Guillermo’s bar was unusually crowded when Dominic arrived for work that evening. A sign hanging on the front door announced that there was “Barbecue inside!”

People were packed shoulder to shoulder as a delicious smell wafted through the room. A smell that Dominic instantly recognized. Beef ribs, slathered in barbecue sauce, graced the plates of most of the customers.

“Excuse me, coming through.” Dominic did his best to make his way through the crowd of people. He legitimately regretted not using the staff entrance this time, even if it would’ve meant dealing with Guillermo’s overly-friendly dogs.

“Dominic! Isn’t it wonderful?” asked Guillermo when Dominic finally managed to slip around behind the bar. “Look at all these people.”

“Okay, yeah that’s great, but what’s going on?” Dominic retrieved his apron from beneath the counter and tied it around his waist. “Where’d all this come from?”

“The new guy!” Guillermo said with a grin. “I’ll explain later, we don’t really have time right now.” He gestured to the thirsty patrons lining the bar.

As the evening advanced, Dominic hardly had a moment to catch his breath. He was serving drinks almost non-stop to a seemingly endless stream of customers. At one point he thought he caught sight of his father and Peter, but their faces quickly disappeared into the crush of guests.

One beer after another. A cocktail here. A margarita there. Several shots for this group. Those ladies wanted cosmos. Sidecars for that group. Somehow, Dominic was managing to keep up with demand, but his curiosity continued to nag at him.

Who was in the kitchen cooking all this food? Where had all of these beef ribs come from? Why were the customers coming back for second and third helpings? Every time Guillermo disappeared into the back and reappeared with another order of ribs, Dominic’s curiosity grew.

Beef wasn’t common on the island. Cows required a lot of land for grazing as well as grain to fatten them up. Grain required a lot of land to grow any meaningful amount. There simple wasn’t enough room on the island for an operation like that. All beef was imported from the United States.

That made it extremely expensive. Only the higher end hotels and classy restaurants ever kept it in stock. It certainly wasn’t something that Guillermo would order to serve his customers.

It wasn’t until nearly ten o'clock that the barroom started thinning out a little. People began cashing out their tabs and heading back to their homes and hotels. Dominic was finally able to start getting ahead on orders and managed to work some clean up into the process as well. The area behind the bar was littered with empty bottles and dirty glasses.

“Next time you have a crowd like this, you might see about calling in some back up,” mentioned Dominic as he began wiping down the bar. “I don’t think we can handle another night of this.”

“I’ve already called a few people to come in tomorrow night,” said Guillermo who seemed practically giddy as he cashed out a customer’s tab. “Our new cook has promised something equally delightful for tomorrow’s guests as well.”

“Right.” Dominic glanced around the bar. Things looked quiet for now. “Now that we’ve got a chance to breathe, I’d better go make his acquaintance.”

“Look, Dominic,” Guillermo interjected, intercepting him before he could enter the kitchen. “Just play nice and don’t get too upset. I didn’t do this to undermine you. He was just offering so much, and we needed someone to replace George for a few days. Just please try to be understanding. Okay?”

Dominic frowned and slid past his boss into the kitchen. Something told him he wasn’t going to like what he found.

A large man was busily moving around the kitchen with practiced familiarity. Beef ribs sat sizzling on the grill as he brushed barbecue sauce over them with measured strokes. A timer went off and he removed a tray of ribs from the oven before setting them aside. A fresh tray was put in the oven in their place and the timer was reset.

“Hello there,” said the man with a grin when he finally caught sight of Dominic. “You must be Dominic. Guillermo was telling me about you this morning. I hope you don’t think I’m encroaching on your territory or anything.” The man laughed.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” Dominic couldn’t help the glare that furrowed his brow. “You’re an American.”

“You got me,” the man said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “Floridian actually. My family has visited Catalejo every year since I was a kid though. I like to consider this island my second home.”

“So is that why you’re taking over for George?”

“This is just a temporary thing,” explained the man. “I’m Mike, by the way. Mike Freer. My family owns a ranch in central Florida. Best beef in the South, that’s our motto.”

Dominic could feel himself growing impatient. None of this really mattered though. It was just small talk. What did this man want here?

“You see,” continued Mike, as if sensing Dominic’s frustration. “One of my favorite things about visiting Catalejo every year was the festivals. Especially the New Year’s Day festival and the barbecue contest. The amazing food we got to taste every single year was what inspired me to become the man I am today.

“Barbecue has become a way of life for me. I’ve traveled the entirety of the United States and taken part in hundreds of barbecue contests. I’ve grilled, baked, fried, and broiled my way to victory countless times all in preparation for this day.” Mike narrowed his eyes and met Dominic’s gaze with a steely look of determination. “I intend to win the New Year’s Day contest as part of my barbecue pilgrimage. This is the place where my love of barbecue was born, and this victory will signal that I have truly reached the pinnacle of barbecue mastery.”

