It's being held this weekend in Lynchburg, Tennesse... This is the holy grail in the competitive BBQ world... It's the most difficult Invitational competition to get into. Since they only have room for about 60 teams, they have a draw system to make sure each state is represented, and they also invite 10-14 International teams. So just winning a big BBQ competition is usually not enough to get in, you also have to get your name drawn for the state you won in. (Or just win SEVEN qualifying competitions in the same year LOL) This year they even applied the draw rules to Canada - for example, in B.C. there were two qualifying events in the past year but only one of those teams received an invitation - House of Q, friends of PS&S from Surrey, BC.
There were two events in Canada in 2009 that provided an automatic invitation - the Manitoba Open, which as a first year event just needed 15 teams to become a qualifier. The other was the Canadian National BBQ Championships held in Whistler on the August long weekend. That event was won by Smoke & Bones, a BBQ caterer and competition team from North Vancouver.
Today I will be flying into Nashville to join Smoke & Bones at Justin's gracious invitation. It is a huge honor to be competing in the Jack, and I'm going to work my butt off to make sure we do as well as possible. I'm also looking forward to being among BBQ royalty. I saw most of these teams in Kansas City but since this is a smaller venue maybe I'll get a chance to meet a few more of them.
Click here for more details on "The Jack". You will have to enter your age and country. (Pick the U.S. or the Barbecue contest won't be visible to you)
To read more about Smoke & Bones and the JACK experience please visit the blog. http://smokeandbonesbbq.blogspot.com/
Justin is on a very long BBQ road trip, first stopping at the American Royal, before sweeping through Metropolis, IL to pick up some more BBQ awards, then the Jack. After that he's headed to the Best of the Best in Douglas, GA before meandering back home through LA and TX.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
American Royal: Monday. The last leg.
Monday. A day I can't wait to forget.
Oy... Where do I begin??? At the beginning I guess. The day started off fine, had a little nibble at the Days Inn continental breakfast... We were anxious to get home though so we hit the road right away, we were driving by 6:30 in the rain. We stopped a couple times for gas, basically plowed straight up the interstate towards Canada. We planned on hitting Fargo for lunch at around Noon.
Until the (FIRST) incident. I was driving on I-29, other 3 passengers fast asleep, traffic was light and I had passed someone on my right... All of a sudden the truck started moving, I looked in the rear view to see the trailer swaying all over the place. I gently hit the brakes to get it under control, I figured we blew a tire... I moved over to the left side of the highway, not wanting to hit any oter cars with the out of control trailer. The next moment was a sight that will haunt me forever... I looked in the mirror just in time to see my BBQ, upside down and 10 feet in the air, tumbling slowly into the ditch. It really was as scary as it sounds.
It came to rest upside down, in the middle ditch on I-29, about 15 miles South of Fargo. There was mud jammed up the stacks, a bent shelf, and the bar used to keep the lid shut was bent. All things considered, this thing was built like a tank and it took on very little damage. All indications were that it was still towable. The ball was still lodged in the hitch coupler, and the barbell lock was still intact holding onto the ball. After a few minutes to calm down and take some pictures, we flipped the trailer onto its tires to make sure we could do it without a tow truck. We all piled back into the truck and immediately booked an appointment in Fargo to get a hidden hitch installed. We had to wait an hour and a half for the part to arrive, so we hit Granite City (upscale brew pub) for lunch. Then we hit Menards for some new parts (drawbar, hitch ball, etc). We were happy to run into Smokin' Jim there, it was a pleasant surprise on an otherwise crappy day. We chatted for a few minutes then got out of there. The hitch was installed in 30 minutes and we were on our way back to the scene of the accident. Which leads us to the SECOND incident.
We soon arrived at the scene of the CRIME... That's right, crime. We arrived to an empty ditch. Some friendly North Dakotan took it upon himself to 'relieve' my BBQ from the lonely gully between the 2 lanes of the interstate. I don't even have words to describe the feeling in my stomach. My baby was gone, along with a LOT of gear we had crammed inside - lots of hickory, my Weber Smokey Mountain, extension cords, turkey fryer, cutting boards, my duffel bag and clothing, most of the new rubs and sauces I bought in KC, you name it. So we tracked down the police on the phone, filed a report with about 3 or 4 different departments, and we got back in the truck and drove home. It was a quiet trip.
We stopped in Minot for supper... Jacy opted instead to hit Target to replace some of the gifts she bought for the kids that disappeared in the trailer. Gord wasn't hungry so he tagged along. Dad & I hit Buffalo Wings & Rings, a wing joint / sports bar. Service was fast so we picked up the other 2 less than 30 minutes later. The border crossing was uneventful and we pulled into Regina at about 2:00 AM. We were about 5 hours later than planned but we were safe and sound. Dropped Gord off, unloaded the truck at home and my head hit the pillow at 3 AM. The alarm was to go off again at 6:00, holiday over and back to work. Fortunately I napped from the U.S. to Regina so I wasn't a complete zombie the next day.
Checking out the damage...
Here's where the tongue dug into the soil and launched the pit into the air.
Examining the escape tracks, looking for tread imprints for the sheriff to inspect
One final pic. We cooked a lot of food on this BBQ in the 4 summers we had it... We used it to cook our first big cater to some of our best friends' wedding guests, we hauled it to Manitoba and Calgary this summer to win BBQ Competitions, we cooked endless rib trials on it this Spring looking for the right combinations of spice rub & sauce... We used it for just about every big catering job this summer since our generator (to run the ovens in the catering rig) has been in the shop since May. It was hauled out of the garage and into the driveway every January for a mid-winter "stick burning" BBQ feast. That storage bin you see is brand new, it was installed the night before we left for the Royal. That spare rim and tire are new too, that was a VERY difficult rim to find. I hope we see you again girl, I really do.
Oy... Where do I begin??? At the beginning I guess. The day started off fine, had a little nibble at the Days Inn continental breakfast... We were anxious to get home though so we hit the road right away, we were driving by 6:30 in the rain. We stopped a couple times for gas, basically plowed straight up the interstate towards Canada. We planned on hitting Fargo for lunch at around Noon.
Until the (FIRST) incident. I was driving on I-29, other 3 passengers fast asleep, traffic was light and I had passed someone on my right... All of a sudden the truck started moving, I looked in the rear view to see the trailer swaying all over the place. I gently hit the brakes to get it under control, I figured we blew a tire... I moved over to the left side of the highway, not wanting to hit any oter cars with the out of control trailer. The next moment was a sight that will haunt me forever... I looked in the mirror just in time to see my BBQ, upside down and 10 feet in the air, tumbling slowly into the ditch. It really was as scary as it sounds.
