Plant City Pig Jam - Plant City Florida

PLANT CITY, Fla. – October 10, 2011 – Saturday, November 19, top teams from throughout the country will compete at the ninth annual Plant City Pig Jam State BBQ Championship. The event is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Randy L. Larson Softball Four-Plex, 1500 S. Park Rd. in Plant City.

About 70 teams will compete in this Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) sanctioned event, to win big money, ribbons and trophies, and bragging rights.

For the rest of us, it’s a chance to enjoy some of the country’s best barbecue ribs, pork, brisket and chicken. There will also be plenty of opportunity during the event to ask cooks about their pits, the wood they use, how they prepare their meat, and the cooking temperatures they prefer. Guests can also check out some of the barbecue-related items that will be for sale such as rubs and sauces, books and videos, pins and paraphernalia relating to individual teams. Sno-cones, lemonade, beer and other refreshments will also be available.

Kids will be entertained in the children’s play area where there will be a rock climbing wall, moon walk and other activities. And, live telecasts of all football rivalries will be broadcast in the beer tent. Ace Jackson and the Jump Kings Band will perform live music in the afternoon.

There is also a raffle, thanks to The Hay Exchange that donated a Big Green Egg grill package, and a YETI® cooler. Tickets are $10 each and may be purchased at the Plant City Chamber or at any Chamber event. All proceeds benefit the Chamber Foundation's Scholarship Fund.

Admission to Pig Jam is free, and parking is $5 per vehicle.

Pig Jam is hosted by the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce. For more information, contact the Chamber at 813-754-3707, or log on to http://www.plantcity.org/. Follow Pig Jam on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PlantCityPigJam, or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PigJam.

Slap Yo Daddy BBQ Video

This video was produced by a journalism student and also appeared on CNN.com.

Unretiring the WSM? I'm thinking about it.

TheBBQGuy.com Cooking Team has been out of the contest game for a few years now, since moving back to Florida from a 2 1/2 year stay near the Motor City.  There are a variety of reasons for that, some are not really reasons, but more like excuses, and others are very valid.  I've been getting my bbq fix by writing about bbq on the blog, taking pictures, and spending a little more time "grilling" versus "smoking". 

Tonight I've spent some time contemplating a strategy for returning to a limited schedule of bbq competitions next year.  At present I don't have the motivation, ability, or financial where-with-all to return to a serious pursuit of Team of the Year.

But suppose there were a few Weber Smokey Mountain owners in a similar situation thinking about doing a first bbq contest or returning to competing in a few Florida Barbecue Association or Kansas City Barbeque Society events in Central Florida, I would be interested in exploring the idea. 

Three Bullet Smokers and a couple of pop-up tents and we'd be set to give it a go. It could be a very low-cost-to-fun ratio bbq team. If you know someone who might be interested, let me know. It wouldn't be a BBQ Guy Cooking Team, but rather a spin off effort.

Starr Pass Barbeque Classic - October 29-30

I received this bbq contest announcement in my e-mail today.

Tucson, AZ (9/1/10) – JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa today announced the first annual Starr Pass Barbeque Classic taking place October 29-30, 2010. The weekend of fun and finger-lickin’ food will pit top barbeque teams from across the country competing to win the inaugural event as well as featuring drinks, family games and more. Fully sanctioned and judged by the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) and AZ Barbeque, this event promises to be the first of its kind in Southern Arizona .

“We’re thrilled to host the Starr Pass Barbeque Classic,” said Starr Pass Executive Chef, Chris Brown. Brown is the mastermind behind the event and, being a KCBS award-winning barbeque pit master himself, he wanted to bring an event of this caliber to Southern Arizona . “It’s been a dream of mine to help bring a world-class event like this to Tucson and now it’s a reality. From the competition and grilling to the fun-filled activities, there’s truly something for everyone. The event also allows us a fantastic opportunity to give back to our local community.”

Some of the finest competitive barbeque teams in the country will make their way to Tucson to fire up their savory, saucy specialties and compete for a share of $10,000 in cash and prizes. Among the competitors is multiple-grand-championship-winner Harry Soo and his Slap Yo’ Daddy BBQ team. Teams will be competing in several categories including chicken, pork, pork ribs and beef brisket. Fans who want to get closer to the action can sign up for Thursday night’s KCBS-certified judging class to learn the official rules, regulations and tasting tips employed by the Kansas City Barbeque Society. The class costs $55 for KCBS members and $90 for non-KCBS members and includes food as well as a year’s membership to KCBS.

