BBQ nabs first in flavor
Published 11:15 am Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Josh Diaz, owner of Piggy Blues, poses with a bottle of Jackass Sauce and the trophy in the form of a paddle from Treasue Island. The sauce was a winner in a state-wide contest held at the casino.
Piggy Blues sauce takes home first place in state contest
The Piggy Blues Jackass sauce made its creators proud on June 16 when judges at the Treasure Island Casino International Barbecue Championship in Welch, Minn., awarded it first prize, along with $300.
“It’s a great feeling when they call your name out,” said Josh Diaz, co-owner of Piggy Blues. “After spending the entire weekend competing, our hard work has finally paid off.”
Diaz was no stranger to the competition; he had submitted the sauce twice before, where he took third and fifth place but never won the championship.
“It’s a well-balanced sauce, so it’s not too spicy,” Diaz said. “It’s got a great flavor.”
According to Diaz, he and his business partner, Ron Meyer, created the Jackass sauce in 2001. They used their original tomato sauce, along with brown sugar, caramel, and various chili and cayenne peppers.
Bottles of barbque sauce, including the Jackass Sauce, sit on a table at Piggy Blues Thursday morning as the popular restaurant perpares to open for the day. The Jackass Sauce recently won a state-wide competition at Treasure Island that included a $300 prize.
“We were always innovating and coming up with new ideas,” Diaz said. “We used much trial and error and tried it with our friends; we lost a few friends that way.”
Above the obvious pride and glory that comes with the award, Diaz is looking forward to the award’s influences on the future of Piggy Blues.
“As with any award in a competition like this, with the best people around, it gives us bragging rights,” Diaz said. “The more awards we win, the more people look at us and think we know what we’re doing.”
However, Diaz does not want to end his competitive endeavors.
“We look forward to the next big thing,” he said.
