Levi’s steak anything but Up In Smoke

WHEN twelve-year-old Levi Fordham faced a barbecue competition in Adelaide earlier this month, his performance was red hot.

At the Up In Smoke BBQ meet, the KidsQue Nation contestant beat a field of 13 other young steak cookers from three states. He was judged on taste, texture, appearance and “doneness.”

The first barbecue competition Levi had ever entered, he cooked two steaks, a tester and one to present to the judges. He said the 90-minute process was exciting and nerve wracking.

“We had 30 seconds to pick each steak which KidsQue provided. First, I trimmed the fat off from around the outside and made them into a good shape,” he said.

“I used scissors to round the edges so they looked better. I sticked the rubs on, tied them with twine to make sure they held shape in the barbecue, and while that was happening, the barbecue was getting up to temperature.

“Once the steaks had sweated a bit, I stuck them on there until the barbecue was 250 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Taking out the steaks, Levi seared lines into them on both sides, creating diamond shapes. They reached their “perfect doneness” at 127 degrees Fahrenheit.

The last to hand in his food within the final 30 minutes, he said the blind judging process was “a bit worrying.

“They only call out the first three places, so I was wondering whether I was near the end. I wasn’t expecting to come first. When they called out 57, I was really shocked. I thought I might have been in the top five, but not first,” he said.

Although stressful, it was fun for Levi to do what he loves, under pressure in a new environment.

“It makes me feel good, especially when I get to eat the steak afterwards.”

Levi will now head to the Australian Barbecue Invitational in Sydney. Parents provided no help during the KidsQue competition other than ensuring heat beads were ready in each barbecue.