It came to rest upside down, in the middle ditch on I-29, about 15 miles South of Fargo. There was mud jammed up the stacks, a bent shelf, and the bar used to keep the lid shut was bent. All things considered, this thing was built like a tank and it took on very little damage. All indications were that it was still towable. The ball was still lodged in the hitch coupler, and the barbell lock was still intact holding onto the ball. After a few minutes to calm down and take some pictures, we flipped the trailer onto its tires to make sure we could do it without a tow truck. We all piled back into the truck and immediately booked an appointment in Fargo to get a hidden hitch installed. We had to wait an hour and a half for the part to arrive, so we hit Granite City (upscale brew pub) for lunch. Then we hit Menards for some new parts (drawbar, hitch ball, etc). We were happy to run into Smokin' Jim there, it was a pleasant surprise on an otherwise crappy day. We chatted for a few minutes then got out of there. The hitch was installed in 30 minutes and we were on our way back to the scene of the accident. Which leads us to the SECOND incident.
We soon arrived at the scene of the CRIME... That's right, crime. We arrived to an empty ditch. Some friendly North Dakotan took it upon himself to 'relieve' my BBQ from the lonely gully between the 2 lanes of the interstate. I don't even have words to describe the feeling in my stomach. My baby was gone, along with a LOT of gear we had crammed inside - lots of hickory, my Weber Smokey Mountain, extension cords, turkey fryer, cutting boards, my duffel bag and clothing, most of the new rubs and sauces I bought in KC, you name it. So we tracked down the police on the phone, filed a report with about 3 or 4 different departments, and we got back in the truck and drove home. It was a quiet trip.
We stopped in Minot for supper... Jacy opted instead to hit Target to replace some of the gifts she bought for the kids that disappeared in the trailer. Gord wasn't hungry so he tagged along. Dad & I hit Buffalo Wings & Rings, a wing joint / sports bar. Service was fast so we picked up the other 2 less than 30 minutes later. The border crossing was uneventful and we pulled into Regina at about 2:00 AM. We were about 5 hours later than planned but we were safe and sound. Dropped Gord off, unloaded the truck at home and my head hit the pillow at 3 AM. The alarm was to go off again at 6:00, holiday over and back to work. Fortunately I napped from the U.S. to Regina so I wasn't a complete zombie the next day.
Checking out the damage...
Here's where the tongue dug into the soil and launched the pit into the air.
Examining the escape tracks, looking for tread imprints for the sheriff to inspect
One final pic. We cooked a lot of food on this BBQ in the 4 summers we had it... We used it to cook our first big cater to some of our best friends' wedding guests, we hauled it to Manitoba and Calgary this summer to win BBQ Competitions, we cooked endless rib trials on it this Spring looking for the right combinations of spice rub & sauce... We used it for just about every big catering job this summer since our generator (to run the ovens in the catering rig) has been in the shop since May. It was hauled out of the garage and into the driveway every January for a mid-winter "stick burning" BBQ feast. That storage bin you see is brand new, it was installed the night before we left for the Royal. That spare rim and tire are new too, that was a VERY difficult rim to find. I hope we see you again girl, I really do.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Sunday at the Royal
Saturday night while Dad was cozied up in the zero gravity chair, I was really tired and basically ready to crash myself... So I came up with a new method of firewatching... I make sure the coal base was adequate and the fire was burning clean, I threw on a nice big hickory log, and I set my temperature probe alarm to sound off when the temperature dropped below 225. Then I grabbed a blanket and laid in the grass with my alarm. Sure enough, 45 minutes later the alarm went off. I threw another log on and laid down again. For some reason the alarm didn't work the second time but Dad woke up and stoked up the fire again. I then took the chance for a real nap in the chair, under 2 blankets with a nice pillow... Slept until 6:30 AM, then it was time to trim chicken. My chicken trimming for a contest is brutal... I mean the process is brutal. It's a 2 hour job for 24 thighs. By the end I had 18 thighs to cook, I also had a couple of bone-in breasts brining for this event.
At 8:30, the chicken was trimmed and rubbed, and Jacy & Gord showed up. Gord started taking apart camp right away, packing up the lights and everything else we wouldn't need again. Jacy still had three presentation boxes to get ready (garnish) so she started that right away.
The food on Sunday was really about as good as I can make it... All 4 meats hit the tenderness target, and the taste was bang on. THe chicken was good, although I thought the sauce was a bit light in texture and color... The ribs fell victim to some sloppy knife work, I just couldn't help nicking bones while slicing. Fortunately presentation is only worth about 1/7 of the score in KCBS rules, but of course every point still counts. The pork was good, and the brisket was pretty tasty too. I used a different sauce on Sunday for brisket and we thought it was much better. My burnt ends Sunday were excellent, It's the first time I ever turned in BE's in a brisket box , but judging by the scores I don't think they helped.
Getting pork ready for the presentation box...
We had enough time after the last category to sit down for a beer, tear down camp, and walk to the awards. We learned a very important lesson when we watched Dr. BBQ walk past us... Bring a soft cooler to the awards! They were close to 2 hours long! They announced the miscellaneous categories - vegetables, beans, potatoes, dessert. Then they announced the sausage winners. FINALLY, on to the main 4 meats. While they announced the top 20 teams in each category, we didn't hear our name. So we crossed our fingers for a decent overall result.
Ribs
After the awards ceremony, we searched around for a printout of the results, they handed out FAR fewer copies than there were teams looking for them. After 10 minutes I found the PNWBA gang as they were reading through it. We finished 248th overall - I have to say it was a little bit humbling. We are certainly not in the same class as the winners down there and never expected to finish near the top but we did expect to finish a bit higher than that. HOWEVER we did come ahead of some big name teams, we could certainly have finished worse, and we had an awesome time. There are so many good points, the finish just isn't that important. We will just have to do some more research next time!
Once we walked back to our spot, we said some quick good byes and headed out. We hit the interstate right away. Since we left in good time, we decided to pull over for some local flavor in a town North of K.C. for supper: St Joseph, MO. While it was a nice town, it was odd to see NO PEOPLE on the streets and everything closed. This was 6:30 PM on Sunday. The restaurant that sounded good on the GPS had been shut down. There were a few chain restaurants but we decided to skip those and head back to the interstate. W pulled off to a truck stop diner and proceeded to wolf down some terrible food. We exited quickly and drove up to Sioux City, IA, arriving in the rain at about 11:30. I showered, everyone else crashed right away for a well deserved sleep.
At 8:30, the chicken was trimmed and rubbed, and Jacy & Gord showed up. Gord started taking apart camp right away, packing up the lights and everything else we wouldn't need again. Jacy still had three presentation boxes to get ready (garnish) so she started that right away.
