SAM'S CLUB RENO

It was another great weekend of barbeque competition. It is early in the season but we have three competitions under our belt already. This contest brought us to Reno, Nevada. Sam's Club hosts a national bbq tour across the country. This was a qualifying match to become eligible for the next round of contests. Thirty teams competed this sunny bright weekend.

The contest was held in the parking lot of Sam's Club. This was strictly a bbq contest. The public was not allowed to purchase barbeque at this event. They did have a demonstration of cooking and gave out some samples. There were no distractions except for some wind to keep these serious cookers focused.

Yours truly did not actually judge this contest. I had the responsibility of being a Table Captain. My job was to gather the entries and present them to the judges. I got a first hand lesson in the inner workings of the contest. The cookers turn in their meat entries in a Styrofoam containers with their team number. The team number is changed and then given to me. ( The number changing is to insure the judging is blind.) I then have to make sure that my table does not judge the same team twice. It was serious business but a lot of fun.

The Grand Champion was 'Team America' and 'Big B's Down -N- Dirty Bbq' took Reserve. The top 6 teams overall will move on to the next round in Las Vegas. It was another great bbq weekend.

4th ANNUAL SANTA ANITA WINNERS’ CIRCLE BBQ CHAMPIONSHIP

One hundred barbeque teams set a California record for largest bbq competition at the iconic and historic Santa Anita Racetrack this weekend. This huge gathering of bbq racers were set up right in the middle grounds of the race track. We would like to share a couple of images with you trying to capture this magical event. I emphasize magical because a feeling of excitement permeated our barbeque saturated pores. The horses racing around the track several feet away, the roar of the crowd, the smells and some of the best bbq in the nation created a event to be remembered. “And they’re off”

We arrived Friday afternoon. This was our first visit to this historic racetrack. Let’s just say it is huge. Santa Anita Racetrack is a step back into time with its splendor and beautiful backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains. This is the home of the famous racing horse Sea Biscuit and the playing grounds of numerous old time movie stars. Barbeque competitors were the stars today.

We could have valet parked the Racing Honda at the “Turf Club’ but we opted to self park today. We had to circle to the far end of the track to have access to the infield. There was a tunnel that went underneath the race track to the infield. Some of the larger bbq rigs had to wait for before and after the races when they built a temporary driving bridge across the track. The interior of the race track had almost enough room to hold the 100 competitors.

There was just this special feeling walking the grounds. Horses and jockeys ran the track practicing for the main race. The competitors were prepping for the four meats they were about to cook. The competitors were situated on comfortable grassy confines. They were also instructed to keep the noise down to not spook the horses on the nearby track. We could not wait till the main event.

It is Saturday morning and we attend the judges meeting. We were situated in a comfortable tent that also had a soft grass floor. With a hundred teams we had enough judges to match. The KCBS representatives did a great job handling such a crowd. We sampled and judged some of the best bbq ever.

There was a huge crowd at this event. Not only was the public able to purchase this great bbq to eat they were able to bet on the horses. There was a band to entertain, food demonstrations by TV. Celebrities and even a play area for the kids made for non-stop entertainment. What I found really exciting was race time. You could hear the roar of the crowd from the grandstands. The horses would race by and you could hear and feel the excitement.

The winners were picked and it was awards time. It had been a long day. The horse races had stopped. The teams gathered for the announcements. Congratulations to ‘Knock Ur Socks Off for Reserve Grand Champion and Smoking Mo’s BBQ the Grand Champions. What a wonderful weekend.

6th ANNUAL LAKE HAVASU MUSIC BREWS & BBQ CHAMPIONSHIP

Our first bbq competition of the year was the; ‘6th Annual Lake Havasu Music Brews & Bbq Championship’.  It was held in the retirement/spring break community of Lake Havasu Arizona who also boasts being the home of the ‘London Bridge’ I can personally vouch that the London Bridge is not falling down. Lake Havasu is 600 miles away and Ms. Goofy made the journey in less than 9 hours. She drove so fast we actually gained an hour or maybe that was because of the time zone difference. It was a fast and furious weekend and we would like to share some images with you.

 

This was a big contest with eighty two teams participating. The competitors came from as far away as Florida. (Swamp Boys). The teams started to roll in as early as Thursday. The venue was located right on the edge of the lake. The weather could not have been nicer with temperatures breaking into the 70’s. A little wind did pick up on Saturday but we enjoyed the beautiful climate.

We had a full schedule of judging duties. Friday, several warm up competitions were held. Spicy, red, green, no beans, beans, and more chili’s were created for competition. The public participated in the judging by sampling and selecting there favorite. A bbq sauce competition followed. This category was very difficult to judge because we sampled it naked (not us, but with out food). They were all so good. One of my favorite categories is “Anything Butt”. This category the competitors try to impress the judges with any food item that is not included in the four meat categories to be judged tomorrow. Some lucky judges were treated to a lobster dish entry. Last but not least a kid’s competition was judged. Future bbq warriors submitted some very high quality bbq. This just whetted our appetite for the competition tomorrow.

