Paul Kirk -- Baron of Barbecue

By JOE O'CONNELL, cbbqa past President
Updated February 26, 2002 at 5:34 PM PST (0134 GMT)

Paul Kirk is known as the Baron of Barbecue and is widely regarded as the world's greatest barbecue cook.  Paul lives in Kansas City, Missouri, but travels the world to teach his nationally famous class, called the School of Pitmasters. 

Baron of Barbecue

Paul Kirk is one of the world's most widely-known and venerable barbecue experts.  Paul has been called the Baron of Barbecue, the Barbecue Guru, and the Ambassador of Barbecue.  He serves on the Board of Directors of  the Kansas City Barbeque Society ("KCBS") and has been certified as a Master Barbecue Judge.  Paul Kirk was inducted into the Barbecue Hall of Flame and honored as Chef of the Year.

The Grand Barbecue, a book by Doug Worgul which celebrates the history, places, personalities and techniques of Kansas City barbecue, devotes an entire chapter to Paul Kirk.  Worgul writes, 

Paul Kirk's contribution to barbecue is roughly equivalent to the contribution of Vince Lombardi to football and Jack Nicklaus to golf.  Combined.  Except in Paul Kirk's case, he's alive and in his prime.

Paul Kirk is the world's greatest barbecue cooker and the world's greatest barbecue coach.  (Emphasis added.  The Grand Barbecue, page 65.)

Paul Kirk holds more than 400 cooking and barbecue awards.  Included among these are seven world barbecue championships, including two major barbecue championships, the American Royal and the Jack Daniel's.  The American Royal Open is the world's largest barbecue contest, with 400 teams from around the world.  The Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue is held in Lynchburg, Tennessee, where each year's state barbecue championship winners meet for the national title.

For 12 years, Paul has conducted the Baron's School of Pitmasters.  The class has been held throughout the United States and in many other countries, including Canada, South Korea, Ireland and Switzerland.  Barbecue novices and veterans alike flock to learn his world championship barbecue techniques at his all-day class.

Owners of barbecue restaurants across America bring in Paul Kirk to train their cooks and staffs about authentic barbecue.  He has taught his techniques to restaurant staffs in New Jersey, New York, Washington, Kansas City, West Virginia and Oregon.  In addition, he has so far trained six chefs for Disney World's Wilderness Lodge and two chefs for the Wild Kingdom Barbecue Restaurant.  He also conducts seminars at national conventions, including the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the American Culinary Association, and the National Barbecue Association.

Paul Kirk authored several books, including the well-known Paul Kirk's Championship Barbecue Sauce Cookbook, which was released in December of 1997 by Harvard Common Press.  This book contains an in-depth study of the theory and preparation of sauces.  His most recent work is Smoke It!, a study of marinades, rubs, and sauces.  

Paul writes monthly columns for the KCBS BullSheet, the National Barbecue News, and the Goat Gap Gazette.  He contributes articles regularly to Fine Cooking Magazine and Chili Pepper Magazine.  He has been featured in the many newspaper and magazine stories, including Modern Maturity Magazine, Saveur Magazine, Calgary Herald, Korean Restaurant Magazine, and The Kansas City Star Newspaper.

Paul Kirk explains his world championship techniques for authentic barbecue in three videos, entitled "Championship Barbecue".  He has appeared on many television programs, including the NBC Today Show, the CBS This Morning Show, and E Entertainment Television Network's Talk Soup.  His barbecue has been featured in programs on the Discovery Channel.  

Paul Kirk served as Official Spokesperson for the National Football League's National Tailgate Training Table Program, a presentation by Sprint, PCS and the NFL.  He appears in advertisements for the Back Yard Promotion of the Johnson Wax Mosquito Coil.

Julia Child recruited Paul Kirk as a member of the 1998 and 2000 Julia Child BBQ Team of Ten.  The team prepares and hosts a barbecue to raise funds for the Julia Child Endowment Foundation, which is held during the annual convention of the International Association of Culinary Professionals.