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Meet The BBQ Stars: Tuffy Stone

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Tuffy Stone

Join Tuffy Stone for his “First Place Box Secrets” series of BBQ Stars videos and recipes.

“Meat” Tuffy Stone, one of the 12 pitmasters and chefs featured in BBQ Stars, a premium collection of step-by-step video tutorials and recipes available exclusively to our Pitmaster Club members. Join now by clicking here.

Tuffy is many things: a World Record-breaking champion pitmaster, a former Marine, a classically-trained chef, a businessman, a BBQ Hall Of Fame Inductee, and an occasional reality television star. Dubbed “The Professor,” Tuffy’s legendary precision and obsession with the science of smoke make him one of the most influential people in barbecue.

Here’s a bit more about Tuffy and his BBQ Stars video collection:

Commenting on his involvement in the BBQ Stars series, Tuffy stated, “Being a part of BBQ Stars has made me want to become a student of live fire all over again.”

About Tuffy Stone’s Pitmaster Academy Collection

Tuffy’s BBQ Stars recipes and corresponding videos include:

Tuffy Stone BBQ Stars menu card

Even More About Tuffy Stone

Originally trained in French culinary technique at La Maisonette, Tuffy has been on the Richmond culinary landscape since 1986. After founding one of the mid-Atlantic’s most successful special events companies, A Sharper Palate, with wife Leslie, Tuffy was looking to reconnect with his culinary instincts and challenged himself to learn an entirely new cuisine.

In 2004, Tuffy attended his first barbecue competition and found himself hooked. Though early cooks were humbling, to say the least, Tuffy redoubled his efforts and gradually became one of the most formidable competitors on the circuit. He has earned Grand Champion titles in nearly every major barbecue competition including back-to-back wins at the American Royal World Series of Barbecue, Grand Champion at the 2015 Kingsford Invitational, Memphis in May Grand Champion, and a history-making run at the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational.

In addition to his place atop the competition barbecue circuit, Tuffy served as a judge for Destination America’s BBQ Pitmasters for 5 seasons, traveled the world, including cooking for the troops in Kuwait and teaching classes at Meatstock in Australia and New Zealand, and cooked twice at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City.

About Cool Smoke Competition BBQ Team

Team Members: Chief Pitmaster Tuffy Stone and occasionally his wife, friends & others.

Cool Smoke was formed by Tuffy Stone as a passion project in 2004. After placing 2nd in Pork and 7th in Brisket at their first competition, Tuffy realized that he was at the beginning of something special. “The Professor”, as he would come to be known on this circuit for his never-ending quest for knowledge and his attention to detail, dove head first into the world of competition barbecue and immersed himself in learning the slow cooking method. His hard work has paid off, earning Cool Smoke hundreds of awards including 37 Grand Championships, three World Championships, and the title of Kansas City BBQ Society Team of the Year in 2007. Cool Smoke serves as the competition barbecue team for the Q Barbeque family of restaurants, located in Richmond, VA. Here are just a few of his and the team’s accolades.

Accolades

2018 Memphis in May Barbecue World Championship: 2nd Place Shoulder
2017 Memphis in May Barbecue World Championship: 3rd Place Shoulder & 4th Place Overall
2016 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Barbecue World Championship: 2nd Brisket & 4th Ribs
2016 Jack Daniels Invitational Barbecue World Championship: Grand Champion
2015 Jack Daniels Invitational Barbecue World Championship: Grand Champion
2015 American Royal Open: 3rd Runner-Up
2015 American Royal Invitational: 2nd Runner-Up
2015 Kingsford Invitational: Grand Champion
2014 American Royal Open: Grand Champion
2013 American Royal Invitational: Grand Champion
2013 Jack Daniels Invitational Barbecue World Championship: Grand Champion
2013 Memphis in May Barbecue World Championship: 2nd Place Ribs
2013 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Barbecue World Championship: 2nd Runner-Up
2012 Gary Wells Sportsmanship of the Year Award
2011 KCBS Brisket Team of the Year
2011 American Royal Invitational: 2nd Runner-Up
2010 Memphis in May Barbecue World Championship: 1st Place Shoulder
2009 American Royal Invitational: 2nd Runner-Up
2008 Jack Daniels Invitational Barbecue World Championship: 2nd Runner-Up
2007 KCBS Team of the Year

Competition Record

174 Contests
41 Grand Championships
21 Reserve Grand Championships
5 Overall World Championships

In addition to being a highly regarded pitmaster, Tuffy also has a variety of products and BBQ resources available including:

When not competing Tuffy dedicates his time to his businesses and to educating up-and-coming pitmasters at the Cool Smoke BBQ School. For more information on classes and competitions, visit the Cooking School and Calendar pages of his website, or connect with Tuffy Stone on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram.

On May 15, 2018, Tuffy released his highly-anticipated first-ever cookbook, Cool Smoke: The Art of Great Barbecue from St. Martin’s Press.

In addition, Tuffy has several commercial rubs and sauces (pictured above), available now by visiting here. He also offers several Cool Smoke t-shirts, all of which can be found here.

You can follow him here:

Published On: 4/24/2024

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