thus, ElJefe Smoke had their origin story! ElJefe Smoke has now been competing together on the BBQ circuit for over 10 years…But they really, truly, SERIOUSLY started competing over the course of the past 2 years.
What strikes me most as I pen this article are the admirable traits that ElJefe Smoke encompass. Aside from their intelligence and work ethic, Dan and Jeff are dedicated to their families. In order to pursue their aspirations of attending BBQ competitions across the country, both Dan and Jeff had “A Family Meeting,” with their wives and children. It is obviously an inordinate STRESSOR to be away from home every weekend in order to participate in a multitude of BBQ competitions. Dan and Jeff both still work in the tech industry, but now they are working at different companies and they live in different states. In order for ElJefe Smoke to travel competitively, it would mean that their annual allotted FAMILY VACATION DAYS from their Day Jobs in the tech industry would be given up in the pursuit of BBQ Championship Glory. The planning, the preparations, the organizing, the traveling to reach a competition destination, the site set-up, the absurd hours needed to successfully complete ”The Cook,” the insanity of competition day scheduling, the judging, the break-down of the site, the ENORMITY OF CLEAN-UP, and the hours OR DAYS spent driving back home afterwards …It wasn’t and isn’t always EASY, and assuredly, not GLAMOROUS, but both Dan’s wife Amanda and daughter Sabrina, as well as Jeff’s wife Kate and sons Tanner and Ezra, gave their Husbands/Dads, Team ElJefe Smoke, their BLESSINGS to use their vacation days to follow their Globetrotter BBQ Wanderlust Dreams! Dan’s wife Amanda and their daughter, Sabrina, frequently travel with ElJefe Smoke to BBQ Competitions. In fact, Sabrina is a BBQ Chef in her own right, as well as ½ of the Competition BBQ Team, “Smoke Sisters,” along with her friend, Starla (Starla is also mentioned in a previous article of mine, recapping “The Weekend of Giving!” Starla scored “A Perfect/Perfect” as you may recall from my prior article and is the daughter of Competition BBQ Team “Sticks and Stones BBQ!” @sticksandstonesbbque ) Fingers crossed, Dan will put in “a good word for me” so that I may write a future article featuring both Sabrina and Starla, and their UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESS as young women BBQ Competitors! Jeff has commented to me that his boys will attend ElJefe Smoke BBQ Competitions, “if the DESTINATION LOCATION IS FUN!” LOL! Pictured below are Dan, Amanda and Sabrina on a Family Trip to Italy; Dan, Sabrina and Jeff at The KCBS sanctioned “Up in Smoke” Competition organized by www.inclusivebbqevents.org And- “JUST JEFF”- -additionally featuring a collage of all of the scrumptious dinners, snacks, pizzas, and fare that Jeff cooks for his 2 sons and their friends, since his boys preferred NOT to have their photo included in this article!
If I attempted to LIST ALL of ElJefe Smoke’s accomplishments, accolades, and WINS, you would be reading pages and pages of statistics! Therefore, I shall highlight a few OUTSTANDING ElJefe Smoke moments from the 2024 BBQ Season. On the weekend of October 12th, 2024, ElJefe Smoke was among the 85 Championship Teams from across THE WORLD who convened in Lynchburg, Tennessee to compete for the coveted title of “The Jack Grand Champion.” The Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue has been hosted for over 30 years and is lauded as “The Super Bowl of BBQ.” So states The Jack Daniel’s website: “It’s rare that whiskey-making takes a back seat to much of anything in Lynchburg, Tennessee. THE JACK is one exception. One weekend in October, barbecue competitors from across the country and world converge here to wield their grilling and smoking expertise.” www.jackdaniels.com
On the www.wiseguysbbq.com Podcast Entitled, “New England Invades Lynchburg, TN at The Jack Daniel’s BBQ Competition,” EPISODE 14, fellow www.ribbqnews.com contributor and Wise Guys BBQ Podcast Special Guest Host Bob Baumann of “Big Bobby’s Q,” interviewed ElJefe Smoke (along with Paddy McQ’s!) regarding their legendary competition experience at “The Jack.” Listen to “their unforgettable stories from the road, the intense prep for ‘The Jack’ and what it takes to go head-to-head with the World’s Best BBQ Teams…From fierce competition to real camaraderie, this episode dives into it all!”
