When the weather heats up, there’s no better time for a backyard barbecue. Grilling is a communal experience. It can be informal and social, but for serious contenders, it’s sport. And winning barbecue competitions is easier with the right gear. Enter Quetopia, a local go-to spot for competition-quality equipment and supplies, like grills, smokers, meats, rubs and sauces.
“I carry a lot of the products people don’t have access to,” says Tony Korthaus, owner and pit master at the Minnetonka business. No big-box items are in the selection of more than 1,000 products that Quetopia carries.
A job change in 2009 inspired Korthaus to barbecue at a competitive level. He found that gearing up for the competitive circuit was a challenge, but the lack of local equipment and supplies was a business opportunity in the making. Quetopia lives up to its combined barbecue and “utopia” name.
Korthaus’ passion for barbecue grew into a small business that keeps growing. He says the biggest reward is having customers return to say how successful their barbecue was after trying recommended products or cooking methods.
Korthaus also offers barbecue classes at Quetopia. “We’ve been doing this for 10 years and pass that knowledge on to our customers,” he says. “I have 15 grills and smokers at my house. Everything we sell, I have at my house.”
In the competitive world of barbecue grilling and smoking, a drama unfolds through layers of pungent smoke. Cooking a 20-pound piece of meat can take nine hours at 275 degrees. Alternating layers of sweet, savory and spicy seasonings or sauces add depth of flavor to super-prime cuts of meat.
Korthaus has a winning team with a trove of awards and accolades. Last year, Quetopia won three grand championships, including Minnesota in May in St. Paul, the Mankato Cookout, and Ribs, Rods and Rock ‘n Roll in Vermillion, South Dakota. The 2016 titles don’t stop there. The team was runner-up for the Minnesota Barbecue Society’s Team of the Year. But Korthaus is especially proud of winning first place for pork among 180 entrants at the American Royal World Series of Barbecue Invitational in Kansas City (the granddaddy of all competitions).
Family and friends assist in the proceedings. His competition partner is Dan Sandberb. As director of thermal application, Sandberb oversees fire and pit temperature control.
Korthaus and his wife, Amy, travel to competitions nationwide. Blue ribbon or not, barbecue is delicious fun. Even their English bulldog, Butch, tags along. He “likes the smells and drippings in the bottom of the trailer. He helps us load and unload,” Korthaus says. “He’s the bully; he maintains order in the pit.” Butch guards the barbecue pit with admirable dedication, considering that he never gets to share in the barbecue bounty.
The competitive spirit of barbecue rivals an Olympic event, but it’s all in fun. Every detail is calculated by expert pit masters like Korthaus. While these culinary pros avoid the “chef” label, they have an encyclopedic knowledge about barbecue and the science behind it. And "pit master" is a self-designated title. “We don’t like to call ourselves [professional] cooks or chefs,” says Korthaus. Skills are honed from hands-on experience rather than formal training. “There is no right or wrong in barbecue,” says Korthaus. “It’s just a matter of doing what tastes best for you and your family.”
