COMPETITOR

Carlos Salazar

HEAD COOK: Carlos Salazar

COMPETITION: World Barbecue Championship - EAT Division

My name is Carlos Salazar and I am the Head Pitmaster for my Competition BBQ Team, Monster Grillers BBQ. I grew up in the small town of Charlotte, Texas, but now I am a resident of New Braunfels. Although I am not a trained chef, I have been trained and taught by some of the best in BBQ and I am no stranger to the competition world! In 2017 my team finished number one in one of the two BBQ societies here in Texas. We also finished number 2 out of the top 100 in the Texas Pitmaster’s Points Chase in only 24 events. We had 9 Grand Championships with 5 of those in a 6 week stretch; we also had 16 first place walks and numerous top 3 calls. Unfortunately, I was only able to compete for about two thirds of the year. When Hurricane Harvey hit, a dear friend of mine and I decided it was more important to help out those in need. We traveled to the devastated Texas Coast and and fed over 3000 meals with the help of volunteers the first weekend. After seeing the destruction, we decided that we needed to do more! We held fundraisers and food drives to help feed and raise money for the victims. We bought and delivered 30 refrigerators straight into the homes. With another friend’s help and some gracious volunteers, I was able to hold a Thanksgiving Day meal for the victims of Harvey. I was also able to help Christmas on the Coast by donating 10 bikes and feeding over 1000 kids. Last, but not least, another friend and I was able to re-model a trailer that will soon be delivered to a person who lost their home to the hurricane. Although I am not a trained chef, I am the oldest of 7, and from an early age I would help my Mama in the kitchen. She is a phenomenal cook, and defiantly taught me how to become a great chef. My Dad taught me to work hard and never give up, and to always pick up the heaviest bat and swing for the fence. I work for an amazing company that taught me to make a plan, stick to the plan and the plan will work and be successful. I am bringing my years of knowledge and skill to the World Food Championships along with my best effort and advance to the final round.