The food on Sunday was really about as good as I can make it... All 4 meats hit the tenderness target, and the taste was bang on. THe chicken was good, although I thought the sauce was a bit light in texture and color... The ribs fell victim to some sloppy knife work, I just couldn't help nicking bones while slicing. Fortunately presentation is only worth about 1/7 of the score in KCBS rules, but of course every point still counts. The pork was good, and the brisket was pretty tasty too. I used a different sauce on Sunday for brisket and we thought it was much better. My burnt ends Sunday were excellent, It's the first time I ever turned in BE's in a brisket box , but judging by the scores I don't think they helped.
Getting pork ready for the presentation box...
We had enough time after the last category to sit down for a beer, tear down camp, and walk to the awards. We learned a very important lesson when we watched Dr. BBQ walk past us... Bring a soft cooler to the awards! They were close to 2 hours long! They announced the miscellaneous categories - vegetables, beans, potatoes, dessert. Then they announced the sausage winners. FINALLY, on to the main 4 meats. While they announced the top 20 teams in each category, we didn't hear our name. So we crossed our fingers for a decent overall result.
Ribs
After the awards ceremony, we searched around for a printout of the results, they handed out FAR fewer copies than there were teams looking for them. After 10 minutes I found the PNWBA gang as they were reading through it. We finished 248th overall - I have to say it was a little bit humbling. We are certainly not in the same class as the winners down there and never expected to finish near the top but we did expect to finish a bit higher than that. HOWEVER we did come ahead of some big name teams, we could certainly have finished worse, and we had an awesome time. There are so many good points, the finish just isn't that important. We will just have to do some more research next time!
Once we walked back to our spot, we said some quick good byes and headed out. We hit the interstate right away. Since we left in good time, we decided to pull over for some local flavor in a town North of K.C. for supper: St Joseph, MO. While it was a nice town, it was odd to see NO PEOPLE on the streets and everything closed. This was 6:30 PM on Sunday. The restaurant that sounded good on the GPS had been shut down. There were a few chain restaurants but we decided to skip those and head back to the interstate. W pulled off to a truck stop diner and proceeded to wolf down some terrible food. We exited quickly and drove up to Sioux City, IA, arriving in the rain at about 11:30. I showered, everyone else crashed right away for a well deserved sleep.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Results
Quick post here... our results from the American Royal 2009:
Invitational Competition
68th overall / 119 teams.
18th place chicken.
Top international team.
Open Competition
248th overall / ~480 teams
Best meat: Chicken at 108th place.
Top international team.
Invitational Competition
68th overall / 119 teams.
18th place chicken.
Top international team.
Open Competition
248th overall / ~480 teams
Best meat: Chicken at 108th place.
Top international team.
More Friday pics
The big brick pit at the Wood Yard.
Guest chef for the day?
Dad & Gord at one small part of a VERY BIG steel plate art display...
Guest chef for the day?
Dad & Gord at one small part of a VERY BIG steel plate art display...
More Friday pics from the Royal
Dad, downtown KC
Supper Friday at Gordon Beirsch brewpub
Overlooking a small sectoin of the "dark side"
Picking up firewood - oak, apple, hickory
Supper Friday at Gordon Beirsch brewpub
Overlooking a small sectoin of the "dark side"
Picking up firewood - oak, apple, hickory
Friday - American Royal trip
Friday we woke up early and were out of the hotel by 8 AM…. Gord voted for Waffle House for breakfast and since it was his birthday we tagged along… It was actually pretty good. Fast, greasy, and tasty. Perfect start to a BBQ weekend.
Our next stop was the Royal, time to unload and set up camp. This was easier said than done as the wind was gusting and causing problems with the canopies…. So Dad & I left to fill the water buckets (ie weights) with water… When we came back the canopy had been damaged a bit… Still useable but it needs repairs.
With the canopies properly anchored down we were ready to get the last of our supplies… firewood. The Wood Lot was located just a mile or 2 away, so we picked out some hickory, oak, and apple, and stopped in for lunch. The owner was all to happy to give us a tour of the home made brick pit, offered us some chicken to snack on before we even went inside the building. We ordered a bit of everything, and while the service and ambience were awesome, the food was decent but nothing to write home about. The chicken was the best part; The drumsticks were tender, juicy, and with crisp skin.
After that, I was dropped back at the tent to start trimming my meats. That continued through the afternoon until it was time to head out for supper. We were celebrating, so we found a great upscale brewpub (chain) - Gordon Beirsch. Great food and good beer. It was located in downtown Kansas City, the power & light district I think. Lots going on, neat area.
We went back to the Royal and hung out for a bit, did some more rubbing, injecting, etc... then over to the Mad Cow BBQ camp for a PNWBA get together... good to hang out with the other Canadian teams for a bit and meet some of the PNW teams too. Thanks Wayne!
11 pm came quickly and we were off to camp again to get the pit fired up. With the big meats on we headed down to "The Dark Side"... the Southern section of the American Royal grounds is where the BIG, WILD, some would say INSANE parties go down... We made it over there (LONG walk) a bit after 12:30 but it was quite clear we missed the action. There was only about 20% of the people in there than there were at 11:00, judging by the overhead view of the area as most of our crew drover directly over it (overpass) at that time - apparently the whole area was like Mardi Gras. So we'll have to check it out earlier next time.
Gord hung out for the night, we each slept for a couple hours in the bone chilling cold, the breeze never really let up and the zero gravity chair wasn't the warmest vessel, even with clothes and a couple blankes. Fortunately it was warmer the next night.....
Our next stop was the Royal, time to unload and set up camp. This was easier said than done as the wind was gusting and causing problems with the canopies…. So Dad & I left to fill the water buckets (ie weights) with water… When we came back the canopy had been damaged a bit… Still useable but it needs repairs.
With the canopies properly anchored down we were ready to get the last of our supplies… firewood. The Wood Lot was located just a mile or 2 away, so we picked out some hickory, oak, and apple, and stopped in for lunch. The owner was all to happy to give us a tour of the home made brick pit, offered us some chicken to snack on before we even went inside the building. We ordered a bit of everything, and while the service and ambience were awesome, the food was decent but nothing to write home about. The chicken was the best part; The drumsticks were tender, juicy, and with crisp skin.
After that, I was dropped back at the tent to start trimming my meats. That continued through the afternoon until it was time to head out for supper. We were celebrating, so we found a great upscale brewpub (chain) - Gordon Beirsch. Great food and good beer. It was located in downtown Kansas City, the power & light district I think. Lots going on, neat area.
We went back to the Royal and hung out for a bit, did some more rubbing, injecting, etc... then over to the Mad Cow BBQ camp for a PNWBA get together... good to hang out with the other Canadian teams for a bit and meet some of the PNW teams too. Thanks Wayne!