It is Saturday and time to judge the four meat categories of chicken, ribs, pork and brisket. We sampled and scored some of the best bbq in the nation. It is unbelievable how fabulous some of these entries are. My fingers got tired of writing the number 9 which is the highest score given. Some judges including myself got the privilege to judge a dessert category. Cheesecake, bacon topped cupcakes, tiramisu, cakes, pies and so much more were offered today. I really needed to take a nap but now it was time to mingle with the crowd and visit the teams.

It was a festive time for the public. There was plenty of food and music to be experienced. There was a section for craft vendors that was popular. One vendor was selling pepper jelly that was out of this world yummy. Several people wore costumes to create a festive atmosphere. The fellow wearing the barrel was almost as crazy as he looked. A great time was had by all.

We had the difficult task of picking the winners. Congratulations to “Knock Ur Sox Off Bbq for winning Grand Champion and ‘Big Poppa Smokers’ for winning Reserve Grand Champion. This was our first contest of the year. It was the perfect warm up to get us excited about the contests to come. Good times!

NORTH HOT STATE BBQ CHAMPIONSHIP

It was so hot that; (insert punchline here) Oh boy, was it a scorcher for the third round of the North State BBQ Championship. The temperature was attempting to break the century mark yesterday. If you could find shade it was prudent to stay put. The judges tent was open aired and we had a very large fan but it was still a challenge. We acclimated the best we could and were rewarded with some great bbq to sample and score. Chicken, Tri-tip and pork ribs was on the menu today.

This 'Klose' smoker rig definitely caught my attention. This is the Cadillac of 'stick burners. A stick burner is a bbq rig that is fueled by wood. This may be bbq in its purest form. You may notice how small and insignificant the Big Green Egg looks next to this beautiful smoker.(I apologize if I offended any BGE fans). Someday, maybe, I can dream you know, I may own a Klose.

It is always a blast to hang out with the bbq family. Great food and friends make for a wonderful weekend.  Gina and Jack of 'Big Shot' bbq was crowned Grand Champions of this contest.. Gina is not only a great bbq competitor but is also a champion chili competitor. This image  she is sharing some of her award winning chili.

We have a week to re hydrate and prepare for the next bbq competition. It is a tough job but that is the way we roll. What fun!!!!!!!!!

OAKLAND ART & SOUL FESTIVAL

We are in downtown Oakland for the "Art & Soul Festival'. Two days of music, crafts and good eats was the goal of this festival.. Saturday two separate bbq contests were held amongst the towering skyscrapers of this colorful metropolis. The heavy hitters, the Pro division cooked the four meats; chicken, ribs, pork shoulder and brisket. The 'Backyard Division cooked tri-tip, ribs, and chicken. We are present with our shiny judges badges ready to serve and protect the integrity of good bbq.

 There was an auxiliary category of desserts that both divisions were eligible to compete. Ms. Goofy drew the lucky straw and won a chair to judge the dessert division. I got the short straw and had the duty of Table Captain. The Table Captain presents the desserts to the judges and compiles the scores. The Captain does not taste the entries unless there are extras. I only got to drool at cheesecake (1st place with an 180 score), pecan pie, pineapple upside down cake, etc., and even chocolate covered bacon.

After our judging duties we strolled the grounds and enjoyed the sites. We caught up and visited with our competitor friends. Harry Soo, a celebrity pit master was in the house today. He is selling his new line of bbq rubs and was enthusiastic to promote them.

The Oakland Art & Soul Festival was an event Oakland can be proud of. We witnessed a lot of happy event goers. We could see their smiles under the bbq sauce covered faces. Our faces had smidgens of bbq sauce too. Ms. Goofy's grin might of been the biggest after eating all those desserts.

WINE COUNTRY BIG Q

The competitive bbq season is in full swing. This Saturday a very popular contest called "Wine Country Big Q' was held in Santa Rosa (actually Rohnert Park but Santa Rosa has more wine 'Creds"). The popularity of the event is because of the unique showcasing of local wines with barbeque. This brought out bbq enthusiasts and oenophiles alike. I personally looked forward to the bacon themed desserts that have been offered at this event in the past. Oh, and not to mention we were there to judge bbq. We would like to share a couple of images with you.

A new competitive bbq team has just entered the barbeque arena. They are enthusiastic and have a great eye catching logo. The name of their team is the 'Flaming Moe's.' For those of you who have never watched the 'Simpsons', Moe was the bartender at 'Moe's Tavern'. 'The F'laming Moe' was a hilarious episode and the song can be heard here.

I did find my bacon treats. Rob Z of 'Beaver Creek' was vending Twinkies with a maple and bacon topping. They were delicious and was the perfect dessert after judging some great bbq. We always have room after judging 6 meat categories that included chicken, ribs, pork shoulder, birsket, lamb and a new steak called 'Velvet Steak'. Velvet steak was a term used to disguise the real name of 'Heel of the Round'. This was a challenge for the cooks because this cut has no fat and can be tough.

What a wonderful day. Two of our friends took Grand and Reserve Championships. Richard and Michele Holquin of 'Cecils Smok'n  BBQ' were Grand Champions and Bill and Yvonne Sousa of 'Big B's Down & Dirty BBQ' Reserve Champions. What a great day. I cannot wait till next weekend when we can do it all over again.