We live in a land of big steaks and bigger steakhouses, where the beef may actually have been raised just a few miles away. That’s a privilege. It’s also the reason many residents may not have a favorite local steakhouse. Ask them their favorite place for a ribeye and, more often than not, they’ll answer with something like, “my backyard.”
The best grills are the ones we manage ourselves.
Jennifer and Robby Staggs recognized this when they opened Champion BBQ Supply near 34th and Coulter in 2017. A year earlier, the couple had begun competing in championship cookoffs. They saw space in the local market for a retail shop offering grilling expertise, seasonings and spices, marketed at competitive teams as well as backyard chefs. Jennifer came from a long retail background and Robby had become a competitive cook.
With that balance of knowledge, the store took off.
The name “Champion” was mostly aspirational at that point. But then, in 2019, Robby won the prestigious Steak Cookoff Association World Championship—the largest steak cook-off in the world—competing against 300 teams from across the globe. That victory put Champion BBQ, and the Staggs’ name, on the map, along with their own brand of Two Pig Mafia seasonings.
Sometimes they worked as a team, with Jennifer first serving as Robby’s “sous chef,” as she describes it. But she’s also a talented cook, and Jennifer’s as likely to be participating in steak or rib cook-offs as Robby. Occasionally they compete against each other. “When we first got into this in 2017, it was mostly just men,” she says. “But more women are competing now than ever. Right now,
it’s anyone’s game.”
In 2021, the Amarillo couple expanded their operations into Oklahoma City, opening a Champion BBQ Supply just off Pennsylvania Avenue, north of Interstate 344. “Our goal is to eventually have multiple stores in a few different states,” Jennifer says.
With grilling season now in full blaze, we asked her to walk us through the importance of heat sources. The choice between charcoal searing, slow-smoking hardwood or the precision of pellets isn’t just about heat. Fuel has a way of dialing in flavor, and Jennifer Staggs says understanding the differences between wood, pellets and charcoal is the first step to unlocking champion flavor.
She graciously answered our, um, burning questions about outdoor cooking.
What are the key differences between fuel sources, when it comes to flavor and cooking performance? Let’s start with wood.
If you’re cooking with wood, you’re going to get a stronger smoke flavor. If you love that flavor, wood’s the way to go. If you have time to do a slow cook—eight or 10 or 12 hours on an offset smoker—you’re [probably] going to be using two different kinds of combinations, charcoal and wood, to get that strong smoke flavor.
Are there certain types of wood that pair best with certain meats?
Depending on what someone likes to cook, it comes down to preference. Hickory is a really good one with a strong smoke flavor. It’s great on pork and ribs. Hickory and oak are great to mix with other woods—such as fruit woods [like apple or cherry]—but you’re going to get more of a mild, medium smoke with that.
A lot of fruit woods you’ll suggest with fish. It gets a little sweet, milder flavor.
Being in Texas, the most popular here is mesquite and pecan. Those are really popular in Amarillo. Mesquite has more of a strong smoke flavor and is great for rich meats.
I really like pecan. If someone says, “I just want something I can use for a lot of different things,” I suggest pecan. You can always blend it with something else.
What about wood pellets? Those have become popular choices with the rise of pellet grills.
Pellets are compressed wood. The good thing about using pellets is it’s a consistent, controlled burn. The popularity [of pellet grills] comes from convenience. Unlike traditional offset smokers—where you have to tend the fire quite a bit—a pellet smoker should fire up and the temperature be set and ready to get your meat on within 15 minutes. And you basically are using the pellet smoker to maintain that temperature. You’re not out tinkering with it the whole time. Just set it and check on your meat with a thermometer. Whenever it comes to [the right] temp, take it off.
You’re not going to get as much smoke [flavor] as an offset, but the tradeoff in convenience is wonderful. And they’re very versatile. You can use pellets for everything—smoking, grilling, baking, roasting.
Let’s talk about steak. A lot of people still prefer the old-school charcoal approach for searing. What are your thoughts on that?
Charcoal burns hotter and faster than wood, so you definitely want to use that when you do your grilling. It’s going to give you less smoke overall unless you add wood chunks. But [for] searing and grilling, definitely go to charcoal.
But some people don’t give charcoal enough time. They’re in a rush. You cannot cook with charcoal if you’re in a hurry. You have to let that charcoal burn until it’s red and ashy. You have to bring it up to temp before you can grill it. It’s not like a pellet smoker where it’s ready in 15 minutes.
If you’re grilling with charcoal, prepare a safety zone. You need a cool side. Put the charcoal and fuel on one side and then a safety zone where you can set your meat apart from the hot fire.
You sell seasonings and pellets and everything else, but you’re also a dealer in grills and smokers. What kinds do you recommend, depending on the fuel choice?
For pellet grills, it’s incredible how popular Yoder smokers are. We sell so many of them due to the convenience factor. [Note: Champion BBQ is the exclusive Yoder dealer for the Texas Panhandle.]
For charcoal, [we recommend] PK Grills or Hasty Bake. PK is really good if you are searing some steaks. If you want a good steak, like we use in our cook-offs, use PK Grills. You can get a nice hot fire going and the flavor is really great, too. Hasty Bake grills have a little crank on the side where you can control your fire, bringing the coals up to the meat or down away from the meat. You can control the heat that way. Those are very popular, especially in our Oklahoma store.
We like Hunsaker drum smokers to combine charcoal and wood. That’s what we use for our competitions for ribs, briskets and chicken. Then the Yoder Smokers offsets are really good for wood.
What are your tips for seasoning?
Layer it. People don’t realize how much flavor you can get out of meat from layering your seasoning. Salt is going to tenderize your meat, so you want your first layer of seasoning to have the heaviest salt content. If you have an all-purpose salt-pepper-garlic [seasoning], put that on first.
Then, whatever your preference, layer your sweet seasoning or cajun [flavor]. If you’re cooking ribs that have that sweet seasoning on top that everybody loves, make sure to season the back of them too. Our [Two Pig Mafia] salt-and-pepper seasoning is great on the backside of ribs. You don’t want to put a sweet seasoning on the back because it’s going to burn. But it’s unbelievable—that one layer of salt and pepper really makes a difference.
Any final tips for backyard smoking or grilling?
Get some type of thermometer to check your meat. A lot of people cook to time and not to temperature. They’ll complain and say, “My chicken is so overdone. I put it on for two hours just like the video said.” But every smoker and grill is different. You have to test it out. Use a temperature probe, so you take your meat off at the right time.
And after you take it off, make sure you’re letting the meat rest. A lot of people take it off and just start slicing.