2024 was ElJefe Smoke’s first qualification for “The Jack.” It is “The Holy Grail” for most BBQ Teams to qualify for “The Jack.” With advice from their fellow NEBS BBQ Aficionados, Dan and Jeff made sure to SOAK UP EVERY MINUTE OF THE EXTRAORINARY AURA AND AMBIANCE of their first time at The Jack and participate in MAGICAL events such as, “Dinner on The Hill.” (That in and of itself is another astounding entity!) The DREAM was to hear their name called at The Jack…and thereby, be able to “DO THE WALK!” DUHN-DUHN-DUHHNNMMM… ElJefe Smoke/Dan’s RIBS HIT A PERFECT SCORE IN THE RIBS CATEGORY! ElJefe Smoke HEARD THEIR NAME CALLED-and got to WALK THE STAGE… ElJefe Smoke states; “Everyone is excited for you—to get to walk through that crowd–and FEEL THE LOVE- and to go up on that stage” amongst all those competitors and friends is thrilling. “It is a little overwhelming when you get a top call like that! Walking up there is a unique experience that you can’t put into words!” exclaimed Jeff! Owen from Paddy McQ’s jumped up to “tackle” Dan and Jeff with CONGRATULATORY HUGS during their WALK up to the stage at The Jack. “It’s A LOT to take in!… It’s pretty AMAZING actually- it’s pretty AWESOME!” voiced Jeff. Dan proclaimed, “It was unexpected and exciting…We were kinda sitting there, having a blast- just cheering everybody on… and when we heard our names, I was just like, ‘DID I HEAR THAT RIGHT? I DON’T KNOW IF I HEARD THAT RIGHT!’…We hit a perfect score on ribs…to get to go up there and celebrate, to get to meet all these other BBQ cooks…at no point did we figure that we would get a call…we were just happy to be there!” And then Dan described the tradition of “Signing of the Barrel Heads”- where each Winner is presented with your Team’s Jack Daniel’s Barrel Head Award, and everyone goes around “like a year-book event” and signs each other’s winning Jack Daniel’s memorabilia.
Shortly thereafter “The Jack,” ElJefe Smoke drove for DAYYSSSS in order to participate in The American Royal, “The World Series of BBQ,” sanctioned by the @kcbbqsociety Kansas City Barbeque Society, at Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, KS. They arrived at The Kansas Speedway on October 30th…BUT NOT BEFORE they participated in ANOTHER BBQ Fundraising Event; “The Weekend of Giving,” in Wrentham, MA on October 25th– October 27th —ElJefe Smoke cooked, grilled, and competed on borrowed BBQ equipment, because their competition trailer and all of their cookers were awaiting them in Ohio – to be picked up and utilized for The American Royal! GOODNESS GRACIOUS–The logistics and ENERGY required to maintain ElJefe Smoke’s BBQ Competition Schedule is incredibly intricate and complex! Almost 200 participating teams qualified for The Invitational and 444 teams, “You Pay, You Play!” were slotted for competition for the American Royal OPEN Competition. For ElJefe Smoke, the highlight of The American Royal was their DESSERT ENTRY…ElJefe Smoke brought in Dan’s wife, Amanda, as their SECRET WEAPON. Amanda is coined “The Director of Dessert.” Amanda scored a 180– “A PERFECT/PERFECT” which means that every Judge gave Amanda’s dessert a PERFECT SCORE in: taste, tenderness, and appearance!
Jeff and Dan say that “All of the BBQ STUFF is just for PURE FUN and ENJOYMENT.” When ElJefe Smoke first ventured into the competitive BBQ arena, they had no BBQ Partner Sponsorships. They cooked with products that they felt were the best and that would give them superior results. These products included Basques Hardwood Charcoal www.basquescharcoal.com Humphrey’s Smokers www.humphreysbbq.com and Stump Chunks Kindling & Fire Starter www.stumpchunks.com
At each competition, ElJefe Smoke would take photos of their process and cooks, and they would consistently “TAG” the suppliers of the products that they were using. ElJefe Smoke would host “Welcome Bon Fires,” parties, and gatherings at competitions showcasing Basques Hardwood Charcoal, Humphrey’s Smokers, and Stump Chunks Kindling. Through Social Media posts, they gained subscribers and with each win at a competition, ElJefe Smoke would better their consequential outcome and increase their following. As their reputation for winning gained traction and momentum, ElJefe Smoke continued to “act and present (ourselves) as if we were ALREADY sponsored by these companies!” “We were trying to ‘Get An In’ with these brands that we truly believe are THE BEST in the market!” Lo and Behold, their tagging and campaigning toils were exceptionally successful and ElJefe Smoke are now partnered with their 3 favorite brands! Jeff says that Basques is “THE BEST, BEST CHARCOAL MADE!” The social gatherings described above became more and more popular with each event that ElJefe Smoke attended. ElJefe Smoke facilitated these Get-Togethers to ardently “WELCOME ONE AND ALL,” to be sure that everyone taking part in these BBQ Contests and Events felt INCLUDED and ushered into The World of BBQ with hospitality. ElJefe Smoke Parties burgeoned into “PURPLE POWER HOUR,” STARRING, “The Purple Drink!” As depicted in the photo below, #PurplePowerHour comprehensively includes: “FUEGO=FIRE, MUSICA=MUSIC, AND FABULOSO MORADO=FABULOUS PURPLE!” “The Purple Drink” is a sweet, fruity, vodka beverage; Jeff and Dan generously shared the recipe:
