I drove 3 hours this weekend to see my first BBQ contest in Wildwood
NJ. Expected to eat real (slow smoked) Q and thus skipped breakfast and
lunch.

There were two main areas at the contest. In one section, the
contestants had all their smokers going but weren't selling the meat.
In another area there were several vendors who were selling Q to the
"masses" (and my guess is that they were not competing).
These vendors (I remember only Rib-Bins and Jack McDavid) had huge
crowds waiting to buy Q but to my dismay I noticed that all the vendors
had huge gas cookers and large charcoal grills and NO SMOKERS IN SIGHT.
I waited 40 minutes and did try ribs from Rib-Bins. They were about as
good as the ribs at TGI Friday's.

The whole experience was horrible and I just want someone to enlighten
me a bit. Here I my thoughts:

1. The need for gas ovens and marginal Q is driven by the fact that
there is no easy way to slow cook enough meat for thousands of people
attending the contest.

2. The contestants only have enough capacity to cook for judges and
their friends. (Are there other contests where the ratio of
participants to viewers is not so enormous???)

3. Outside New Jersey, guys with gas ovens will be stoned to death.
True/False?

Also, how do they pick BBQ judges? To me this would be the second best
job to have (next to Playboy photographer).

Thanks
RW

should have just driven to Famous Dave's... They've got 3 locations in
Jersey... They're a Minnesota chain but the Q's not bad.

I wish we could get a Rudy's (Austin based chain?) in the Northeast....
there's just something right about eating barbecue at a gas station.

On Sun, 10 Jul 2005 22:56:14 -0500, eelhc wrote:

I wish we could get a Rudy's (Austin based chain?) in the Northeast....
there's just something right about eating barbecue at a gas station.

Second that. I sneak off to Rudy's quite often, but the very best Q around
here is Cooper's in Round Rock. The owner, Gary(!) knows the trade. That's
were I go when I want the very best.

--
//ceed ©¿©¬

wrote in message

1. The need for gas ovens and marginal Q is driven by the fact that
there is no easy way to slow cook enough meat for thousands of people
attending the contest.

Gas is easier, faster, cheaper.



2. The contestants only have enough capacity to cook for judges and
their friends. (Are there other contests where the ratio of
participants to viewers is not so enormous???)

Health regulations forbid selling food from un-inspected kitchens. Probably
none would qualify with local regulations. Sometimes a contestant will give
some samples, but then 10,000 people will line up at his setup.


3. Outside New Jersey, guys with gas ovens will be stoned to death.
True/False?

It is like that all over.


Also, how do they pick BBQ judges? To me this would be the second best
job to have (next to Playboy photographer).

Depends on contest rules. Sanctioned events are trained and qualified.
Others are local celebrities.

In ups.com,
said:
I drove 3 hours this weekend to see my first BBQ contest in Wildwood
NJ. Expected to eat real (slow smoked) Q and thus skipped breakfast
and lunch.

There were two main areas at the contest. In one section, the
contestants had all their smokers going but weren't selling the meat.
In another area there were several vendors who were selling Q to the
"masses" (and my guess is that they were not competing).
These vendors (I remember only Rib-Bins and Jack McDavid) had huge
crowds waiting to buy Q but to my dismay I noticed that all the
vendors had huge gas cookers and large charcoal grills and NO SMOKERS
IN SIGHT. I waited 40 minutes and did try ribs from Rib-Bins. They
were about as good as the ribs at TGI Friday's.

The whole experience was horrible and I just want someone to enlighten
me a bit. Here I my thoughts:

1. The need for gas ovens and marginal Q is driven by the fact that
there is no easy way to slow cook enough meat for thousands of people
attending the contest.

2. The contestants only have enough capacity to cook for judges and
their friends. (Are there other contests where the ratio of
participants to viewers is not so enormous???)

3. Outside New Jersey, guys with gas ovens will be stoned to death.
True/False?

Also, how do they pick BBQ judges? To me this would be the second best
job to have (next to Playboy photographer).

Thanks
RW

At most I have attended, there are samples given out, but not before the
plates go to the judges. Q contests are real serious business here in the
south, and if you attend a cookoff early, you might be lucky to get someone
even to speak to you. (Some might even ask you to move along, as they don't
want to risk spies from other competitors learning their "secrets".)