In addition to the prizes, teams will compete for a much bigger cause. The Special Olympics will sponsor the event and a portion of the proceeds will go directly to the organization and its mission of encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities, promoting acceptance for all and fostering communities of understanding and respect worldwide.

As well as the main BBQ competition on Saturday, there will be Dessert, “Anything Butt” and BBQ Appetizer Contests on Friday. Throughout the weekend, visitors will enjoy a bevy of goodies including samples of competition BBQ, a free slider sandwich meal from Catalina Barbeque Co. & Sports Bar, live bands, live chef demonstrations, vendors, Halloween-themed games and trick-or-treating for the kids, a family fun area, and much more. Tickets for the event are $45 each and kids 12 and under get in free!

For barbeque fanatics and families who want to enjoy a full weekend of food and fun, the JW Marriott Starr Pass has rolled out special room rates exclusively for event attendees. Packages include:

• Arrive on Saturday for one night and receive two tickets (a $90 value) to the competition. Starting at $319 per night.
• Arrive on Friday for two nights and receive one $25 resort credit and two tickets to the competition. Starting at $319 per night.
• Use Promotion Code ZJ8 to confirm your reservation online.

Of course, the weekend won’t just be about food – what barbeque event would be complete without beer? Event sponsor New Belgium Brewing Company, makers of award-winning Fat Tire Amber Ale, will be on-site with their famous beer truck serving their delicious selection of suds for visitors to wash down the grilled goodies. New Belgium will also be hosting a special beer pairing five-course dinner and passed hors d’oeuvres reception following Saturday’s festivities from Primo, one of Starr Pass ’ signature restaurants. Tickets to the post-event reception and dinner are available for $80.

For more information about the event, including a schedule of activities, please visit http://www.jwmarriottstarrpass.com/ or http://www.azbarbeque.com/ target=_blank".

BBQ Question of the Day

Have you ever wondered how bbq competitors are able to cook 4 meats on one cooker and have it all finished in a 2 hour turn-in window?

The pork butt and brisket are the easy part. You can start them cooking about 10 p.m. on Friday, cook them to 165 degrees and wrap them in a double thickness of aluminum foil.  They'll be finished by 8 a.m. and you can store them in an Igloo cooler lined with several towels until it's time to turn them in. They'll still be very hot (170 degrees or so). The bigger cuts of meat are much more forgiving.

Chicken and ribs would go one in the morning and come off last - just prior to turn in time.  For me, the chicken and ribs are the key. If you can get them near perfect, you will have a big advantage.

Lakeland Pig Festival Pictures

I made a bbq movie from the pictures I took this a.m. at the Lakeland Pig Festival at Tigertown.

Michigan BBQ Rib Contest Seeks Competitors

Novi, Michigan - Hot and tasty summer family fun is on the menu for the first annual West Oakland Rib Cook Off and Family Fest, Sunday August 9 at the Rock Financial Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave in Novi , MI. The all day event will feature as many as fifty BBQ Rib teams, live music, local restaurant tastings, family activities including a furry creature petting zoo, and much more!

“Experience West Oakland ”, a committee of the Novi Chamber of Commerce, was recently granted a sanction from the Memphis Barbeque Network for their inaugural event, which will offer BBQ competitors the chance to compete for Prize Packages totaling $10,000. A panel of 40 professional and amateur judges will determine the contest results. The Grand Prize Winner will be invited to compete in the “ Memphis in May” Barbeque Network Finals, May 2010. More information on the sanctioning body can be found at www.MBNBBQ.com

Registration information for interested contestants can be found at www.experiencewo.com

For more information, please call 248.486.3424.

Dade City Florida Jack Daniels Qualifier

I received this announcement from the Florida Barbecue Association today.

When: April 3-4, 2009
What: Orange Blossom Special BBQ Fest
Where: Dade City, FL (FBA)

This contest is a State Championship and a Jack Daniels Qualifier.

Who: East Pasco Habitat for Humanity - 15000 Citrus Country Drive - Suite 420 - Dade City, FL 33523(352)-567-1444 or e-mail: for information

The contest is looking for a few more competitors.

Frisco BBQ Challenge

BBQ contest announcement:

When: June 19 and 20, 2009
Where: Frisco, Colorado
Entry fee: $200
Prizes: $15,000
Sanctioning and Rules: KCBS

This long running contest (16 years) is a state qualifier for the Great American BBQ, American Royal, and Jack Daniels World Invitational Championship.

BBQ on the Internet

The more I learn about bbq, the more I feel compelled to share it with others. What better medium than the internet? All I need is a key board and an internet connection.

