Poultry in motion: 4-H participants take first in nation with barbecue skills

It was a cold, windy day in Louisville, Kentucky, when two 4-H members from Southeast Missouri took first in the nation in their respective competitions -- Steven Peters, 16, with his chicken barbecue, and Brent Seyer, also 16, with his turkey recipe.

And this is the first time Missouri 4-H participants have taken first place in either competition, said Lesley Meier, 4-H youth specialist for Cape Girardeau County.

The fact that they're friends with each other really isn't that surprising, said Jill Peters, Steven's mother and coach for the competition.

Jill Peters said the successful 4-H members have family support, and these two are a case in point.

Seyer said without the support of the Peters family, there's "no way" he could have done this.

Steven Peters check the temperature of barbecued chicken halves Wednesday.Fred Lynch

Seyer, who belongs to the Arnsberg 4-H club in Cape Girardeau County, was also coached by Sherry Seyer, and placed first overall with his turkey barbecue recipe and execution.

The competition isn't just about putting a good recipe together, Brent Seyer said. There's also a 10-minute oral presentation on the poultry industry, nutrition and health and safety. And every participant had to demonstrate safe food handling techniques.

Added to that, it was in an outdoor setting, in Kentucky, on a cold, windy day, Seyer said.

"It was definitely challenging," he said.

Steven Peters said the skills he's learned because of 4-H really came in handy.

Steven Peters is a member of the Tilsit 4-H club in Cape Girardeau County, and placed first overall with his chicken barbecue.

Participants had to barbecue three chicken halves or two turkey fillets.

The competition itself, held Nov. 15 and 16, 2017, was in Kentucky on a cold day -- conditions Seyer and Peters had practiced in, but contestants from Louisiana, for example, had not.

Steven and Jill Peters said they arrived before 8 a.m. at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville, and started their setup.

All meat was provided, as was the grill, Steven Peters said.

"That way they can be sure there aren't any modifications," he said.

It's strictly charcoal grilling, and Steven Peters said he brought his own utensils and other items for sanitation, charcoal and other supplies.

He kept it simple, he said, so he'd be less likely to trip himself up.

The tongs he used had blunt "teeth", and had cups instead of straight ends. That made it easier to pick up the meat without tearing the skin, he said.

He used a battery-operated thermometer to demonstrate doneness at the end.

Heavy-duty aluminum foil helped with cleanup, he said.

He had a bottle of bleach water he could spray on the equipment to help keep it sanitary, he said.

Latex gloves helped with the food safety portion too, he said.

He used a long-handled brush to evenly distribute the butter and seasonings, he said, and he went for a flavor combination that was sweet with a bite.

Some of the flavor was meant to sit on top of the meat, he said, while the rest of it was meant to penetrate.

Steven Peters said he and Seyer made countless trips to the grocery store as research.

Seyer agreed, and said the two of them would walk through the aisles of marinades and seasonings, "just grabbing containers."

They each scoured the internet for recipes, Seyer said, looking for what would work best in their time-sensitive, outdoor environment.

Seyer's mix was "totally different" from what people typically think of when they think of barbecue, he said, kind of a spicy mango mix for his turkey.

"It was more sweet than spicy," Seyer said.

Getting there was tricky, Seyer added.

"You don't just look up a recipe on the internet and try it," Seyer said.

There's more to it.

There's a lot of trial and error, he said, a lot of mixing flavor combinations to find not only what he liked, but what the judges would like.

And they practiced. For a year, they prepared.

He and Seyer together worked with meat similar to what they would compete with, they said.

A few pounds of turkey, a half of a chicken, and off they went, Jill Peters said.

Steven Peters knows chickens, having raised several from eggs. His flock was what got him into 4-H, he said, and helped him grow that flock from the 10 eggs he started with back when he was in grade school.

That solid base of knowledge helped him to not get rattled during the competition, he said, when judges would come around and ask questions while he was working.

Steven Peters said he couldn't remember any of the specific questions they asked him, as he was busy working the entire time, but he said he got the impression the questions were designed to grill him so he'd get flustered.

When he responded correctly and calmly, he said, he's pretty sure that helped his score.

He said keeping everything sanitary outside without a sink was a challenge, trying to keep everything from becoming a "bloody mess." But the bleach water, gloves and separate cutting board helped him out, he said.

Steven Peters poses for a photo Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018 with barbecued chicken halves and a 4-H state trophy. Peters also won a national 4-H first-place award.Fred Lynch ~ Southeast Missourian

It really was about controlling the variables as much as it was about the cooking. Steven Peters said he couldn't control variables such as the weather or the equipment, or even the quality of meat provided.

But what he could control, he did.

And it paid off.

Lesley Meier, the 4-H youth specialist, said Missouri has never had a national champion, and this year had three.

Seyer and Steven Peters have qualified for nationals more than once in the last few years, Meier said, and this year, each went with the goal of winning.

"These boys have put in so much," Meier said. "We're so proud."

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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