This past weekend I competed in my 3rd event of the year, I had plans on doing more, but the summer heat here in Texas (for those of us without campers) kind of keep you from cooking in June, July and August. The comp was sanctioned by IBCA...http://www.ibcabbq.org/index.html ...it was a benefit put on by the Cleveland, Texas Booze Fighters Chapter 58 Motorcycle Club, benefitting the Military Assistance Program with 20+ teams. In most IBCA comps, you turn in 7 ribs, 7 slices of brisket and 1 half chicken fully jointed. Those numbers change once the cookoff reaches a certain number of teams and some of their comps also include pork butts (KCBS style).
Here is my chicken turn in:
Brined from 6:00 PM Friday night, until 9:30 AM Saturday, rubbed some mixed squeeze Parkay and my rub under the skin on the thigh and breast area, sprinkled my rub lightly on the skin, then a bit heavier on the underside of the chicken. Smoked for 1 hour untouched, then brushed sauce on and put into foil pans in a butter bath with some sauce mixed in for the last hour. Pulled out of the pans with 15 minutes left before turn in, placed back on the smoker near the hot end to set the sauce, then into the box and off to turn ins. Juicy, tender and delish. Got my only call of the day in this category, getting a 10th place call. Not as high as I would like, but still a call.
Next was ribs. In the past few months since my last comp, I have been cooking ribs at least 1 weekend a month, trying to perfect or at least improve them. I felt like I have tremendously, just not in these judges eyes. No call on ribs, maybe I need to go back to a no sauce / glaze ribs like in my initial comp, I got a call there, but have yet to get one since I have been saucing. I use a modified 3-2-1 method with my ribs. 3 hours smoke, 1 1/2 hours meat side down (for some char), 1 1/2 hours meat side up, 1 1/2 hours in foil with Parkay squeeze, brown sugar, some more rub and apple juice. Check them after 1 1/2 hours, if they are not tender enough, back on for another 1/2 hour to tender, then I sauce / glaze, and back on for 30 minutes to set the glaze. Here they are:
I am still looking for a better brush (one that doesn't leave brush marks) to apply the sauce/glaze with, so this weekend I tried a mopping style, so it looks like it is gooped on, but it is really quite thin. The glaze is a mixture of Sweet Baby Rays, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. A bit of tang, some sweet and smooth. They are a hit everywhere except at the comps....??? I'll keep working...these were also some of the most curved bones I have ever ran into, I was talking to another cook, he believes it's beacuse of the way the pigs are raised, in such close quarters, that there is no room for the ribs to grow except in a curved fashion. Makes sense to me...
Last meat was brisket, and boy did I mess up. Last week our local HEB was running briskets (select grade, I know, I know big mistake for a comp) on sale for $1.29 a pound, so I picked up a couple. I cooked one last week on my smaller patio pit and it was ok, but a bit dry. So I loaded up the other one, a 13 pounder to cook at the comp. 2 different methods, 2 different weekends, 2 different pits, but the same dry brisket. Being select grade and the fact they had marked them down so low, I should have known. Just not enough marbling in the meat to keep it moist. So, after slicing, I laid the slices in some of the juices and tried to bring it back to life, but it was not enough as I did not recieve a call in brisket either. Here's a look at my turn in...get a glass of water before you look at the pic, your gonna need it...
All in all, I was happy with everything except the brisket, but as always, I would have liked to gotten more call. I did not feel too bad, another cooker next to me (he has cooked American Royal Open and Invitational, the Jack and won a number of grand championships over the years, including the last comp I cooked) only got a chicken call as well.
Here is my chicken turn in:
Brined from 6:00 PM Friday night, until 9:30 AM Saturday, rubbed some mixed squeeze Parkay and my rub under the skin on the thigh and breast area, sprinkled my rub lightly on the skin, then a bit heavier on the underside of the chicken. Smoked for 1 hour untouched, then brushed sauce on and put into foil pans in a butter bath with some sauce mixed in for the last hour. Pulled out of the pans with 15 minutes left before turn in, placed back on the smoker near the hot end to set the sauce, then into the box and off to turn ins. Juicy, tender and delish. Got my only call of the day in this category, getting a 10th place call. Not as high as I would like, but still a call.
Next was ribs. In the past few months since my last comp, I have been cooking ribs at least 1 weekend a month, trying to perfect or at least improve them. I felt like I have tremendously, just not in these judges eyes. No call on ribs, maybe I need to go back to a no sauce / glaze ribs like in my initial comp, I got a call there, but have yet to get one since I have been saucing. I use a modified 3-2-1 method with my ribs. 3 hours smoke, 1 1/2 hours meat side down (for some char), 1 1/2 hours meat side up, 1 1/2 hours in foil with Parkay squeeze, brown sugar, some more rub and apple juice. Check them after 1 1/2 hours, if they are not tender enough, back on for another 1/2 hour to tender, then I sauce / glaze, and back on for 30 minutes to set the glaze. Here they are:
I am still looking for a better brush (one that doesn't leave brush marks) to apply the sauce/glaze with, so this weekend I tried a mopping style, so it looks like it is gooped on, but it is really quite thin. The glaze is a mixture of Sweet Baby Rays, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. A bit of tang, some sweet and smooth. They are a hit everywhere except at the comps....??? I'll keep working...these were also some of the most curved bones I have ever ran into, I was talking to another cook, he believes it's beacuse of the way the pigs are raised, in such close quarters, that there is no room for the ribs to grow except in a curved fashion. Makes sense to me...
Last meat was brisket, and boy did I mess up. Last week our local HEB was running briskets (select grade, I know, I know big mistake for a comp) on sale for $1.29 a pound, so I picked up a couple. I cooked one last week on my smaller patio pit and it was ok, but a bit dry. So I loaded up the other one, a 13 pounder to cook at the comp. 2 different methods, 2 different weekends, 2 different pits, but the same dry brisket. Being select grade and the fact they had marked them down so low, I should have known. Just not enough marbling in the meat to keep it moist. So, after slicing, I laid the slices in some of the juices and tried to bring it back to life, but it was not enough as I did not recieve a call in brisket either. Here's a look at my turn in...get a glass of water before you look at the pic, your gonna need it...
All in all, I was happy with everything except the brisket, but as always, I would have liked to gotten more call. I did not feel too bad, another cooker next to me (he has cooked American Royal Open and Invitational, the Jack and won a number of grand championships over the years, including the last comp I cooked) only got a chicken call as well.