11 pm came quickly and we were off to camp again to get the pit fired up. With the big meats on we headed down to "The Dark Side"... the Southern section of the American Royal grounds is where the BIG, WILD, some would say INSANE parties go down... We made it over there (LONG walk) a bit after 12:30 but it was quite clear we missed the action. There was only about 20% of the people in there than there were at 11:00, judging by the overhead view of the area as most of our crew drover directly over it (overpass) at that time - apparently the whole area was like Mardi Gras. So we'll have to check it out earlier next time.
Gord hung out for the night, we each slept for a couple hours in the bone chilling cold, the breeze never really let up and the zero gravity chair wasn't the warmest vessel, even with clothes and a couple blankes. Fortunately it was warmer the next night.....
Friday, October 2, 2009
more day 2
After lunch we headed to the butcher shop to pick up our briskets and pork butts. And WHAT a butcher shop. This place is family owned, we talked to the 4th and 5th generation owners. They have a 60 foot fresh meat counter, they sell EVERYTHING, from the oink to the tail. Or from the moo to the hooves if you will... They raise and slaughter their own pigs & cattle too. They invited us back to the aging lockers where all the sides of beef and whole hogs are hung... I'll save those pics for another day! Very nice folks and very welcoming.
Hand-picking briskets & pork butts for this weekend's competitions...
After that we went to check into our hotel, the Best Western I booked a month ago. I called Tuesday to cancel the first night (wednesday) since we weren't going to be here Wednesday as originally planned. I cancelled the first night, promising to check in on Thursday. "OK man, got ya!" was the response I got... Well when we checked in, they had no record of that cancellation. In fact, they charged us for Wednesday night and gave away our room for the rest of the weekend! NO ROOMS LEFT. Perhaps this is where I should mention everything going on in KC this weekend:
- American Royal
- Miley Cyrus concert
- Nascar race
- Chiefs game
- College football game
- And something else I don't remember right now. Safe to say, rooms in this town are few & far between. SO, after some negotiating, many phone calls to central reservations, and some sweet talking of the clerk, he found us a room with one queen bed. So right now, Dad is on a cot, Gord is in the recliner, Jacy is in the bed and I'm on my way.
First, the rest of the day. I did forget to mention the BBQ brisket I had across the street from the meat market... Don't remember the name of the place, just got a half pound of brisket to go. WORST BRISKET I have ever eaten. Clearly re-heated for me, slices were thin and dry, NO flavor of smoke or rub of any kind. This shit could have been boiled, I swear it was that bad. so it all hit the trash. Hoping to find a gem, I found a big rotten lump of coal.
Supper was a Kansas City institution. well, a BBQ Institution that is among the country's few top rated joints - Arthur Bryant's.
We ordered a half pound each of brisket, burnt ends, sausage, and pulled pork. Here's a pic, halfway through chowing down.
The brisket was decent, the pork was shredded and drowned in sauce, nothing to write home about. The burnt ends were bathed in sauce and loaded with flavour - fantastic food. Sausage was a bit different, I liked it but I'm not sure if anyone else did. They did have some ribs out by the time we were half done eating so we picked up a half slab. It was very overcooked, dry, thin, and the two small bones weren't edible. They should not have been served.
This sounds like a lot of complaining but the food was in fact quite good. This sides (especially beans) were awesome.
The place reeks of history, LOTS of celebrities have dined here and the old brick pit in the back has certainly seen decades of smoke.
We'll pay it another visit the next time we're in town.
After supper we just came back to the hotel... Jacy and I headed out to a Target to get a few more ingredients for the weekend. We had a quick dip in the hot tub, then everyone crashed. Well except me, just had to get online and tell our story! That's it for tonight, a big day tomorrow!
later
Hand-picking briskets & pork butts for this weekend's competitions...
After that we went to check into our hotel, the Best Western I booked a month ago. I called Tuesday to cancel the first night (wednesday) since we weren't going to be here Wednesday as originally planned. I cancelled the first night, promising to check in on Thursday. "OK man, got ya!" was the response I got... Well when we checked in, they had no record of that cancellation. In fact, they charged us for Wednesday night and gave away our room for the rest of the weekend! NO ROOMS LEFT. Perhaps this is where I should mention everything going on in KC this weekend:
- American Royal
- Miley Cyrus concert
- Nascar race
- Chiefs game
- College football game
- And something else I don't remember right now. Safe to say, rooms in this town are few & far between. SO, after some negotiating, many phone calls to central reservations, and some sweet talking of the clerk, he found us a room with one queen bed. So right now, Dad is on a cot, Gord is in the recliner, Jacy is in the bed and I'm on my way.
First, the rest of the day. I did forget to mention the BBQ brisket I had across the street from the meat market... Don't remember the name of the place, just got a half pound of brisket to go. WORST BRISKET I have ever eaten. Clearly re-heated for me, slices were thin and dry, NO flavor of smoke or rub of any kind. This shit could have been boiled, I swear it was that bad. so it all hit the trash. Hoping to find a gem, I found a big rotten lump of coal.
Supper was a Kansas City institution. well, a BBQ Institution that is among the country's few top rated joints - Arthur Bryant's.
We ordered a half pound each of brisket, burnt ends, sausage, and pulled pork. Here's a pic, halfway through chowing down.
The brisket was decent, the pork was shredded and drowned in sauce, nothing to write home about. The burnt ends were bathed in sauce and loaded with flavour - fantastic food. Sausage was a bit different, I liked it but I'm not sure if anyone else did. They did have some ribs out by the time we were half done eating so we picked up a half slab. It was very overcooked, dry, thin, and the two small bones weren't edible. They should not have been served.
This sounds like a lot of complaining but the food was in fact quite good. This sides (especially beans) were awesome.
The place reeks of history, LOTS of celebrities have dined here and the old brick pit in the back has certainly seen decades of smoke.
We'll pay it another visit the next time we're in town.
After supper we just came back to the hotel... Jacy and I headed out to a Target to get a few more ingredients for the weekend. We had a quick dip in the hot tub, then everyone crashed. Well except me, just had to get online and tell our story! That's it for tonight, a big day tomorrow!
later
Thursday, October 1, 2009
American Royal - day 2 (Thurs)
We rolled into Kansas City a little after Noon... Lots of old warehouses, around, some very neat ones. Didn't take pictures of those ones however...
Here's our spot... We have more pavement than you can see but this is it. It includes some grass too. That's our own private porta potty
too.
We dropped off the pit and some gear so we would have room for more supplies. Met our neighbors who live about 4 hours away. They were a bit stunned to hear how far we drove but seem like great folks.
First stop for lunch: Oklahoma Joe's!!! Run by some very experienced competition cooks, our lunch was nothing short of AWESOME. We had brisket, ribs, beans, beer and... well that might be it. Oh, fries too. Everything was top notch. Brisket had great flavour, sliced thin and not dry, ribs were well seasoned with a light coat of sauce. Great smoke flavour and good tenderness. One of my best BBQ meals ever.
Some of the trophies on the way in...
