Memorial Day is a revered American holiday that honors the men and women of the U.S. Armed Services who gave their lives for our country. At BBQ Island, we stand with our nation in recognizing these heroes, and we salute all current military members, veterans, and their families who have sacrificed so much for us.
But, Memorial Day is also traditionally known as the beginning of summer. And, for many, that means a celebration that includes a delicious BBQ meal. If you haven’t already thought about what you’re planning to cook on Memorial Day, now is the time!
As we think about summer grilling, we have to give a shout out to one of our favorite competition BBQ teams, Phoenix-based Lip S-Macn BBQ.
Aside from their delicious BBQ, one of the first things that people wonder about this dynamic team is why they spell their name the way they do. Here’s what the team had to say about that:
“The Lip S-Macn BBQ name is a play on words that shows our Irish heritage and also describes our BBQ. We have been very competitive on the BBQ circuit, and our name gives people a taste of what to expect from our food,” says team leader, Rick McEvoy.
Rick, along with wife Janelle McEvoy, Vicky Vanderlin, and other family members currently make up the Lip S-Macn BBQ crew. They’ve been competing on the BBQ circuit since 2012 and are big fans of Green Mountain Grills.
Rick says he got into competition for two reasons: His competitive nature and the fact that he loves to cook. Plus, he says, “BBQ competitions are a lot of fun!”
One of the team’s biggest accomplishments in BBQ competition came in 2014 when they won the AZ BBQ Team of the Year when they were also crowned as the only team ever to win every category. Most recently, the team took 4th place among some tough competition for their outstanding chicken cookin’ at the annual Show Low BBQ Throwdown on May 6.
We asked Rick for some advice that he would give to backyard BBQers. He said that, no matter what you’re cooking, “Let the meat tell you when it’s done, and have an open mind to different cooking techniques. There is more than one way to BBQ!”