If anything, Paul “Big Moe” Pritchett can talk, talk, talk. Anyone who knows him will tell you his mouth is in constant motion.
On a recent Tuesday afternoon, he sat in the den of his Kalamazoo home in front of a life-size cardboard image of himself and spun story after story about cooking barbecue. Many of the stories were about how he bested barbecue outfits with the most modern in transportable cooking units and lavish sponsors.
Pritchett uses two modest barrel smokers that he tows behind a monogrammed Dodge Ram and his family vehicle, a black Chrysler Town and Country. Some stories were about how he had to sell barbecue to festival patrons to make ends meet while he was challenged to create picture-perfect contest entries for barbecued chicken, ribs, pork butt and beef brisket.
All some barbecue outfits do at festivals is participate in the contests, he said. “Nobody’s paying my mortgage,” Pritchett said, “We have to generate money all the time. But no matter where I go, I make friends by eating, drinking and talking smack.”
“They (other vendors) say ‘What’s going on, Moe?’ I say, ‘I’m just here to take your money.’”
Pritchett can back up his big talk with awards. One corner of his den Is filled with barbecue contest trophies. Award plaques cover one wall. He has left some awards in the back of his vehicles as he had displayed them during recent trips to festivals. The man keeps winning barbecuing awards with the Big Moe Pritchett’s Barbecue Sauce he sells at Meijer’s, Harding’s, Sam’s Club and Walmart. “If you open it and refrigerate it, it will last you for a year,” Pritchett said. “But once you taste it,” he said, touching his tongue with the tip of an index finger, “its not going to last long at all.”
He won the Best Ribs in Kalamazoo award at Ribfest multiple times, including the last two years.
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