Today we’d like to introduce you to Doug Scheiding.
Hi Doug, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have always been a driven person in everything that I do. This has lead me to many paths in my life. Being the son of an Air Force Pilot, we moved a lot when I was younger, which helped me to become independent. I switched from playing baseball on a team sport to tennis in the seventh grade. I was not the most natural tennis player as my father told me after my first lesson, which only made me more determined. I finished high school as co-valedictorian and #3 in New Mexico in tennis. I went to Texas A&M and finished #1 in my Aerospace class and selected as the top engineering student. I took up tennis again after college and played in several national championships (winning one) including one at the US Open courts in flushing meadows.
I hurt my knee and could not play tennis anymore. A neighbor asked me to cook in a fundraiser BBQ cook-off. We practiced for 2 months and wound up finishing 3rd overall out of 53 teams with a 2nd in Ribs and 3rd in Brisket. The hook was set. I bring my analytical approach to BBQ cooking by understanding the science. I cooked on a team for 4 years and my partner “fired” me for making a Rogue decision to cook my own recipe. This caused me to form Rogue Cookers BBQ team with my wife. We started using Traeger Pellet Grills for convenience and contrarian, which opened up the right side of my brain approach to cooking and recipe development. Since then we have been blessed to win 3 category BBQ World Championships and 1 overall at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. I am a Traeger Pro & Consultant, regular on two BBQ podcasts including being inducted to the Guest HOF on the BBQ Central Show, have 3 commercially available rubs available nationally at Home Depot and Ace Hardware, A side passion has turned into a real business in addition to my Business Brokerage and Equipment Appraisal businesses.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I covered this a little in the last response. I got kicked off my team by my partner and started again on my own. I had a trailer and did not have the ability to tow both an offset pit and a trailer (portable kitchen). So this led me to Traeger Grills. To my knowledge I was the first person in the state of Texas to cook EXCLUSIVELY on pellet grills. It was very controversial and a vote was held by the sanctioning body, IBCA to allow pellet cookers to be used. I was able to get some of the top cooks with high character demo grills, which helped sway the sentiment. It passed. The next year I won a World Championship at the Houston Rodeo cooking on a Traeger and gained the consulting role with them for the past 10 years. I recently lost one of my paid sponsors, Head Country BBQ, but it led to getting a co-packer relationship for the opportunity to develop rubs.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
•BBQ World Champion (Houston Rodeo 2015)
•3 Time Category World Champion (Houston Rodeo, The Jack, American Royal)
•Reserve Grand Champion at Super Bowl LI BBQ Contest in Houston 2017
•Top 10 Best Rub on the Planet i- American Royal World Series Contest (TX Brisket)
•Brisket Recipe of the Year awards from Head Country BBQ and Traeger Grills
•The BBQ Central Show Guest Hall of Fame•BBQ World Champion (Houston Rodeo 2015)
•3 Time Category World Champion (Houston Rodeo, The Jack, American Royal)
•Reserve Grand Champion at Super Bowl LI BBQ Contest in Houston 2017
•Top 10 Best Rub on the Planet i- American Royal World Series Contest (TX Brisket)
•Brisket Recipe of the Year awards from Head Country BBQ and Traeger Grills
•The BBQ Central Show Guest Hall of Fame
You can read more on my webpage at www.roguecookers.com
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I had the opportunity to cook for the executive team of Home Depot (filling in for someone else) at Memphis in May earning the ability to sell rubs in 100 of their stores. They liked my brisket and mac n cheese over several other chefs. Life is about making your luck and performing well in the right moments.
Pricing:
- My rubs are sold at Home Depot, Ace Hardware, roguecookers.com, BBQ Pro Shop, and Texas Star Grill Shops
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.roguecookers.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roguecookers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RogueCookers
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-scheiding-6056462b/
- Twitter: https://x.com/RogueCookers/
- Other: https://bbqspot.com/pages/rogue-cookers
Image Credits
They are all mine.