As this website approaches 700 posts, I feel the need to say thank you to everyone who reads or visits this blog. Whether you are a long-time reader, casual observer, or you arrived here via a link from another bbq website for the first time - thanks for making my blog one of the most popular blogs about bbq on the internet.

I started this blog to share my experiences competing in bbq contests. We don't compete as often as we'd like to anymore, but until we can get back to it with more regularity, I've enjoyed sharing more general information that ranges from grilling, southern cooking, favorite products, bbq books, and equipment, etc.

I'm toying with the idea of hosting an "online bbq contest" later this spring. The traditional categories of taste, tenderness, and appearance would revert to appearance alone, since they haven't quite figured out how to teleport bbq samples over the phone lines. Instead of four entries, we'd keep it simple and limit it to one - your choice. Judging would include a documentation of the process and recipes used to prepare the entry. Winners would be determined by a reader vote.

Rules:

1. cook one bbq entry -- chicken, ribs, pork butt, or brisket

2. submit the recipe and pictures documenting the process of preparing the entry

3. entries will be posted here on the blog and readers will vote for the winning entry


What do you think? Anyone want to join me?

BBQ Contest at Auburn University

If you are an amateur or professional bbq team and you live within driving distance of Auburn, AL, there's a bbq contest March 27 and 28 that you might be interested in.

Here's some more information about Boda Getta BBQ:

Participating Teams

Applications

Schedule

BBQ Photos

Slow Food Rebellion

You probably guessed it already, but Slow Food Rebellion bbq blog features articles about food cooked low and slow. The website's publisher, Monty, is a regular on TheBBQForum.com and cooks on a an upright WSM and 24" trailer mounted Horizon offset smoker.

His whole hog article is a favorite. There's plenty of pictures.

Sponsorship for BBQ Contests

I am pulling out my soap box this morning. I've been thinking about this for a few weeks now and need to get some things off my chest.

I am a member of two bbq sanctioning bodies -- the Kansas City Barbeque Society and Florida Barbecue Association. To get directly to the point...I believe both organizations need to focus more attention on helping cook teams find affordable ways to compete in their contests.

I've written about my own personal strategies to reduce costs and increase revenues from my contest efforts on this blog in the past, but it's not an isolated problem. Affordability issues affect all teams that compete.

To my knowledge neither sanctioning organization has ever held any training seminars that offered step-by-step guides to assist the individual cook teams in obtaining sponsorship for local, regional, or national contests. Doing so would have a three-fold benefit:

1) individual cook teams would have additional methods for offsetting competition expenses

2) sanctioning bodies would benefit by increased participation in bbq contests

3) contest organizers would receive more participation and increased revenues

I'd bet that I'm a pretty good cross-section of the barbecue population that competes in bbq contests on a semi-regular basis. I've competed in at least 25 sanctioned bbq contests during the past several years. I driven thousands of miles to get to them and spent more than $20,000 on bbq related events and equipment.

I've met some nice people. I've seen some nice areas of the country that I would have never visited if they hadn't sponsored a bbq contest. And, I've helped raise money for many, many charitable and municipal organizations. However, if something doesn't change, I'm going to have to stop doing it and I suspect that there are hundreds, if not thousands of teams like mine who have reached the same cross-roads.

The price of gasoline, meat, supplies, lodging, vehicles, contest entry fees, and cookers have continued to rise while the prize money awarded has remained stagnant on the whole. If you don't win first or second overall, you're in the hole at the end of the weekend.

I am not a professional marketer, but I am guessing that the membership of KCBS and FBA has many professional marketers in the ranks who would be willing to offer assistance. If not, I would think that a portion of the membership or sanctioning fees should be allocated to preparing downloadable materials that could be used by cook teams to solicit local and regional sponsorship. Who else other than the sanctioning bodies can provide the kind of economic data that would strengthen the sales pitch to potential sponsors?

If you agree that there is a disconnect, I'd enjoy hearing your thoughts and ideas. Or if you disagree with me and think that sponsorship for individual cook teams has nothing to do with the sanctioning body, I'd also enjoy hearing from you.

In the end, there is another alternative, although I know it's probably not practical or viable economically given the approach the contest organizers are currently taking -- reduce the entry fees to $0 and increase public participation in the contests to offset the lost revenue.

You'd be surprised how far that $250-$300 would go toward increasing cook team participation. In this manner even a top three or four in a category or two would have meaningful effects to help defray cook team expenses.

