Johann Lafer has secured a ticket to the Barbecue World Championship in Las Vegas following a qualification event in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The Road to Vilnius and the “Twin Smoke” Festival
Johann Lafer and Steffen Henssler traveled to Vilnius for the VOX production “Grenzenlos Genial Gekocht,” which is also available on RTL+. The competition took place at the “Twin Smoke” barbecue festival, where they vied for qualification spots at the Barbecue World Championship in Las Vegas.
For Lafer, the trip served as personal redemption after a performance at the Pizza World Championship in Parma the previous year. In Parma, Lafer finished in 184th place, while Henssler secured a fourth-place finish.
Strict Rules and Early Setbacks
Before stepping up to the grills, both chefs familiarized themselves with the rigorous regulations demanded by professional barbecue circuits. After purchasing and prepping their ingredients, Henssler gifted his colleague a meat-mixing machine to assist with the preparation.
Despite the preparation, the opening test run with brisket yielded a score of just two points from festival judges, who evaluated entries based on cooking time, aroma, and flavor. Competition day brought mounting pressure as the duo faced strict inspections and tight deadlines to prepare a demanding menu of chicken wings, pork, brisket, spareribs, and ribeye steaks.
Qualification and Emotional Triumph
When the final scores were tallied, “Team GGG” finished fifth in chicken wings, seventh in pork, sixth in brisket, and last in the spareribs category. In the individual steak competition, Henssler placed seventh with his ribeye.
Lafer achieved a fifth-place finish with his ribeye steak, despite describing his own cut as unsuccessful moments before the results were announced. That placement earned Lafer the “Golden Ticket” to the Barbecue World Championship in Las Vegas.
On stage, Lafer wept as he described the achievement as one of the greatest moments for him, announcing that he would only make the journey to Las Vegas alongside Henssler.
Health Milestone Following Cancer Treatment
The competition follows a significant personal battle for the chef. Lafer recently finished a round of chemotherapy aimed at treating lymphatic cancer.
Following the shrinkage of the lymphomas, he has transitioned to a two-year immunotherapy regimen, which involves receiving infusions approximately every two months.
| Competition Category | Team GGG Result |
|---|---|
| Chicken Wings | 5th Place |
| Pork | 7th Place |
| Brisket | 6th Place |
| Spareribs | Last Place |
| Ribeye Steak (Johann Lafer) | 5th Place |
| Ribeye Steak (Steffen Henssler) | 7th Place |
