Troy Black, an Athens native, will host the new “Southern School of Barbeque,” on April 22 at Athens State University.

The school will bring backyard barbecue fans face-to-face with an award-winning competitive barbecue chef who competes full time nationally on the Kansas City Barbeque Society professional barbecue circuit nearly every weekend of the year.

The school also is the kickoff event for the Best Buckin BBQ Cook-off.

The Southern School of Barbeque is the brain child of Black, who will hold barbecue cooking schools throughout the South. Black is also one of the featured chefs of the Gaylord Opryland Resort’s BBQ Summer Series, which occurs in Nashville throughout 2008. Black’s accolades include four state titles and four end-of-year Top 10 rankings, including KCBS runner up in ribs and eighth in pork for 2007. There are an estimated 3,000 or more competitive barbecue teams across the nation competing for these year-end awards.

Black also represents Southern Living magazine’s BBQ on Tour www.southernlivingbbqontour.com program nationally.

“I’m so excited to launch the Southern Barbeque School in my hometown,” Black said. “Growing up in Athens has had a lasting effect on my life. The experience of going to Dub’s on Saturdays for lunch, getting a barbecue sandwich from Whitt’s and going to Limestone Drugs after school for a cherry Coke are all uniquely Athens.

“I’m especially excited that the Best Buckin BBQ Cook-off has been sanctioned by the KCBS, the pro barbecue circuit that I compete on,” he said. “It will be a great weekend to see familiar faces and see people I haven’t seen in a very long time.”

School tells all

During the school, Black will fire up the pit to educate and entertain attendees in a 2 1/2-hour presentation that includes recipes, tips and some of his tricks of the trade for creating mouth-watering, fall-off-the-bone barbecue.

“From the neighborhood king of the grill to the backyard beginner, everyone will walk away with first-hand knowledge of what national championship barbecue is all about and how to create it at home,” he said. “This will be an extraordinary evening for anyone who loves barbecue and wants to find out what it’s like to cook and enjoy award-winning barbecue.”

The school will cover chicken, ribs, pulled pork, brisket, cooking techniques, dry rubs and sauces.

Cost for the school is $60, with a portion of the proceeds going to Southern Crossroads, a non-profit organization in Athens dedicated to hosting local events and raising money for charities of Limestone County.