Lauderdale Slow Cookin' KCBS Event

The KCBS Barbeque State Championship presented by East Coast Eventz, Inc. is being held November 14 -16 . The bbq contest will award $4,000 to the grand champion and $2,000 to the reserve grand champion. Category winners receive $500 for first place.

The entry fee for the bbq contest is $245 for KCBS members who enter early. Early entrants who are non-KCBS members can register for $280. The event is being held at the War Memorial Auditorium located at 800 NE 8th Street in Fort Lauderdale, FL near Sunrise Boulevard.

Improve Your BBQ Results

One of the easiest and quickest ways to improve your bbq is to begin documenting your cooking sessions in a bbq journal. A spiral notebook or three ring binder will work well. Some also use a computer document instead of pen and paper, but it's not quite as portable unless you have a laptop.

At contests, I keep a journal for each meat. I keep track of everything following the arrival at the contest. I pay attention to the time we prepare each meat for marinating. I carefully document the cooking start times for each meat, the weather conditions, the outside temperature, and the cooker temperatures.

I also document the critical times for the various meats. For example, I start my briskets fat side up and document the time I flip them to fat side down. (This particular tip has paid big dividends for me in contest winnings.) I document the times I spray the various cuts with apple juice. I pay particular attention to when I wrap the briskets and pork butts with aluminum foil.

After a few cooking sessions, you'll be able to improve your results dramatically by tweaking your start times, temperatures, and methods based on your historic results. Barbecue is more art than science, but anytime you can add a little science to the art, it will reap dividends in the long run.

Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down

The Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down is scheduled for October 10-11 in Rocky Mount, NC. The grand champion will earn $3,000 with reserve grand champion earning $1,500. First place in each category will receive $500. The showmanship winner receives $250.

Teams can arrive as early as Wednesday and stay until Sunday. This KCBS sanctioned event will also feature an optional showmanship category.

The contest entry fee is $250 for a 20 x 35 cooking space. Electrical service costs an additional $25, but can be offset by the $25 early bird discount for entries received prior to August 1. The deadline for entries is September 15. For questions, e-mail events@rockymountnc.gov.

Increase Restaurant Profits

Future of BBQ Contests

I don't have a Magic 8 ball, or even a crystal ball, but I think I can safely predict that competition barbecue as we've known it for the past 10-years or so, is in the process of changing significantly. Until barbecue contest organizers and sanctioning bodies find a reliable way to incorporate public participation into the events, I think the sport is on shaky ground. We don't have to agree with it and we don't have to like it, but I think the popularity of the Championship Barbecue Series on Versus has offered a glimpse into the future of cooking barbecue for sport.

I can't imagine that my experiences are different than anyone elses, so I'll discuss my own competition efforts as an example to explain why I feel this way.

In 2003 through mid-2005 combined, Linda and I spent nearly $10,000 of own money on barbecue contests, equipment, and part-time business investments. During that time we earned approximately $3,000 in prize money to offset those expenses.

For a typical FBA or KCBS sanctioned ompetition that we attended during 2003 through 2005 our expenses included the following:

--Entry fees $300
--Meats $120
--Supplies $30
--Gasoline $50
--Food $20

Our "pay back" or "earnings" during that time included several category wins in chicken and brisket, which typically represented $300 -$400. For events where we won a category or placed in the top three in a couple of different categories, we were on a break even basis. At one event we placed top five in all four categories and won Reserve Grand Champion, but our total earnings were only $550.

It's now 2008 and our expenses for gasoline and meats have risen significantly. Gasoline prices have doubled and meat prices have risen by at least 50%. So even with a category win, we're in the hole before we even start.

What choices do contest cooks have to combat rising expenses? For most contest cooks, starting a bbq business aimed at capitalizing on bbq contest participation seems viable. The basic choices are as follows:

--Start selling bbq rub
--Start selling bbq sauce
--Start a bbq vending / concession business
--Start a bbq catering service
--Start a barbecue website
--Pursue corporate sponsorship

On the surface, each of those ideas sounded promising to us. They certainly sound simple enough. How hard could it be?

We found a co-packer and started selling our bbq spice rubs at contests and to family and friends. If you're thinking of taking a similar approach, plan to spend at least $850 in start-up expenses, add another $300 or $400 if you want professionally printed labels for your bottles. To earn back the start-up costs, plan on selling at least 1,000 bottles of rub in 10 oz. bottles (600 if you decide to start with a larger 13 oz. bottle).

