The Beefy Brothers are on a "high steaks" mission.
The team from country Queensland took out second place at the National Barbecue Championships in Forbes, central west NSW, on Saturday, in a state of origin with extra sizzle.
The championships, which began in 2011 to showcase the region's quality produce, featured categories for the best chicken, beef, pork and lamb.
Team captain Dave Rach, from Kabra, near Rockhampton, said grilling was a new challenge, after a year of perfecting the art of competitive meat smoking.
"The process is a bit different with the barbecuing," Mr Rach told AAP.
"It's intense heat, and making sure everything is tender."
But the quest isn't over for Mr Rach and his two teammates.
The Beefy Brothers will be vying for greasy glory at this weekend's Sausagefest in Albury, where competitors can take on a grand champ round featuring chicken, pork, ribs, lamb, and brisket.
Another round at the southern NSW event, sanctioned by competitive barbecuing organisation Steak Cookoff Association, will judge the best steak, burgers, hotdogs, chicken wings and bacon.
Mr Rach has a lifetime at the grill under his belt, having grown up cooking for his five siblings.
"(I was) always in the kitchen from a young age, being the youngest, and when I moved out of home I got my first smoker, my first barbecue and really just went from there," he said.
The Forbes showdown, supported by the NSW government, was the first major event in the rural town since devastating floods last year.
Local heroes from Fire and Rescue Station 294 became national legends when they took out the barbecue championship crown.
Firefighter Mat Teale said the team's experience at local sausage sizzles gave them an edge.
"We are no mugs, we do a lot of community barbecues and are a pretty good judge of a pair of barbecue tongs," Mr Teale said.
Known for putting out fires, station 294 is turning up the heat ahead of next year's competition.
"We want to challenge any other fire brigade in NSW to come down to Forbes and try and take the championship off us," Mr Teale said.
