The old cliché when one door closes, another one opens couldnt be truer than in the case of North Vancouver resident Justin Kyllo.
Kyllo was an automotive technician with Nissan when a nasty paragliding accident off Grouse Mountain in 2002 left him with a broken back and arms. Forced to stay home while recuperating from his injuries, Kyllo took up cookingand watching the Food Network.
My wife and I reversed roles, said Kyllo, during a phone interview from the PNE Monday afternoon. I ended up being the guy who stayed home to do the cooking and barbecue was a natural progression. Now barbecue is my life.
Thats not to say Kyllos wife Cheryl hasnt also jumped on the barbecue bandwagon. My wife can prepare and cook a whole hog, said Kyllo. And so can my 17-year-old daughter Julia.
The family learned that talent from barbecue master Myron Mixon of Jacks Old South based in the American state of Georgia. Mixon is a star competitor on The Learning Channels popular BBQ Pitmasters series and has won more money in barbecue competitions then anyone else in the world. With a desire to be the best they could be, Kyllo and family also studied the art of barbecue from Florida-based Ray Lampe, a.k.a. Dr. BBQ, and Paul Kirk, better known as the Kansas City Baron of Barbecue.
Today Kyllo and family are the proud owners and operators of Smoke and Bones, a North Vancouver catering company that offers southern-style barbecue. Smoke and Bones is challenging the stars of barbecue and has won several prestigious awards, including one for chicken in the 2010 Best of the Best Invitational BBQ Cook-Off in Waycross, Georgia, another for ribs at the 2010 King Of The Pit Championship in Alabama and another at the 2009 Canadian National BBQ Championship in Whistler.
Were taking those awards away from the big boys in the U.S. and bringing them home to the north, Kyllo said.
Today Kyllo is competing to win Rib Fest, a first in the PNEs 101-year history. Six award-winning barbecue teams are grilling up a storm at the PNE this year to compete for the sizzling Peoples Choice Award, which sees fairgoers purchasing barbecue from each of the competitors and voting for their favourite. The official competition takes place Sept. 2 at the Celebration Plaza when 12 rib experts, including local celebrities, will decide first, second and third place. The competition includes pit masters from Alberta, Ontario and California fighting for prizes and bragging rights.
Kyllo said so far his ribs have drawn the crowds at the PNE. Smoke and Bones serves chicken and ribs made with rubs and sauces created by Kyllo and family through trial and error. The end result is the perfect mix of sweet and spicy, said Kyllo. When asked to share the secret ingredients in his award-winning barbecue sauce, Kyllo is quick to respond. My ingredients include some vinegar, some pepper and a whole lotta love.
Finally, Kyllo answers the one question many barbecue fans have long pondered: should rib meat fall off the bone or not?
If Im going to serve it to a crowd its got to fall off the bone or people dont think its done, but its different for competition, said Kyllo. The judges like a little bit of taut. If I was turning a box in for competition, it wouldnt fall off the bone.
sthomas@vancourier.com
Twitter: @sthomas10
