From 4pm Friday, 20 teams from across the country will fire up their open air ovens and start the long, slow cook throughout the night in a bid to take out the title of barbecue champion and the chance to win $5000 in cash and prizes.

Carlos and Co will be one of four teams flying the flag for the Hastings and have stayed true to their street food ethos by selecting the Argentinian dish, parillada, as the meaty treat they believe will win them glory.

Sean Edwards says Carlos and Co, with its urban food philosophy and unpretentious fusion of flavours at the heart of their cooking, has a great chance at taking out the title of barbecue champions.

“Lamb can be a challenging beast to cook. We will be slow cooking a whole lamb crucifix-style over an open fire for about 10 hours,” Sean explained.

“It will be basted in a salt brine and flavoured with some secret herbs and spices. I think we’ve got a good chance of winning, for sure.”

Every entrant is required to produce five dishes from a selection of staple meat ingredients. The Carlos and Co crew will complement their lamb with a chicken dish, pork rib, pork shoulder and a big Texan T-bone. 

Garry Waddell from Grumpy’s has sharpened his cleaver to ensure the team has a selection of choice cuts.They will be joined by Craig Freudenstein from XS Foods, Brad Hodge and the boys from Finnians while Chris Horwood will fly the flag for the Pork Swords. The local entrants will go head to head with competitors from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Newcastle and Adelaide

A panel of 30 judges will sample every team’s five dishes throughout the course of the day with the winner announced at 5pm Saturday.

The American-inspired Blues and BBQ Festival is free to the public all day on Saturday until 2pm. It will incorporate the Foreshore Markets, live entertainment and food truck fare.

The live band program and licensed area opens at 2pm with tickets on sale for $25.

Headlining the blues line-up is Bob Log III, Charlie A’Court, Mandroid, Anni Piper, Mar Haze, Whores for Pinot and DJ Healey.

Honorary Southerner and proud meat lover, BurgerMary, will host the event and share some of her passion about the tradition of American barbecue culture throughout the day.

THE Blues and BBQ Festival will kick off at 4pm Friday on Town Green (Rydges end).

All 20 teams in the barbecue competition will commence cooking and members of the public are invited along to smell the fare and meet the chefs.

The event launches into full swing on Saturday from 9am and is free to the public until 2pm. There will be  Foreshore Markets, live music and food stalls.

From 2pm to 9pm, bands will perform and the licensed bar area will offer a range of boutique ales. Tickets for the Blues Festival program and licensed area are $25 and can be purchased online at www.bluesandbbq.com.au

The public is invited to bring along picnic rugs and chairs and settle in for the afternoon.

The winner of the BBQ competition will be announced at 5pm.

Be a part of the action online and share your photos with the Port News via the Instagram hashtag #BBQfest

The Port News will cover the event online and feature a gallery of your photos and video over the weekend.