After the entries go to the judges, you can usually snag some samples fom
most cooks. (They ARE usually proud of their work, and most of the reason
they are there is to glean some appreciation from folks other than their
kids-wives-girlfriends, etc.)

The samples will be small, and sometimes you have to come right out and ask
up front. (There is usually a LOT of people asking for samples.) You can
eat somethig before going, or sometimes (or a lot of times) a competitior
will set up a commercial vending booth to sell his Q.

One of the most friendly cookoffs I have attended in recent years is the
Goat BBQ in Electra, Tx. (Usually near the middle of May. )
http://www.electratexas.org/goat_bbq.htm


They have a contest catagory called Peoples Choice, which is decided by how
many people patronize a particular booth. You buy sample tickets for a
dollar a throw, and at the end of the day, The competitor who has the most
tickets wins the prize.

This makes for a great experience for the visitor, as most of the
competitors actively offer samples to the public, the money helps finance
next years cookoff, and portions are usually generous.

For those of you who don't do goat, the cookoff also features steaks,
brisket, ribs, and chicken.

At the Maryland State BBQ Championship (mdbbq.com), all vendors are
required to compete. You can't get samples from all the competitors
(health regs, you know), but you at least know that if you're buying
from a vendor, you're buying from a competitor.

I don't know how much worse the product that the vendors sell is
compared to what they submit for the competition. Although I've
judged at this event, I haven't bought from a vendor. Besides, the
judging is blind, so I wouldn't know which vendor's Q I was eating,
anyway.

But...if you can get to Wildwood, NJ, you can get to Bel Air, MD, and
I recommend that you do so August 12-13.

--THC

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Cormen Voice: (603) 646-2417
Professor of Computer Science Fax: (603) 646-1672
Chair, Writing Program Email:
Dartmouth College URL: http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~thc/
6211 Sudikoff Laboratory
Hanover, NH 03755-3510
------------------------------------------------------------------------

wrote:
I drove 3 hours this weekend to see my first BBQ contest in Wildwood
NJ. Expected to eat real (slow smoked) Q and thus skipped breakfast
and
lunch.

This the contest you're referring to?

Chicken:
10) Anglesea BBQ
9) Smokin' Daves Tailgate Party
8) Lost Nation Smoke Company
7) Crispy Critters
6) Porkitects
5) Big Bad Wolves
4) Hoff Daddys
3) Pigmund T's Q to Please
2) Pennsylvania Posse
1) Dizzy Pig BBQ

Ribs
10) Pigmund T's Q to Please
9) Pennsylvania Posse
8) The Memphis Barbecue Company
7) Ribs Within
6) Hoff Daddys
5) Butch's Smack Your Lips
4) Porkitects
3) Jack McDavids Down Home Barbecue
2) Lost Nation Smoke Company
1) Smokey T's Q Pit to Please

Pork
10) Yards Brewery Smokeaholics
9) Babba and The Pig Man
8) Smokey T's Q Pit to Please
7) Lost Nation Smoke Company
6) Dizzy Pig BBQ
5) Philly Pigs
4) Ribs Within
3) Porkitects
2) Butch's Smack Your Lips
1) Front Street (Zacks)

Brisket
10) Lost Nation Smoke Company
9) Philly Pigs
8) Ribs Within
7) Pennsylvania Posse
6) Anglesea BBQ
5) Smokey T's Q Pit to Please
4) Crispy Critters
3) Cookin Commandos BBQ Squad
2) Jack McDavids Down Home Barbecue
1) Dizzy Pig BBQ

Overall
10) Butch's Smack Your Lips
9) Philly Pigs
8) Crispy Critters
7) Smokey T's Q Pit to Please
6) Pennsylvania Posse
5) Ribs Within
4) Jack McDavids Down Home Barbecue
3) Porkitects
Reserve: Lost Nation Smoke Company
Grand Champions: Dizzy Pig BBQ

Iron Chef
3) Ribs Within
2) Porkitects
1) Yards Brewery Smokeaholics

Sauce
3) Yards Brewery Smokeaholics
2) No Bones About It BBQ
1) Cookin Commandos BBQ Squad

Desert
3) Front Street (Zacks)
2) Philly Pigs
1) Team Old School


Dizzy Pig cooks some awesome food on their GASP Big Green Eggs.
They make excellent rubs also.
Here's a link to the Dizzy Pig website:
http://www.dizzypigbbq.com/
No, I don't work for them, just a satisfied customer. Yes, I do
believe that they compete with their commercially availible products.