Here's our spot... We have more pavement than you can see but this is it. It includes some grass too. That's our own private porta potty
too.
We dropped off the pit and some gear so we would have room for more supplies. Met our neighbors who live about 4 hours away. They were a bit stunned to hear how far we drove but seem like great folks.
First stop for lunch: Oklahoma Joe's!!! Run by some very experienced competition cooks, our lunch was nothing short of AWESOME. We had brisket, ribs, beans, beer and... well that might be it. Oh, fries too. Everything was top notch. Brisket had great flavour, sliced thin and not dry, ribs were well seasoned with a light coat of sauce. Great smoke flavour and good tenderness. One of my best BBQ meals ever.
Some of the trophies on the way in...
Day 1 - American Royal (Wednesday)
We left Regina right on time, 5:30 AM. I woke up at 4:00 AM to shower and finish loading the truck, and went to bed at 3:15 am the night before. I mean, who wants to sleep the night before leaving for a 3-day BBQ marathon anyway??? So i promptly fell asleep and woke up in Estevan, 2 hours down the road where we pulled into the Husky for a quick hot breakfast.
30 minutes later we pulled up to the Portal border crossing into the good 'ol USA. They poked around in the BBQ and the back of the truck, asked about 50 questions and let us go. The spooky part was when they asked "Are you the guy that called 2 days ago asking all the questions about bringing meat across the border"?? Um.. yes sir. "OK then, have a great day." With that, we were on our way.
Keying addresses into the GPS...
We mounted a new storage box on the back of the pit, LOTS of new storage space, and we filled every inch. A little bit ghetto, but the food is killer!
Chinese buffet in some small town in Southeast North Dakota. Not bad! About 50 different things, only $7.50.
Gord "Studying" the game plan for our first ever KCBS BBQ competition. I have meticulously scheduled every component of this cook... something I kind of do anyway but we really need to be on the ball for this one.
We pulled into Sioux Falls at about 9 PM, lost an hour when we crossed the border and a couple hours later than planned. Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful day. The scenery through North Dakota and South Dakota was exactly the same as Saskatchewan - dead flat, no trees. The WIND was crazy though, gusting heavy all day and blowing in the NW direction... So we were driving into this wind all day. It was not a cheap day for gas. Supper was at Texas Roadhouse, a steakhouse chain. We each had a nice steak, and they were all very good. Perfectly cooked, nicely seasoned, a great meal for a chain.
30 minutes later we pulled up to the Portal border crossing into the good 'ol USA. They poked around in the BBQ and the back of the truck, asked about 50 questions and let us go. The spooky part was when they asked "Are you the guy that called 2 days ago asking all the questions about bringing meat across the border"?? Um.. yes sir. "OK then, have a great day." With that, we were on our way.
Keying addresses into the GPS...
We mounted a new storage box on the back of the pit, LOTS of new storage space, and we filled every inch. A little bit ghetto, but the food is killer!
Chinese buffet in some small town in Southeast North Dakota. Not bad! About 50 different things, only $7.50.
Gord "Studying" the game plan for our first ever KCBS BBQ competition. I have meticulously scheduled every component of this cook... something I kind of do anyway but we really need to be on the ball for this one.
We pulled into Sioux Falls at about 9 PM, lost an hour when we crossed the border and a couple hours later than planned. Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful day. The scenery through North Dakota and South Dakota was exactly the same as Saskatchewan - dead flat, no trees. The WIND was crazy though, gusting heavy all day and blowing in the NW direction... So we were driving into this wind all day. It was not a cheap day for gas. Supper was at Texas Roadhouse, a steakhouse chain. We each had a nice steak, and they were all very good. Perfectly cooked, nicely seasoned, a great meal for a chain.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Off to Kansas City
Well, where has the time gone! We will be leaving for K.C. in about 30 hours... and there's a lot to do before then. I'm not going to worry about it though, I'll get my 5.5 hours of sleep tonight, work my butt off at the office tomorrow and then it's nothing but BBQ for the next 6 days!
We have worked very hard at this little hobby this year. We are honestly a little burnt out - I never thought I would say that but with all the comps, all the catering, 2 jobs etc we are ready for a break. Jacy has been incredibly supportive, as has her family to whom we are already eternally indebted to for their endless willingness to watch our 2 precious little kids...
But enough whining, we are going to the ROYAL!!!! This is awesome, there's no other way to describe it. There are 119 teams registered for the Invitational event, held Friday-Saturday, and over 500 teams registered in the Open competition, scheduled for Saturday-Sunday. It's going to be a very long weekend indeed.
My expectations are tempered. We have been very fortunate in 2009, finishing in either the Grand Champion or Reserve Grand Champion position at all 4 events we entered. BUT this is in the Canadian prairies, not exactly a hotbed of BBQ. There are some talented cooks up here, but I'm competing against arguably 118 of the Best BBQ cooks in the world. A whole new ball game really. Instead of certified judges that have judged 1-3 competitions, I will face judges that have presided over dozens or hundreds of comps. And they are opinionated ;-)
Another factor is that this is a KCBS-sanctioned event... now KCBS is by far the largest, most respected sanctioning body out there, but things are run a bit differently. Instead of turning in meat at 60 minute intervals like we're used to with PNWBA events, we are turning in entries at 30 minute intervals. The meats are also judged in a different order. It's an entirely different schedule, and a much tighter one too. Planning, scheduling, delegation will be KEY.
Now... the logistics of turning in our entries on time: With 120 teams in the Invitational comp, and 500+ teams in the Open comp, with 70,000 spectators, this is a challenge. If our meat is 2 seconds late our entry for that meat category is disqualified. No arguments. Our cook site is about as far away from judging as possible... Just based on the map, I'm estimating it will take 10 minutes to speed walk our entries. This is with two people - one blocker to push through the crowds (Gord, who I think can be pushier and ruder than Dad if necessary), and Dad to carry the meat. This gives them 10 minutes to run, 10 to wait in line, and 10 to return. If they're late returning we'll have to send Jacy. Maybe the blocker will come back early to get ready for the next run.
And I'll have to keep my head in the game. I am giddy with excitement about going, I'm sure I will be blown away by the whole spectacle. How will I focus come crunch time? I guess we'll find out.
The bottom line... While I hope for a call in a category or two, I will be thrilled with an overall finish in the top 50%. I think we can do it.
We have worked very hard at this little hobby this year. We are honestly a little burnt out - I never thought I would say that but with all the comps, all the catering, 2 jobs etc we are ready for a break. Jacy has been incredibly supportive, as has her family to whom we are already eternally indebted to for their endless willingness to watch our 2 precious little kids...
But enough whining, we are going to the ROYAL!!!! This is awesome, there's no other way to describe it. There are 119 teams registered for the Invitational event, held Friday-Saturday, and over 500 teams registered in the Open competition, scheduled for Saturday-Sunday. It's going to be a very long weekend indeed.
