Rod and Roger Livingston are the dynamic twin-brother duo behind the original R&R BBQ and now Livingston Brothers BBQ. With a drive to make the best barbecue and a passion for smoked meats and a commitment to quality, they’ve crafted award-winning recipes for ribs, chicken, pulled pork, and brisket. Their journey began with a shared love for barbecue, which they honed through years of experimentation and competition. Rod and Roger Livingston became the friendly faces of Utah barbecue in a matter of just a few years.
“We’re very proud of what we created in Utah with barbecue,” says Rod. “We serve barbecue for senators, governors, and celebrities but what we really miss is just talking about barbecue with our customers and friends in Utah.”
Today, the championship-winning team share some of their best barbecue tips. Starting with: “A lot of people want to hear a time and temperature for each meat but the truth of that is it’s done when it’s done,” Rod says in all seriousness. “Chicken is usually done at 170 to 180 degrees, pork about 195 to 205 degrees, brisket can be done anywhere between 185 to 210, and ribs195 to 205 degrees. But the real test for ribs, pork, and brisket is the feel when a probe goes through the meat. When you learn to do that, then your success rate will greatly improve.”
Park City Home: Talk about your history as competition barbecue winners and then how you got into the restaurant business in Utah.
Livingston Brothers BBQ: Our family is from Tennessee and Missouri, so barbecue was a staple at every family reunion. Roger and I always loved to grill before we moved to Utah around 1990. It was about 2000 when we started playing with very cheap smokers and turning out some really bad barbecue.
We started reading up on it, taking a few classes and quickly improved. Then we purchased nicer smokers that were heavier with thicker metal. About 2005 we met some of the local barbecue competitors that told us about some small amateur barbecue contests. After a few of those contests, we joined the Kansas City BBQ Society to compete with the big boys.
Locally we had some good results but to really prove how good you are, you have to compete out of state. Our first Grand Champion came in Idaho where we won by 15 points. Usually, the difference between first and fifth place is only a few points.
Over the years, we won 9 Grand Champions and 6 Reserve Champions with many individual firsts in ribs, chicken, pork, and brisket. We placed second in the Sam’s Club National contest and fifth in brisket at the Jack Daniels World BBQ Championship.
We opened our first R&R BBQ on April 2, 2013 in Salt Lake City and then our second shop just a few years later off of 106th South in South Jordan. By the next year, we took on new partners to help grow the company. It didn’t take long for us to see the brand and quality of food wasn’t what we originally envisioned. We left the company right after COVID started.
Three years later, we still do some catering for special events like the Utah Blues Festival and Camp Hobe, which gives kids with cancer and their siblings a chance to get away for a week to spend time with other kids living through the same situation.
Park City Home: What are the essential steps for preparing and seasoning chicken for barbecue, ensuring it’s flavorful and juicy?
Livingston Brothers BBQ: Smoked chicken is naturally juicer than grilled chicken. I like chicken thighs over breast pieces. But I love smoking whole chickens too. Seasoning can be salt, pepper, and garlic or your choice of any barbecue rubs you like. I like a little heat in the rub and yet a little sweet too.
We smoke everything at 275 degrees. I put on a good amount of rub on the bottom and then on the top and let is sit for about half an hour. I trim them so I can pull the skin tight over the sides so when I put them in the smoker the skin will be tight over the top.
Place them skin side up and have a thermometer close by. When the meat reaches 165 degrees I’ll pull them off and dip each piece in barbecue sauce by holding the thighs with tongs by the bone ends. Place back on the smoker or even on a grill with fire below to set the sauce so it’s not running off the sides, making sure the internal temperature doesn’t exceed 175 degrees. Let them sit for about 10 minutes, then, make sure you have a bib on and take a bite!
Park City Home: Pulled pork is a barbecue staple but achieving that melt-in-your-mouth texture can be challenging. What are some secrets for achieving tender, flavorful pulled pork at home?
Livingston Brothers BBQ: During the first few hours, I like to spray with apple juice and/or water. Apply the rub coating the whole butt. Let it start to get a little bark and every 45 minutes give it a light spray. Continue until you have a nice bark, generally about 165 degrees. After a good bark forms, wrap the pork butt in foil. Make sure it’s nice and tight and that you don’t rip the foil. Cook until you can insert a thermometer and you’re not hitting any tough spots. Then, take it off and let it rest for 30 minutes before pulling apart.
