A Jack Daniel’s cheesecake got this local company into a world championship BBQ cookoff
A local barbecue connoisseur recently earned his first golden ticket to a world championship competition, and it’s all thanks to his Jack Daniel’s peach cheesecake recipe.
The cheesecake consists of a butter pecan crust with cream cheese, mascarpone and sour cream filling, topped with peaches that are marinated in Jack Daniel’s syrup.
“It punches you in the face,” Paul Glavanits said. “The Jack Daniel’s hits you first.”
Glavanits, 50, owns The Original Northwest BBQ Company in Buckley. He’s been working the grill since 1996. He doesn’t own a restaurant — he only cooks for events such as weddings, corporate parties and cookoffs.
In July 2022, the barbecue company won its golden ticket after competing at the Sweet Home Icebox Cookoff in Oregon. They won the dessert category, which gets them into the Steak Cookoff Association World Championship March 8-12 in Texas. They plan to barbecue and compete in as many categories as possible, but dessert will be a top priority.
Glavanits is looking to the community to help pay for travel, lodging and equipment costs.
Glavanits created a GoFundMe page Jan. 9, which can be found at bit.ly/3kOgwGi. The barbecue company had raised $275 as of Jan. 26. The goal is to raise $4,000.
The barbecue company is also hosting a Valentine’s Day dinner in Enumclaw to fundraise for the competition. The dinner will take place at Cole Street Brewery, 1627 Cole St. Tickets cost $55 per person and can be purchased online at bit.ly/3Y0EfS9.
The Feb. 14 dinner will have stuffed mushrooms with caramelized onions and peppers. The main dish includes smoked prime rib with roasted asparagus, mashed potatoes, a dinner roll and horse radish. Jack Daniel’s peach tarts will be served for dessert. They’ll be a different-sized version of the winning cheesecake.
Glavanits said the COVID-19 pandemic affected restaurants and companies like his. He purchases food from wholesale suppliers. Seeing their prices fluctuate “hurts,” he said.
“Things financially have not gotten back to normal,” Glavanits wrote on his GoFundMe page. “Anything helps.”
Glavanits’ love for barbecue began in the 1990s when he helped his brother compete in cookoffs, he said. A few years after they went their separate ways, when Glavanits decided to pursue his own barbecue company, his brother passed away.
“I just kind of kept it going … it was a family thing,” Glavanits said.
Cookoffs make Glavanits happy, he said. He likes feeding people and seeing them smile. They’re like a big family reunion where everybody is nice to each other, he said.
Jack Daniel’s is Glavanits’ alcohol of choice, not only because he likes the flavor, but also because it reminds him of his brother. The recipe is sort of an homage to his brother, because it was one of his favorite drinks, he said.
“I like how versatile it is,” Glavanits said. “It can be sweet or savory.”
This story was originally published January 29, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