My expectations are tempered. We have been very fortunate in 2009, finishing in either the Grand Champion or Reserve Grand Champion position at all 4 events we entered. BUT this is in the Canadian prairies, not exactly a hotbed of BBQ. There are some talented cooks up here, but I'm competing against arguably 118 of the Best BBQ cooks in the world. A whole new ball game really. Instead of certified judges that have judged 1-3 competitions, I will face judges that have presided over dozens or hundreds of comps. And they are opinionated ;-)
Another factor is that this is a KCBS-sanctioned event... now KCBS is by far the largest, most respected sanctioning body out there, but things are run a bit differently. Instead of turning in meat at 60 minute intervals like we're used to with PNWBA events, we are turning in entries at 30 minute intervals. The meats are also judged in a different order. It's an entirely different schedule, and a much tighter one too. Planning, scheduling, delegation will be KEY.
Now... the logistics of turning in our entries on time: With 120 teams in the Invitational comp, and 500+ teams in the Open comp, with 70,000 spectators, this is a challenge. If our meat is 2 seconds late our entry for that meat category is disqualified. No arguments. Our cook site is about as far away from judging as possible... Just based on the map, I'm estimating it will take 10 minutes to speed walk our entries. This is with two people - one blocker to push through the crowds (Gord, who I think can be pushier and ruder than Dad if necessary), and Dad to carry the meat. This gives them 10 minutes to run, 10 to wait in line, and 10 to return. If they're late returning we'll have to send Jacy. Maybe the blocker will come back early to get ready for the next run.
And I'll have to keep my head in the game. I am giddy with excitement about going, I'm sure I will be blown away by the whole spectacle. How will I focus come crunch time? I guess we'll find out.
The bottom line... While I hope for a call in a category or two, I will be thrilled with an overall finish in the top 50%. I think we can do it.
'Que-Lapalooza
As caterers and now competition cooks, we have often been asked whether we do any dinners that anyone can attend. The answer has always been "maybe one day". Well that day was last Friday, Sept 25. We hosted 'Que-Lapalooza, our first public event and a fundraiser cabaret to fund our trip to the American Royal this week. Unfortunately in the rush of things we never remembered to take any pictures! I will be begging and pleading, hopefully we can find someone with some pics to share.
We had about 100 people out, approximately 50% friends & family, 50% complete strangers. This was a great mix - it means word is getting around in this city about true Southern BBQ. We only had about 3 weeks to promote the event and promotion was somewhat limited.
We served the 4 competition meats - brisket, pork butt, chicken, and ribs. We used exactly the same rubs and sauces we serve in competition so people could get a taste of what's worked so well for us this year. We managed to find a band a few days prior, and we got great feedback about them - Festus - a Regina band specializing in Southern-inspired Rock and country. We enjoyed them a lot too.
We gave a way a couple dozen door prizes, we had some items up on a silent auction table, and we had a well stocked bar. (There will be wine next year too!)
The evening finished up a bit earlier than we planned (I guess most people really did come for the food) but it looked like everyone had a good time and we can get an early start on planning the 2010 event.
We had about 100 people out, approximately 50% friends & family, 50% complete strangers. This was a great mix - it means word is getting around in this city about true Southern BBQ. We only had about 3 weeks to promote the event and promotion was somewhat limited.
We served the 4 competition meats - brisket, pork butt, chicken, and ribs. We used exactly the same rubs and sauces we serve in competition so people could get a taste of what's worked so well for us this year. We managed to find a band a few days prior, and we got great feedback about them - Festus - a Regina band specializing in Southern-inspired Rock and country. We enjoyed them a lot too.
We gave a way a couple dozen door prizes, we had some items up on a silent auction table, and we had a well stocked bar. (There will be wine next year too!)
The evening finished up a bit earlier than we planned (I guess most people really did come for the food) but it looked like everyone had a good time and we can get an early start on planning the 2010 event.
Clarification re: Bow & the "Jack"
Oh yeah... It turned out they had only 22 teams, 3 short of an official "Jack" qualifying event. So we're going to have to keep at it next year if we want to go to Lynchburg ourselves!
That's twice this summer we "Just" missed it. But it's our first season, it's an exclusive event and that's what makes it so special.
As it turns out, I HAVE been invited to Lynchburg this October for the Jack Daniel's World Championships. I will beflying in to join Justin Kyllo of North Vancouver's "Smoke and Bones" BBQ Team. I met Justin in April at the Paul Kirk cooking class in Langley. He is a fellow caterer and he WON the Canadian Championships in Whistler this summer. So while I place my own BBQ ambitions on the back burner, we are going to do our best to make Canada proud! We should be hammering out some plans this weekend in Kansas City... You can learn more about Justin here: http://www.smokeandbones.ca/
Be sure to check out his blog, he has embarked on the most amazing BBQ adventure of any Canadian I've ever seen.
That's twice this summer we "Just" missed it. But it's our first season, it's an exclusive event and that's what makes it so special.
As it turns out, I HAVE been invited to Lynchburg this October for the Jack Daniel's World Championships. I will beflying in to join Justin Kyllo of North Vancouver's "Smoke and Bones" BBQ Team. I met Justin in April at the Paul Kirk cooking class in Langley. He is a fellow caterer and he WON the Canadian Championships in Whistler this summer. So while I place my own BBQ ambitions on the back burner, we are going to do our best to make Canada proud! We should be hammering out some plans this weekend in Kansas City... You can learn more about Justin here: http://www.smokeandbones.ca/
Be sure to check out his blog, he has embarked on the most amazing BBQ adventure of any Canadian I've ever seen.
BBQ on the Bow, Calgary
Results: 2nd place brisket, 1st place chicken, 1st place ribs, 7th place pork butt
Overall: Grand Champion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where does one begin? One of the oldest competitions in Canada, this is a mature and very well run event. I've been aware of BBQ on the Bow for years, but could never justify the time and expense to travel out there 'just for a competition'... Well, that was before I got hooked on comps in September 2008. BUT, even at the beginning of summer, I already had 3 comps scheduled (Regina, Saskatoon, Morden, MB) and wasn't sure about making the big drive to Calgary. Well all of that changed after we won in Regina. Suddenly the travel budget got a bit bigger, and I knew we could compete at the same level as the big dogs. So after a big of planning, the application form went in. Early rumours pegged this event at 30 teams, making it a qualifier for the big invitationals down Douth.