Snipped

The whole experience was horrible and I just want someone to
enlighten
me a bit. Here I my thoughts:

1. The need for gas ovens and marginal Q is driven by the fact that
there is no easy way to slow cook enough meat for thousands of
people
attending the contest.

Possibly. But the KCBS (the sanctioning body for this event) doesn't
allow the use of gas for competition.
Vendors also have rules, but they are different at each venue. Think
Health department regulations.


2. The contestants only have enough capacity to cook for judges and
their friends. (Are there other contests where the ratio of
participants to viewers is not so enormous???)

Sort of. They cook a *bunch* of meat and they do pick through and
find the best for the judges.
Their friends are put to work, washing dishes, emptying the trash,
keeping the cooksite clean, making sure that there is enough ice and
beer. You don't just eat for free. 8-)

Also (as Ed pointed out) local health department regulations say who
can and can't sell/distrubute their food to the public. That's the
way it works. Some contests allow the competitors to also vend their
foods, but they must buy a permit and pass the standards of the local
health department. And also pass a certain percentage of their gross
(vending) money intake on th the contest organizer.


3. Outside New Jersey, guys with gas ovens will be stoned to death.
True/False?

That's what I understand...EG


Also, how do they pick BBQ judges? To me this would be the second
best
job to have (next to Playboy photographer).

You join the sanctioning body (in this particular case, the KCBS),
take and pass their certification class, and get invited to judge.
Yep, judges get to eat some excellent BBQ, but there's always the
chance that you'll get those ribs that taste like Match-Light®, or the
brisket that should have been used to re-soal someone's shoes. Bloody
chicken just might creep in there, too.
It's not *all* glamour. Remember, if you eat all of every sample, you
just *might* eat a couple of pounds of meat in a 2 (or 3) hour period.
After you've filled up on chicken and ribs, you still have to be
hungry enough to fairly judge the pork butt and brisket.
It's a tough job, but *SOMEBODY* has to do it!


Thanks
RW

You're welcome,

BOB
PS. Show up on Friday night with a bunch of cold beer and talk to the
teams. Volunteer to help. You just *might* get invited back...

" BOB" wrote in message
.. .
PS. Show up on Friday night with a bunch of cold beer and talk to the
teams. Volunteer to help. You just *might* get invited back...


that is the best advice to anyone that wants to learn about comp
bbq---usually don't even need the beer!! Or ya could even become a patron
donor on our experienced team--2fat bikers bbq--don't even have to be fat or
a bikerlol

see ya

Buzz
2fat bikers bbq

"Piedmont" wrote in message
not in Columbia, SC, all contestants gave samples away, a $10 ticket got
you
all you can eat.

--
Mike Willsey (Piedmont)
The Practical Bar B Q'r at,
http://groups.msn.com/ThePracticalBarBQr/_whatsnew.msnw

Who was competing? I've seen where a group of commercial vendors have had
"contests" like that and they were all certified rigs. Maybe the laws there
are more lenient, but in most states, the typical local competition would
never be allowed to sell anything.

wrote in message
ups.com...
I drove 3 hours this weekend to see my first BBQ contest in Wildwood
NJ. Expected to eat real (slow smoked) Q and thus skipped breakfast and
lunch.
snip

Thanks
RW

Pretty much what I have seen at so called q contest, lots of propane to go
around. Some will have dual contest where they are split between propane and
briquettes/lump/wood. But there are far more so called "Pros" out there
living off propane. Perhaps thats where "Pro" comes from, pro-pane!?
On top of that, at the Columbia, SC cook off, it seemed most were doing hog
indirect, which is a sin!

--
Mike Willsey (Piedmont)
The Practical Bar B Q'r at,
http://groups.msn.com/ThePracticalBarBQr/_whatsnew.msnw

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
. ..
snip
2. The contestants only have enough capacity to cook for judges and
their friends. (Are there other contests where the ratio of
participants to viewers is not so enormous???)

Health regulations forbid selling food from un-inspected kitchens.
Probably
none would qualify with local regulations. Sometimes a contestant will
give
some samples, but then 10,000 people will line up at his setup.
snip

not in Columbia, SC, all contestants gave samples away, a $10 ticket got you
all you can eat.

--
Mike Willsey (Piedmont)
The Practical Bar B Q'r at,
http://groups.msn.com/ThePracticalBarBQr/_whatsnew.msnw