Wearing three hats at BBQ & Bluegrass Festival

Chubby Cheeks BBQ, a name synonymous with local barbecue, has been cooking up flavorful meat around Washakie County for about 32 years and owner and cook Lynn Murdoch will be ready to cook up a storm this weekend both as a vendor and competitor at the Pepsi Wyoming BBQ Championship & Bluegrass Festival.

Murdoch said she and her dad Dave Murdoch began cooking for friends and family. She said when her dad started he did mostly roasts and "grilled things hot and fast." Later, she said she told him people really wanted smoked meat. He was opposed until one night they were doing a dinner and she smoked some chicken and some other meat and everyone was pleased and so was her dad, who boasted "we did pretty good."

"I still use my dad's recipes on seasoning and my mom's recipes on the barbecue sauce," Murdoch said, noting she has made a few tweaks over the years.

Initially they raised their own meat that they cooked but now Murdoch said she buys commercially.

When they started out they also ran a pig wrestling business Chubby Cheeks Livestock.

While she does a lot of cooking - Junior Livestock Sale, 4-H pancake breakfast, Fair cleanup day, some years Worland-Ten Sleep Chamber community barbecue and other catering services - she only competes at the local competition.

She said she did not compete the first year in 2005 but has competed every year since and joined the committee with her dad after three or four years.

Murdoch said with her full-time job as the city's airport manager and the catering business she does not have time to compete in other competitions, mainly because of the travel.

Murdoch said last year she did go to Hill City, South Dakota, and competed because as a fellow sanctioned barbecue competition they were short on teams. She said since they had just gone through that the weekend prior to South Dakota's competition, she knew the struggle and wanted to help.

In order for the local competition to stay sanctioned in 2023 Murdoch split her team up and donated the meat for the teams so there would be a sanctioned event. She said the cookers showed their appreciation by gathering funds to help pay for the meat Murdoch donated.

"It's like a big family. They're all these cookers and, you know, a big family, and they all just take care of each other," Murdoch said.

At Hill City they showed up last minute and fellow cookers helped them trim their meat. She said she learned things watching others trim the meat.

Murdoch's favorite to cook is pulled pork.

"I've got the times down. It's the art and science down. I know what needs to be done. Brisket, I worry a little bit more about, because it's just a little more temperamental piece of meat. And then, of course, ribs, ribs are also my specialty. And chicken, but pork, is my go to, I mean, I can do that in my sleep."

FAMILY AFFAIR

Murdoch is passing it along to the next generation with her daughter Mikaylynn White running 3 Smokin' Chicks with Murdoch's daughter Raylee Salinas and Mikaylynn's daughter Emma Salinas.

She also has some of her grandchildren helping with Murdoch noting, "They've all grown up having to do it."

Her grandson, Robert Salinas handles her money box.

Both Chubby Cheeks BBQ and 3 Smokin' Chicks are vendors and competitors at this weekend's competition.

Murdoch said when doing both she does not have time to prepare meat strictly for the competition. When it is time to take the brisket for judging she grabs one from her cooker.

As a vendor, Murdoch likes to offer the four main meats in the competition to the festival attendees - ribs, chicken, pork and brisket.

Her fan favorite is the pulled pork sundaes with pulled pork and garlic mashed potatoes. She said they have had to have one line just for sundaes due to the popularity. She said during a festival they will go through about 400 pounds of potatoes.

Murdoch's primary helpers for the catering business are Cameron Michael and Tyler Schrage, who have helped since they were in high school.

"I can leave them with the cooker and know things are getting done."

She said she usually has two to three other helpers with her at the festival.

As for the festival and it's 20 years this weekend, Murdoch said, "I like having something like this that people can bring their kids out to, it's family oriented and it's a safe environment. It's something for the community and something that everybody can come in and enjoy."