`GREAT BOARS OF FIRE' READ TO HEAD WEST

ANNA, Ill. -- Wherever members of The Great Boars of Fire gather you can expect fun, friendship, good times and great food.

Described as a small group from the hills of Southern Illinois, by head chef Dave Fombelle, the Great Boars of Fire was founded four years ago when a group formed to participate in an Irish Stew contest.

But, this month, the crew will man barbecue cookers and pits when they visit California for a four-day Anaheim cookout.

"We'll be preparing food for the annual Anheuser-Busch convention," said Fombelle, who operates Jo-An Laundry and Dry Cleaners in Anna.

The group will cook for more than 2,000 people each day.

The group's three cookers and pits left Anna Friday by Anheuser-Busch truck.

Four members of the team will fly out Thursday, Fombelle said. The convention and cookout will be held March 12 through 15.

Boars of Fire team members making the western trip are Dave Fombelle, his son, Bob Fombelle, Mike Glisson and Jerry McFadden.

Some team members couldn't make the trip because of business commitments.

Other members of the team include Jim West, Patty Fombelle, John Belcher, Richard Sheeley and Bob Lyerla.

Some Boars of Fire barbecue found its way into the hands of Anheuser-Busch executive August Busch III from a cookout for U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello of Belleville, Ill.

"Busch liked the barbecue and a resume we sent him," Fombelle said, and "we were invited to prepare the food for the annual Anheuser-Busch Convention."

Fombelle said the team at the California event will prepare ribs, pork loin, full pork shoulders and Cajun drums, the Boars' answer to "hot wings."

The Boars have prepared food for some impressive folks during their four-year history, including singers Tanya Tucker. Hank Williams Jr., Neil McCoy and Travis Tritt, and businessman John E. Connelly.

Connelly, who owns hotels, restaurants and gambling casinos, was introduced to the Boars' barbecue through an entertainer, musician Buddy Anderson, who had taken some barbecue with him for a gig at one of Connelly's lounges.

"Connelly wanted to see more," Fombelle said, so "we sent him more barbecue and a menu of our products, and were invited to cook at his birthday party held in Pennsylvania."

The menu included rib tasters, barbecue egg rolls, smoked turkey breast, smoked loin of pork, Texas-style beef brisket, baby-back ribs, pork shoulder, barbecue beans, southern potato salad and crab meat pasta salad.

The Great Boars of Fire are also known locally.

It has participated in a number of barbecue contests in Southern Illinois, and will cook at the Southeast Missouri District Fair this year.

The Boars also do a number of benefit barbecues.

Each year, the team cooks at the Harold Simmons Leukemia Benefit held at Kennett, Mo., where they cook from 400 to 500 sides of ribs.

When Southern Illinois held its Super Maximum Security Prison Victory Picnic near Tamms in 1993, the Great Boars of Fire prepared the barbecue.

During a special Volunteer Day Festival at Olive Branch, designed to honor people who provided assistance during the Flood of 1993 in the Olive Branch-Miller City area, the Boars of Fire prepared the food.

The Boars have won some top awards in prestigious cooking competitions such as the "Memphis in May" International Barbecue Cookoff, the Jack Daniel World Invitational Cookoff, the Illinois State BBQ Championship, Missouri State Championship, Meat on the Mississippi and other cooking competitions.

Fombelle said the group has a lot of fun

"We use three cookers, a home-made cooker, and two commercial pits," he said.

"The Great Boars of Fire" started on a lark.

"I like to cook oriental foods," Fombelle said. "About four years ago, I was invited to participate in an Irish Stew cooking competition at Murphysboro, Ill. A number of fellows here cooked each year during a special deer hunt, so I rounded up a group and we entered the stew contest."

The team finished second and "had a great time," Fombelle said, adding: "We decided to continue our cooking and entered the fall barbecue contest at Murphysboro.

Fombelle used some "old dry-cleaning equipment," converting it into a cooker and smoker.

The homemade rig started service in the early 1900s as a dry-cleaning machine, Fombelle said. Valves, pulleys and pipes were left intact in its conversion to a cooker.

"We still use that homemade cooker," Fombelle said. "It really looks kind of weird, but it's quite a conversation piece."

Although the group didn't realize how big the barbecue business is, Fombelle said, "we've never been very impressed with ourselves. We just like to go out, cook and have a good time."