Park City Home: Could you share your top tips for achieving the perfect balance of tenderness and smoky flavor when cooking brisket on a home smoker?
Livingston Brothers BBQ: Brisket can be very challenging on your first few tries. Don’t have a barbecue party until you know the end results.
I suggest getting a nice Prime brisket. You can find them at Costco sometimes at the same price as Choice. Start off with a smaller brisket to save time and money. Use a mild wood like oak or apple. I prefer to use peach paper to wrap the brisket in after you have a nice bark. Remember don’t rush it! When it’s done, it’s done.
I like to trim all the fat off the top of the flat, that’s the big piece of meat that looks like a triangle and keep the fat on the bottom of that part or trim down to a quarter inch. Next, trim the fat off the point, the other end of the brisket where most the fat is. I do like to leave a little fat to help keep it moist. Next, season the brisket. I’m now just using a course pepper and garlic salt. Cook to about 275 degrees or lower, wrap when you have a nice bark, and stop who a thermometer goes in and out like you putting in butter. Enjoy!
Park City Home: Ribs can be tricky to master. What techniques do you recommend for ensuring ribs are cooked to perfection, with a beautiful bark and fall-off-the-bone tenderness?
Livingston Brothers BBQ: Fall-off-the-bone ribs in the competition is over done. Tender ribs will bite off the bone easily without the meat falling off the bone when done. I only smoke spare ribs that are trimmed down to a St. Louis style. I like the higher fat content that makes for a juicer rib which are more tender than baby backs ribs.
With any recipe, what I do is definitely not the only way to cook ribs, but this is what I do that has won us several dozen first place rib awards against many of the top barbecue teams in the nation.
Apply a good amount of your favorite rub about one hour before on the bottom first and then on top. Place on a smoker meat side up for about 1.5 hours before you even think about opening the lid to spray with apple juice. This will help to set the bark. You can apply more rub if you like and then shut the lid. Cook until you see the meat pull back off the bone. You should be into the cook for about 2 hours and 45 minutes and the meat temperature is around 170 degrees, pull the ribs off and be ready to wrap with foil.
Place a heavy strength sheet of foil that is longer than the ribs and about 6 inches wider than the ribs on both sides. This is where they become tender! Place the ribs meat side down, apply a small amount of light brown sugar followed by pure maple syrup—not too much to where its pouring off the sides—flip over and do the same to the topside. I like to add maybe 2 tablespoons of water on the foil before I wrap them. Smoke until the meat is about 195 degrees. But here’s the biggest tip I can give: use a meat probe and push through the foil into the meat and when you feel the probe slide into the meat easily, then they are done.
I find it takes about 3:45-4 hours. But this depends on many factors: how well you keep the temperature at 275 degrees, how many times you opened the lid, thickness of the ribs, and how good you are judging when you’re done.
A lot of people want to hear a time and temperature for each meat but the truth of that is it’s done when it’s done. Chicken is usually done at 170 to 180 degrees, pork about 195 to 205 degrees, brisket can be done anywhere between 185 to 210, and ribs195 to 205 degrees. But the real test for ribs, pork, and brisket is the feel when a probe goes through the meat. When you learn to do that, then your success rate will greatly improve.
Park City Home: What role does smoke play in the flavor profile of barbecue, and how can home cooks ensure they’re using the right type and amount of wood for optimal flavor?
Livingston Brothers BBQ: Things are different now with all the pellet smokers. People don’t have to really know about fire control of their smoker. Turn it on and it starts spitting out smoke. My preference is a lighter smoke flavor from oak or pecan.
Park City Home: What advice do you have for home grillers and smokers who want to take their skills to the next level and create championship-worthy barbecue in their own backyard?
Livingston Brothers BBQ: Follow the tips above and practice, practice, practice.
Park City Home: How can people try Rod and Roger Livingston’s barbecue today?
Livingston Brothers BBQ: We now have Livingston Brothers BBQ that does catering for groups of 40 or more and corporate cooking classes for 20 or more.
For more information, text Rod at 801-722-9121 or find them on Instagram at @Livingston_brothers_bbq