T and BBQ Competition

THIS IS A VERY  PHOTO HEAVY POST

 

Here is my cup, with choice of beverage: flavored carbonated water for this Tuesday's post (written on Monday night) But the picture is from Friday (now this might get confusing  LOL) 

 

This last weekend was our first BBQ Competition for this season and boy was the weather HOT.  Friday, about noon we pulled my son's trailer in and started getting things set up, it was 102' (F) here that day! (thank goodness the trailer has an air conditioner)  His trailer is a toy hauler so the BBQs roll into the back of it. (a toy hauler is a RV trailer that a dune/sand buggy, quads, motorcycles and such can be hauled to designated areas in)  

 

These BBQ Competitions are a family thing for us, so there is a lot of helpers, and a lot of things that need to be done, everyone sort of knows, or finds a niche, claims it and that is what they do.  My DIL and I prepare the turn in boxes with beds of lettuce and parsley around the edges.  The meat to be judged is laid on the lettuce and made to look pretty.  We are also the runners, once the turn in boxes have the meat placed in them....just so, we take them to the judging area.....ON TIME!

The my sons do the cooking with a little help from their dad and one or two other guys in the family.  Just depends on who can make it to the competition. 

 

So the first day (usually Friday) we pull in get set up, prep the meat and add the dry rubs (this is the flavoring) we attend a cooks meeting, go back to our spot and finish up with any meat preparation that is needed. My DIL and I usually get the boxes prepared and into the coolers that night too.

The guys usually decide what meat to put on when, since it doesn't all cook the same length of time.  And some parting does take place........grin!

 

Judging day is Saturday and is quite chaotic, there are certain times that you have to turn in certain meats, and only a 10 minute window to get them there in.  The judging is all blind, they do not know who's is who's.  With 4 cuts of meat there is only 30 minutes between turn in times.  Sounds like a lot, but it slips by quicker than you think.

 

Okay now that I have most of you thoroughly confused, I'll just let you see the pictures....LOL 

This is our banner and team name

Here is our site, right after we pulled in

 

This is looking down our row of contestants (just one direction)  there were 58 groups competing this weekend

 

This is the smoker my oldest son built for these competitions, this was the first competition we used it.  He just finished it three weeks ago.  He fabricated it all himself with no blueprint to work from.

 

The black drum to the left is a 50 gallon drum cooker, that the same son had built last year, and it has seen two competitions.

Spices for the dry rubs and sauces (well, few of them anyway)

 

my DH getting with the measuring.

 

GDs are right in there with Papa Bobby, Daddy and Uncle Tony.  They want to see and learn everything!

 

My sons.  Oldest, in the tan shirt is the builder of these smokers.  Little brother (red hat) has also built a smoker, but didn't haul it up form San Diego as we have MORE that enough here.  Here they are basting the pork shoulders.  This smoker has 6 racks that slide in and out.

 

We cook 6 racks of ribs in order to have 6 perfect ribs to turn in for judging.  We sell the rest.

The quiet before the storm......time to take 5

Our team shirts, this is also the table we sell all the meat from that is not turned in for judging (which is a lot of meat)

Pulling the pork should apart, adding some homemade sauce for the pulled pork entry

always cleaning up to do all day for 2 days.  We have an out door spot for this

This year we had a celebrity stop and try out food, and he raved about it.  He is a guest on the TV show "Pawn Stars" filmed in Las Vegas.  They call him in to give them advice on antique and rare toys, and as I am writing this I CAN NOT remember his name...LOL

Sunday was my 64th birthday and we were all so pooped from the BBQ we just got things cleaned up, trailer back into storage and had a hamburger at Famous Burgers for lunch.

Almost forgot.....we didn't score as high as we hoped (can only be 1 first place....LOL)  we didn't do as well as we have in the past either.  Different area (our home town :( ) different judges and we did run into a few problems, but it is all in the learning process.  We'll get'em next time.

If you made it this far, let me know.......LOL

Happy T-day
Krisha