“THE PURPLE DRINK:”
- 2 ½ Shots Raspberry Stoli Vodka
- 1 Shot Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka
- 3-ish Shots of Kirkland Blackberry Blueberry Acai Juice
- Top off drink with Canada Dry Blackberry Gingerale
Jeff and Dan graciously explained to me the significance of 9:22 AM. On the day of BBQ Competition “Turn-Ins,” different Teams Host the “9:22 Shot.” The 9:22 Shot is a “Good Luck Tradition” at BBQ contests where participants take a shot of Gentleman Jack. Jeff expounded, “The tradition originated because it’s easy to remember and because of standard cooking timelines. On turn-in day- most teams have a few minutes at precisely 9:22 AM to step away from their cooking at that moment.” Some years ago, a BBQ Team named “16 Mesh” hosted the 9:22 Good Luck Shot. However, instead of the standard simple shot of Gentleman Jack, Team 16 Mesh created these fancy-schmancy, over the top, decorated, LOVELY TO LOOK AT, divine and delicious mini cocktails! Just look at how BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED these concoctions were, pictured below!
Subsequently, when it was ElJefe Smoke’s turn to host The 9:22 Shot, they self-described tried “16 Mesh-ing IT!” Jeff and Dan then texted me a photo comparison of Team 16 Mesh’s Toast VS Team ElJefe Smoke’s Toast…As you can see for yourself from the photo depicted below, ElJefe Smoke’s 9:22 Shot consisted of 1 shot of Gentlemen Jack, WITH A SINGLE CHEETO FLOATING ATOP, AND A SINGLE CANDY CORN FLOATING BENEATH!!! Honestly, I FREQUENTLY find myself RANDOMLY guffawing, laughing, and snickering at the thought of ElJefe Smoke’s attempted “16 Mesh-A-FIED Cocktail” and the absolute RIDICULOUSNESS of that notion brightens even the gloomiest of my days!!!
ElJefe Smoke. Dan and Jeff. Jeff and Dan. Two astute, charming, and wise fellows, who happen to have JUST WON The 2024 NORTHEAST BARBECUE SOCIETY MASTERS TEAM OF THE YEAR! “LIKE A BOSS!” (Get it? ElJefe Humor!) CHAMPIONS! Applause, applause!! ElJefe Smoke also earned: 2nd for the 2024 NEBS Masters in Chicken, Pork, AND Brisket, and 3rd for the 2024 NEBS Masters in Pork Ribs. ElJefe Smoke gave a “Special Shout Out,” to their BBQ Partners, @basqueshardwoodcharcoal @humphreys_bbq and @stumpchunks “who make the best products in the industry!” Aptly, ElJefe Smoke equally wholeheartedly CONGRATULATED all of their BBQ Friends/Rivals/Pals/Opponents!! It was a PICTURE-PERFECT ENDING to an illustrious year for the charismatic, assiduous and diligent Team of ElJefe Smoke. I virtually and vicariously followed along with them throughout their UNTOLD BBQ Adventures ALL OVER THE COUNTRY! ElJefe Smoke was LITERALLY HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE! During their multitudinous travels they picked up the “Green Mountain BBQ Championship Reserve Grand Champion,” Award in Randolph, Vermont in mid-September, and also scored their first 180 in Chicken in August, in Hiram, Maine, allowing ElJefe Smoke entry into the “KCBS 180-BEST OF THE BEST CLUB!” Following their superstitions that Jeff MUST wear his “Lucky Hat,” and Dan MUST wear his “Lucky Shorts,” have paid off tenfold for ElJefe Smoke! I shall conclude with one of my favorite parts of the interview with ElJefe Smoke: I asked Dan what his favorite BBQ dish to eat was, and he declared that “Jeff makes THE BEST WINGS!” When I asked Jeff the same question his answer was, “Dan’s RIBS ARE THE BE ALL AND END ALL!…THEY ARE GOOD ENOUGH TO GET A PERFECT SCORE AT THE JACK!” ElJefe Smoke is A True Partnership–A Kinship of KINDNESS AND AMITY. Friendship is a treasure. A True Friend is invaluable. As William Shakespeare said, “Words are easy, like the wind; faithful friends are hard to find.” As I have been stumbling about, along the path of striving to effect an entrance into this brand new, unknown endeavor of writing about The World of BBQ, I am evermore grateful to have tumbled directly into the bonhomie of ElJefe Smoke.
