Who’s the best barbecuer in Fort Stockton you may ask?

Fort Stockton native Jimmy Stephens might just be your guy. And his sons Aaron Stephens and Brian Stephens, who now live in Midland, might just be right up there with their father.

The three don’t claim to be, but the product speaks for itself.

In 2008, the Stephens’ entered a different realm of barbecuing when Jimmy and his oldest son Aaron decided to start competing in barbecue cookoffs around the state.

“My son and I entered our first competition in 2008,” Jimmy said. “I particularly like to go and meet people and have a good time. My philosophy on it is if I win something that’s just icing on the cake.”

For his sons, they have more competitive fire when it comes cooking barbecuing at cookoffs. Brian, who is the youngest, is out to win every competition he enters according to Jimmy.

“My youngest son, he’s in it to win it,” Jimmy said. “He works real hard at the house trying to perfect his cooking and stuff like that. Aaron is more involved than what I am but not as involved as his younger brother.”

Brian added his thoughts on the activity they all enjoy doing.

“It’s an expensive hobby,” he said with a smile.

While level of competitiveness varies, they all can agree on enjoying the experience while doing something they’re passionate about, around the people they love.

“I’m really grateful that both of them have taken up cooking,” Jimmy said. “We have a great time at these events together.”

The father and his sons entered their first competition of 2021 on Friday, Jan. 29 and Saturday, Jan. 30 at the West Texas Cookoff in Odessa – an event hosted by the International Bar-B-Que Cookers Association.

Jimmy entered a pair of jackpot competitions – margaritas and chicken wings – while his sons cooked chicken, brisket, and ribs.

Jimmy won the competition for the best margarita while Brian placed in the top seven for both ribs and brisket.

“We had a lot of fun. It was a great time,” Jimmy said after a 12-hour day at the Ector County Coliseum on Saturday.

Next up for Jimmy, Aaron, and Brian is an event that means a great deal to each of them.

The Richard Reeves Memorial Cookoff.

Jimmy started the event in 2019 to help raise money for the Richard Reeves Memorial Foundation – an individual who was a good friend of the Fort Stockton native.

“Richard Reeves was a little bit older than I am. He was a senior when I was a freshman. He graduated in in 1972 and I graduated in 1975. He was a good friend, but his son and my sons were real good friends. They made everybody a little bit closer,” Jimmy said.

Reeves passed away in 2004 from Leukemia after being diagnosed a few years earlier.

His son, Nathan Reeves, started a fishing tournament shortly after to raise money for the memorial he began to help raise money for those in need with medical hardships, and the expenses they incur because of them.

Nathan began a golf tournament not too long after starting the fishing tournament.

In 2019, Jimmy decided to host a cookoff in honor of his late, raising money for the Richard Reeves Memorial.

“I’m real passionate for the Reeves Memorial and what they do. I told Nathan I was going to put together a cookoff. And he said it’s your deal. I’m going to lay this in your lap,” he said. “Our first year it was the state championship. We had 53 cookers. We have a $20,000 prize. We pay 15 places in each category, which gives a good opportunity to pay a lot of people. That means a lot when people are traveling 500 miles.”

The cookoff raised $9,300 for the memorial in 2019 and after a cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Pecos County native hopes to raise even more money this March at the event held at Rooney Park.

“We’re hoping we have a better turnout with all things considered with COVID,” Jimmy said.

The Richard Reeves Cookoff is currently scheduled on March 19-20 at Rooney Park in Fort Stockton.