For local barbecue judges, the heat is on

George and Donna Kendall, both natives of Memphis, Tenn., know good barbecue when they taste it.

The siblings practically were raised on the stuff.

Not that they agree on which is better: dry-rubbed ribs with hot sauce, which Donna prefers, or George's pick — just about anything sweeter.

As Florida Barbecue Association-certified master judges, the Kendalls will be among 50 or more judges casting votes at the second annual Pigz in Z'hills BBQ and Blues Fest on Saturday at Krusen Field.

The Kendalls always are happy to talk about their hobby — if you don't call it a hobby.

"It's serious business," George Kendall said. "My friend, Myron Mixon, is one of the best [barbecue competitors] there is. In 2009, he made half a million dollars from barbecue."

At Pigz in Z'hills, the prize money is substantially smaller than Mixon's annual earnings. The winning professional team will take home a $1,400 grand prize. But the competition is as hot as burning charcoal, even among the non-professional backyard teams, who compete for bragging rights.

The Tampa Tribune is a sponsor of the event, which is hosted by the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

The barbecue association takes each event as seriously as the competitors. Potential judges must take a four-hour barbecue class before they are certified. To become a master judge, like the Kendalls, one must judge in at least 50 competitions in five years and cook with a professional team during competition, among other things.

At competitions, the tastings are blind, so judges don't know whose recipes they are sampling, and they must comply with strict criteria.

"On certain pieces you look for a smoke ring," Donna Kendall said. "With ribs, you have the bite test. You take a bite out of the middle. If it bites easily, and the rest of the meat stays on the bone, that's good. Folks always talk about the meat falling off the bone. Falling off the bone tastes wonderful; but by FBA criteria, it's overdone."

Judges may whet their palates with water and use crackers to get a taste out of their mouths. But otherwise, it's a lot of barbecue. George Kendall said if he didn't limit himself to two bites per sample, he would devour about 2 pounds of barbecue per competition.

"Of course, you'll always find some that you want a few more bites of," he said.

The Kendalls aren't the only local family judging next weekend. Richard and Tammy Heon, who are married, became FBA judges shortly after moving to Zephyrhills a couple of years ago.

"My wife is partial to the pork and to the ribs," Richard Heon said. "I like it all, but especially the dry-rub ribs. Of course, it all depends on how it's cooked, also. We usually start judging in the morning around 11 — usually start with chicken — and end with the brisket around 2 p.m.

"I personally just love good brisket. When you get good brisket, everybody is smiling."

Southerners might not consider New Hampshire a barbecue paradise, but George Kendall said the dish is popular throughout the nation, and he has trade publications National Barbecue News and The BullSheet to prove it.

Both publications advertise professional events in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.

In Florida, both local families say, the barbecue community is close-knit.

"Some of the teams compete in every event across the state, while others pick and choose. After the events, we all kind of socialize and eat more barbecue," Richard Heon said.

Next weekend's competition has drawn teams from Bushnell, Lakeland, Lithia, Lynn Haven, New Smyrna Beach, Safety Harbor, Valrico, Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills.

Several musical acts are scheduled to perform, including local bands Cold Iron and The Time Bandits, as well as Julie Black, a Florida-based singer-songwriter whose original music is inspired by greats such as Bonnie Raitt, Janis Joplin and Etta James.

There also will be arts and crafts, children's activities and a classic car show. Beer and wine will be available. The event is from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free.

Asked if they ever had experienced barbecue that was not competition-worthy, Donna Kendall said she recently had some bad brisket, but she didn't want to say where.

"It was a backyard team," she said. "With the brisket, you should be able to stretch it and it will come apart. But we were practically beating things with it. We couldn't bite into it."

The judges expect good barbecue in Zephyrhills and look forward to watching the event grow.

"This year should be big," George Kendall said. "They expect it to go big-time."