Well July passed by, August passed by, and pretty soon it was time for that drive. The 2 weekends before were both double headers (Catering + Manitoba competition, then Catering + Regina ribfest) so we were looking forward to the relaxing drive and "just" a competition this weekend. It was just Jacy and I, though we missed the kids it was nice to get away - really our first trip alone together in about 2.5 years. We took the truck and the 6 foot stickburning BBQ pit trailer. We made good time on the way down Friday, even managed to hit IKEA for the fastest browse ever - in and through the checkouts in 1 hour. (Thanks honey!) We dropped the trailer off at the cook site, then met some very fine folks for dinner & drinks. (A lot more of the later). We had the best time, we just love these people - Danielle & Vlado who flew in from Barrie, ON; Angie & Dennis (new team for 2009 but no shortage of competition experience here!) from Langley, and Brian & Corinne from House of Q (Surrey, BC). D introduced us to an awesome shooter (chocolate cake, made with Vodka & Drambuie, downed after sucking on a sugared lemon wedge). We were the first to duck out so we could hang out for a bit with our Calgary friends (former Reginans) who were graciously putting us up for the night.
The next morning, after a few pit stops for supplies, we pulled into the competition site around 11 AM. We met up with a new friend (Brent), a BBQ forum comrade, who came out to help us for the weekend. We could not have asked for a better partner! He brought the WSM, he brought a big bin full of apple wood, some Sa 'Mokin BBQ sauce, and other knick knacks. He worked his butt off and helped us achieve the great results. So we set up camp, got our meat inspected, and got down to business. Butts and briskets were rubbed and set aside, ribs were trimmed and chicken was trimmed. We entered a Santa Maria style tri-tip platter for the Chef's choice event, complete with pinquito beans, fresh pico de gallo, and toasted garlic baguettes to hold it all together. With that out of the way we could focus on our own supper... Which was a bit late but still tasty. We had some friends and family coming by to hang out for a while which was fun... Jacy worked very hard on the garnish for the next day's presentation boxes, and then Brent went back to the hotel for some shut eye.
At some point during the night there was a little accident. All we saw was the aftermath.
Overall: Grand Champion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where does one begin? One of the oldest competitions in Canada, this is a mature and very well run event. I've been aware of BBQ on the Bow for years, but could never justify the time and expense to travel out there 'just for a competition'... Well, that was before I got hooked on comps in September 2008. BUT, even at the beginning of summer, I already had 3 comps scheduled (Regina, Saskatoon, Morden, MB) and wasn't sure about making the big drive to Calgary. Well all of that changed after we won in Regina. Suddenly the travel budget got a bit bigger, and I knew we could compete at the same level as the big dogs. So after a big of planning, the application form went in. Early rumours pegged this event at 30 teams, making it a qualifier for the big invitationals down Douth.
Well July passed by, August passed by, and pretty soon it was time for that drive. The 2 weekends before were both double headers (Catering + Manitoba competition, then Catering + Regina ribfest) so we were looking forward to the relaxing drive and "just" a competition this weekend. It was just Jacy and I, though we missed the kids it was nice to get away - really our first trip alone together in about 2.5 years. We took the truck and the 6 foot stickburning BBQ pit trailer. We made good time on the way down Friday, even managed to hit IKEA for the fastest browse ever - in and through the checkouts in 1 hour. (Thanks honey!) We dropped the trailer off at the cook site, then met some very fine folks for dinner & drinks. (A lot more of the later). We had the best time, we just love these people - Danielle & Vlado who flew in from Barrie, ON; Angie & Dennis (new team for 2009 but no shortage of competition experience here!) from Langley, and Brian & Corinne from House of Q (Surrey, BC). D introduced us to an awesome shooter (chocolate cake, made with Vodka & Drambuie, downed after sucking on a sugared lemon wedge). We were the first to duck out so we could hang out for a bit with our Calgary friends (former Reginans) who were graciously putting us up for the night.
The next morning, after a few pit stops for supplies, we pulled into the competition site around 11 AM. We met up with a new friend (Brent), a BBQ forum comrade, who came out to help us for the weekend. We could not have asked for a better partner! He brought the WSM, he brought a big bin full of apple wood, some Sa 'Mokin BBQ sauce, and other knick knacks. He worked his butt off and helped us achieve the great results. So we set up camp, got our meat inspected, and got down to business. Butts and briskets were rubbed and set aside, ribs were trimmed and chicken was trimmed. We entered a Santa Maria style tri-tip platter for the Chef's choice event, complete with pinquito beans, fresh pico de gallo, and toasted garlic baguettes to hold it all together. With that out of the way we could focus on our own supper... Which was a bit late but still tasty. We had some friends and family coming by to hang out for a while which was fun... Jacy worked very hard on the garnish for the next day's presentation boxes, and then Brent went back to the hotel for some shut eye.
At some point during the night there was a little accident. All we saw was the aftermath.
The cooker cruised along all night, for a home built offset stickburning pit, it worked very well. It stuck right on 250 all night, probably the easiest cook I've ever had on it. Brent made it back on time and I cruised up to the hotel room (literally steps away - awesome!) for a 4 hour nap. It was fantastic. Quick shower and I was ready to go again.
The morning was uneventful, the big meats came off on time. Once again I was frustrated by the washed out flavour of my brisket when I removed the foil and vowed to do things differently next time. Maybe I don't need to worry, it still did prett well. So we got our meats all turned in and crossed our fingers. We roamed around the site for a bit, checked out the many vendors, then packed up the camp.
Awards started on time... Was pleased to see our friends get a lot of calls, love it when that happens. We missed a call in pork but did manage to walk to the stage for 3 of the 4 meat categories, this is honestly the most excited I've ever been at a comp. The overall results were called out, I think they started at 6th place so the anticipation was THICK. My BBQ buds were jumping up and down across the way, pointing at me and giving me the thumbs up... We were certainly floating at this point but you never know how these things work out... I could have tanked pork and finished 7th overall for all I know...
Anyway, it all worked out, we got our first semi-major G.C. and to say we were stoked is a HUGE understatement. Everyone was so gracious and happy for us, I think I even shed a tear or two.
A huge thanks go out again to Brent for helping us all weekend (hope you're free in 2010 - if you're not competing yourself!) and to Jacy's family for taking the kids all weekend. Also hugs to Dustin & Leah for putting up with our stinky, tired bodies in their house!
The morning was uneventful, the big meats came off on time. Once again I was frustrated by the washed out flavour of my brisket when I removed the foil and vowed to do things differently next time. Maybe I don't need to worry, it still did prett well. So we got our meats all turned in and crossed our fingers. We roamed around the site for a bit, checked out the many vendors, then packed up the camp.
Awards started on time... Was pleased to see our friends get a lot of calls, love it when that happens. We missed a call in pork but did manage to walk to the stage for 3 of the 4 meat categories, this is honestly the most excited I've ever been at a comp. The overall results were called out, I think they started at 6th place so the anticipation was THICK. My BBQ buds were jumping up and down across the way, pointing at me and giving me the thumbs up... We were certainly floating at this point but you never know how these things work out... I could have tanked pork and finished 7th overall for all I know...