It would be much easier to sell bbq sauce in these volumes, but the start-up expenses are about 400% greater, so increase the sales to 4,000 small bottles (or 2,400 big bottles). After a little research with the health department and state regulators, we crossed bbq vending, concessions, and catering off the list quickly. The start-up expenses to comply with the legal requirements are nearly $20,000, plus rent on a commissary facility to store supplies and prepare foods.

I started two barbecue websites that do generate a small amount of revenue, but not nearly enough to support the cost of contests. If you have technical expertise, this might a viable alternative for you, but based on my "seat of the pants" knowledge level, it's not been the answer to our expense issues.

Which leaves one more option -- corporate sponsorship. I haven't put any efforts into obtaining a corporate sponsor for our bbq team and as difficult as it sounds, it is probably the best option on this list. And that brings us back to the lack of spectator involvement in the events. Without large numbers of spectators at bbq contests (I'm talking thousands), the corporate sponsorship is going to be hard to come by.

Versus found a way to package bbq contests into short snippets of time to hold an audience. Holding an audience generates corporate sponsorship, which in turn makes bbq contests more profitable. But, it's not practical for fifty or sixty teams to compete on a television program like the Barbecue Championship Series. That program succeeded more because if focused on a few teams. So where does that leave the other 3,955 + teams that compete in bbq contests?

If barbecue contests are to survive in their present form, it's up to the contest organizers and sanctioning bodies to find new and exciting ways to involve the public more directly into the tradional bbq contests.

Start a Catering Business

KCBS Power Rankings

ThePickledPig.com is now publishing bbq team rankings for the top twenty-five overall in each of the four KCBS meat categories and the top twenty-five overall combined.

The site has developed a widget also that you can display on your personal website to display how your own team stacks up against the "big boys". For example, if your combined finishes calculate to 35th out of 450 ranked teams, the widget will display the rankings on your page. The widget changes the rankings based on the KCBS contest results, and it changes throughout the season. Pretty cool!

NationalBBQRankings.com publishes a similar list using a 104 week rolling time period. This method displays who has performed consistently over a longer period and in a potentially larger number of bbq contests. These rankings include a variety of sanctioning bodies.

Competition BBQ Secrets

Pickin' in the Panhandle BBQ Contest

I received a flyer in the mail today announcing the Pickin' in the Panhandle bbq contest, the West Virginia State BBQ Championship sanctioned by the KCBS.

The contest is being held on September 5th and 6th in Back Creek Valley, West Virginia. With $10,000 in prize money on the line, the $200 entry fee provides a chance to earn $2,000 in first place prize money. A win in one of the four primary meat categories (chicken, ribs, pork, brisket) offers a chance to win $500. Win all four categories and grand champion....and you take home $4,000. It's a long shot, but it's been done before!

Registration ends on August 31, 2008. Phone (304) 264-8801 for more information.

Competition BBQ Secrets

Kingfisher Kookers - BBQ Smokers

I have been looking for a towable smoker to replace my 7 x 16 enclosed trailer. Kingfisher Kookers makes a nice rotisserie smoker that's rapidly moving up my list of favorites. My choice is between two Kingfisher models: The BT Komination rotisserie and the Commercial Smoker rotisserie. Here are some features of both from the Kingfisher website.

The BT model weighs 500 lbs.

• The smoking chamber is 30 x 34 x 40 and contains four trays.
• The trays are 10 x 37 for a total tray surface of 1,480 square inches.
• Each tray will hold approximately four briskets.
• The smoker has a wood storage box, an integrated work table, and a warming rack.
• Additional cooking racks can be purchased that essentially double meat capacity.

The Commercial model weighs 1,075 lbs.

• The smoking/cooking chamber is 42" x 48" x 48" and contains six trays.
• Seven to nine sides of ribs (3 1/2 downs) can be placed on each tray by using rib racks.
• A tray will hold five to six trimmed briskets.
• Whole hogs, dressed (up to 70 pounds) and trussed can be placed on each tray.
• Trays 10" x 44" create a total tray surface of 2,772 square inches.
• The firebox area is 24" x 16" x 16". The firebox will hold split wood up to 24 inches in length.
• The oven is 9" x 18" x 42", and has a safety latch on the door.
• The top of the oven serves as a warming area for sauces and marinades.
• The available warming surface is 24" x 42".
• There is a work table, 30" x 42", twelve inches above the warming surface, that includes a handle for moving the unit when it is off the towing tongue and on the caster wheel.
• Built on a trailer axle, with springs and tires, towing tongue and caster wheel, is road ready.

Kingfisher has a nice network of dealers too.