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When it comes to good barbecue, there is no right way or wrong way, only the winning way.

Fairbanks residents Norman Jones and Marilyn Nigro, part of the Boss Hogg barbecue team, know something about that. Boss Hogg won the Alaska State Barbecue Championship this summer, earning the right to compete in the 21st Annual Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue, Saturday in Lynchburg, Tenn.

When reached by cell phone, Jones and Nigro were in the middle of South Dakota, hauling three smokers, wood chips (hickory, apricot and apple), tables, chairs, a tent, plenty of utensils, a variety of meat cuts and everything needed to make numerous sauces. The team, which includes Jones’ daughter Renee Allen (flying in from Seattle) and Fairbanksan Rose Harvey, is entered in the chicken, pork ribs, pulled pork, brisket and sauce competitions.

Jones explained that it isn’t necessary to win a single competition to be judged best overall.

“You just have to have the highest overall score,” he said.

Points are awarded during the competition, which is a blind tasting, based on taste, tenderness of the meat and category-specific attributes, explained Lynne Tolley, the great-grandniece of Jack Daniel and host of the event.

Tolley, who no longer acts as a judge after realizing “I ate about three and half pounds of meat” during judging, added that every recipe must be made with Jack Daniel’s whiskey.

Jones and Nigro said using Jack Daniel’s in their recipe was a new thing, and it took a lot of experimentation to create sauces they felt were competition worthy.

“Marilyn has made lots of different sauces with lots of different ingredients,” Jones said. “We brought it to friends for tasting, trying to find one that might win.”

Barbecue champions would probably make good CIA operatives — they are certainly good at keeping secrets. When pressed, the pair wouldn’t let on much more about their recipes, only to say that local blueberries and cranberries, as well as ancho chiles were used.

“I made my sauce with Alaska blueberries and cranberries so it would accent that we were from Alaska,” Nigro said. “We took it (to some local barbecue judges) and they liked the depth of it, how it hits the tongue at the beginning, the way it rolls back and gets you in the back of the palate with a little zing.”

This particular sauce won’t actually be used on any meat and is strictly for the individual sauce competition.

“We’re carrying three or four different sauces,” Nigro said. “You use a different sauce for your chicken because you want a different taste on the chicken meat than you do on the ribs versus the brisket. The pulled pork is different from those. It’s a specialized kind of thing.

“I’d be happy to share the recipe, but we’ll see how it places first. No one shares their recipes at this point,” she added.

“The winner gets the most fabulous trophy made from Jack Daniel’s white oak barrel wood,” Tolley exclaimed. “There’s money too, but we only use our barrels once, so it’s pretty special.”

Jones and Nigro said they don’t have any expectations beyond enjoying their trip and being good representatives for Alaska. As for becoming barbecue world champions?

“I’m hopeful, I’m hopeful. How’s that?” Nigro asked.

“We’ll let you know how we do,” Jones added. “I do it just for fun.”