Anyway, it all worked out, we got our first semi-major G.C. and to say we were stoked is a HUGE understatement. Everyone was so gracious and happy for us, I think I even shed a tear or two.
A huge thanks go out again to Brent for helping us all weekend (hope you're free in 2010 - if you're not competing yourself!) and to Jacy's family for taking the kids all weekend. Also hugs to Dustin & Leah for putting up with our stinky, tired bodies in their house!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Manitoba Open BBQ CHampionships, August 2009
Results: 1st place chicken, 1st place ribs (179 score), 2nd place pork, 4th place brisket
Overall: Reserve Grand Champion
This was the first year for a full, sanctioned BBQ competition. at the Morden Corn & Apple Festival. It's the first time we attended and we're sure glad we did - who knew Manitoba had such a diverse, thriving BBQ community? I even saw a Klose pit in person for the first time - Reece's Roadside BBQ was proud to show it off and rightly so. These guys were great neighbors, enthusiastic as heck. And it's the first time I've seen someone fully asleep, standing up, leaning against a trailer, beer in hand. Almost like it was routing. Nice.
We catered an event in Regina on the Friday of this Friday/Saturday event... master scheduler I am not. We were able to pull out of Regina at 5:15 PM, leaving the ribs to be cut up and served, and leaving the beef & potatoes still cooking. The cater went pretty well, although it's as close as we've ever come to running out of food. In fact I understand the beans didn't quite make it. Fortunately there was enough beef for everyone and there were a couple racks of ribs left over in the end. I was quite mortified and never want to repeat that. All I can say is, we'll be more prepared next time for a crowd that's 85% over 50. Those 'kids' cleaned us out. BUT everyone was full and happy.
So about 10 PM, I noticed that the gas needle was just barely above empty. IN. THE. MIDDLE. OF. NOWHERE. We kept driving, Gord got on the horn with CAA to deliver us from gas. "Where are you" they said. "Driving towards Portage" was all we could answer. Apparently they don't like chasing motorists through the countryside at night??? So we had to pull over and wait. After 5 minutes we said forget it. Gord was sure there was a PetroCan at the intersection of Highways 1 and 16. Sure enough, 8 minutes later we pull in sputtering and make it to the pump. I called CAA, Gord pumped gas, and we were on the road again. It wasn't until 12:15 that we pulled into the dark, smoky parking lot. There was a big gap right in the middle of the cluster of teams, and we called that gap home for the next 16 hours.
Gord's job: Fire up the chimney, fire up the big BBQ pit. My job was to get the meat inspected and begin rubbing etc. We pre-trimmed the big meats so we'd be able to get them on ASAP. Thank goodness for incredible PNWBA head judge Angie Quaale who waited up to do our meat inspection, this weekend wouldn't have been possible otherwise.
The next 10 minutes totally blew me away... the van was literally attacked by other friends and team members, and while I was injecting butts I turned around to see the whole van unloaded. AWESOME. Next thing, the canopy is set up over me. This sort of thing seems to only happen at BBQ competitions, the community spirit is incredible. Thank you all so much for helping us get set up after a late arrival.
With the butts and brisket on, we could finally relax and talk to some of the other teams. We made it through the night with a couple hours of sleep each, more than enough to get through the next day. Turn in's were relatively uneventful, except for a butt that hit the ground. That really sucked, no choice but to pitch it. Briskets were foiled to speed up the cooking time, and there was NO bark when I opened them up. They went back on the pit for 10 minutes before slicing, then rested for about 15 more. The bark firmed up nicely, but I think they dried out a bit by doing that. I was 100% satisfied with the ribs and chicken.
Gord's mom made the trek down from Winnipeg for the day, she was a pleasure to have around and really fun. We put her in charge of the time clock and she happily obliged. Gord's MIL and FIL also came down to check things out, it was nice to see them again too. Nice to have some support so far from home!
With turn ins done, we had a 4 hour wait before awards were to be announced. So we took our time closing shop, and went to the hotel to check in and get cleaned up. Back to the competition where they were gearing up the "BBQ Ball", 200 people to be served, including sponsors and the general public who bought tickets to this fundraiser event. The awards ceremony kicked off this ball. Perry Hopkins, the grand master of the MOBC, thanked a lot of people and did some introductions, then Angie took the mike to call out the winners. Special mention goes to our good friends who got calls, Smokin' Jim, Darrel B of Burnside BBQ, newer cook Bernie of Smokin' Hawg, and Dougzapig who won first place in the sauce category.
HUGE congratulations to Winnipeg team Bad Azz for G.C! They have won this event three years in a row. This win is an automatic Jack invitation for them, and an entry into the AR Invitational for 2010. I hope we see them in Sask. in 2010.
We couldn't have been happier with our results, with a 1st in ribs (179 score), 1st in chicken, 2nd in pork, and 4th in brisket. It was good enough for Reserve GC, 3 points behind the winner. After the awards we talked with the Bad Azz team, incredibly gracious winners. I feel like I learned more in 20 minutes talking to Jim Johnson of Memphis than I learned in months of trials at home.
By then we were ready to take off. We were joined for supper by Angie Quaale, who was also quite sick of BBQ by this time. A scan of Morden indicated that the town was still full of tourists and that we'd have a tough time finding a place to eat. So we were off to Winkler instead. After touring the whole town we settled on Del Rios, a "Mexican / mennonite / Canadian" restaurant. Who can resist that combination?? In the end, it wasn't bad but nothing to blog about. So that's all 'bout that.
The only other highlight was a well deserved sleep at the Super 8, followed by a nice breakfast before we hit the highway. Well this time we were pumped about the results and talking non stop about plans for the American Royal. We completely forgot about gas AGAIN and this time we had no choice but to pull over. Fortunately a young local farmer was driving by with his family and they brought back a big can of gas about 10 minutes later. Great people, we were lucky to have so much good help this weekend. We sent them home with a big foil pack of pulled pork, hopefully they enjoyed it.
That's it!
I will need to write about 'ast weekend's Regina's Ribfest, a first time event that drew crowds by the THOUSANDS. And I'll need to write about the blown tire that turned a busy weekend into an insane weekend.
This weekend is our biggest comp ever, BBQ on the Bow. Our expectations are high but this is a very strong field of competitors. The other thing running through my mind is that we do well with inexperienced judges, but the Bow is a very well established event with a long history. Who knows how this will play out. If we are lucky enough to win, it will mean a full year to plan our trip to the Jack in 2010.
Fred came in from Michigan, this is most of his crew: Great folks, wish I could have spent more time over there.
H&S BBQ Smokers from Kipling, SK. They make these pits, and other designs too. There's a rotisserie in there. Very efficient design for the cold Canadian winters. They did very well overall, 3rd or 4th.
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