“So this is your test run?” asked Dominic, gesturing to the ribs sizzling on the grill.

“Of course,” said Mike with a nod. “Got to make sure my American recipes are well received in a completely different market.”

“You brought all this beef with you, just for that?”

“Well, I have other motives as well. If I can secure import agreements with some of the establishments on this island that would be a nice bonus to this trip. I know beef is hard to come by out here, and I hope to change that.” Mike seemed sincere in his claim.

“You realize that by being so open about everything, you’re exposing yourself to your fellow competitors? There’s nothing stopping them from sampling your recipe and coming up with something to combat you,” said Dominic, stepping cautiously towards the grill.

“I welcome it.” Mike spread his arms and grinned. “Competition is good for the soul. It gives you purpose. I already know you were last year’s winner. I also know you’ve consistently placed in the top two for the last eight years. Why do you think I chose this establishment over all of the other options on this island?”

Dominic and Mike locked eyes. It was no accident. Mike had sought him out. This was a direct challenge.

“May I?” Dominic gestured to a plate of finished ribs by the grill.

“I was hoping you’d ask.” Mike picked up the plate and handed it off with a look of glee in his eyes. “Enjoy your meal, Dominic. I look forward to a truly exhilarating competition.”

The words sent a chill down Dominic’s spine and simultaneously lit a fire in his chest. They were still months away from the competition and he could already feel the intense desire to win burning in his veins. He’d thought that without Miguel in the contest that he would struggle to find motivation. That worry was put to rest now.

“I hope your stay on our island is an informative one,” said Dominic, inclining his head towards Mike and backing out of the kitchen with the plate in hand.

It wasn’t until he set the plate down on the counter behind the bar that he felt his heart hammering against his chest. His hands were trembling with anticipation as he stood there staring down at the plate.

“That went better than I’d feared,” admitted Guillermo with a sigh.

Dominic looked up at his boss with a frown. “You were eavesdropping?”

“I was worried I was going to have to call the police.”

“What kind of violent thug do you think I am?” Dominic shook his head slowly as he glanced around the bar. The number of patrons had cleared out quite a bit more in the few minutes that he’d been gone.

“Well, you did punch a guy in the nose for mouthing off once,” pointed out Guillermo.

“No,” corrected Dominic. “I punched a guy in the nose because he was talking crap about my tío. That’s completely different.”

“Either way,” continued Guillermo, “you’ve got kind of a reputation for having a short temper. I just didn’t want you to bloody up the guy that made us so much money tonight.”

“You realize that if you’d just put me behind the grill like I’d been asking you would’ve been able to serve barbecue like that every night?” To be completely honest, Dominic was feeling more upset by that than anything else right now. He’d been working in Guillermo’s bar for years now, and he’d been asking for the chance to cook for him for just as long. It wasn’t that he’d hired someone else. It was that he’d hired someone that was there to compete. He’d hired another challenger to the barbecue throne instead of the one that had loyally served him all these years.

Guillermo looked away guiltily. “Look, Dom, the guy brought his own meat and didn’t charge me for it. All the money we made on food tonight was pure profit. He’s not even asking for a wage. He just wants to test his recipes. How could I say no to that?”

Dominic couldn’t really fault his boss for a decision like that. As a business owner he had to look at the bottom line. That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt though.

“Besides,” said Guillermo, looking even more guilty, “his barbecue is on another level. I...I’m not sure even you could beat him.”

Dominic felt as if he’d just been slapped across the face. He looked down at the plate sitting on the counter before him. He picked up one of the ribs with determination and took a bite.

The flavors hit him almost immediately. The sauce itself presented a strong flavor profile that melded perfectly with the juiciness of the meat. There was just enough fat on the meat to enhance the flavor, but it was lean enough to keep it from being overwhelming.

The perfection of the ribs elevated the flavors of the sauce to heights that would’ve been impossible to reach otherwise. The sauce held an interesting mix of flavor that Dominic hadn’t been expecting. The sweetness and slight acidity that normally signaled a traditional barbecue sauce were both present, but there was another milder flavor that blended with the mix. A secret ingredient that made the rest of the flavors pop.

As much as Dominic was loathe to admit it, Guillermo was right. This recipe was on another level. A level that Dominic himself had only glimpsed during his competitions against Miguel. If he was truly determined to win the competition this year, he would have to step up his game. He would have to explore recipes he’d only ever dreamed about.

He glanced towards the wall where the president’s flier had been hung for everyone to see. The $100,000 reward would’ve been more than enough for him to achieve his dream and open his own restaurant.

People didn’t often get second chances like this. Especially not people like him. He wasn’t going to let it pass him by without putting up a fight. He was going to win this contest and show the whole island who he really was.