2013 SMF South Florida Gathering Picture Thread

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dougmays

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
Nov 18, 2010
2,563
96
Gainesville, FL
Man what a great time!! Just looking through these pictures before posting them makes me want to go back and relive it! Going to book for next year soon:)

Hope you all enjoy, and more to come from other members that took pictures....

Getting my site set up for the weekend!


Keith (JckDanls07) all setup with his neighbor Joe (Boykjo)


Joe's Site after his long 13 hour drive from NC!


Keith getting his smokehouse set up


Joe was vital to the weekends sausage and snack stick making! Thanks Joe!



Ron (RubbinButts) enjoying the beautiful weekend weather with his wife Bonnie


Ron's 40' tent provided a great gathering location for us to stay cool while eating and other activities 


We were in luck! There was a Sonny's BBQ close to the entrance of the park so we all just kept our smokers packed up. NOT LOL!


Kieth, his wife Charlotte, Joe, and Don (OrlandoSmoKing) enjoying our first official night's bonfire



My phone's camera flash is not very good


Prepping some mushrooms, green beans and garlic for dinner


Kieth's mini WSM heating up!



Sautéed some green beans, mushrooms and garlic


Oh and steak!


Tried to get pictures of Joe's homemade sausage we had as well but the vultures swooped in! LOL



Friday began our weekend long sausage making! Don and Keith chopping up butts...how many? 100lbs worth!!!



The first victim


Ron firing up his flat top for Friday's breakfast


Ron and Keith stuffin' sticks!




mmmmmmmmm 



Joe mixing up some of his famous (AND DELICIOUS) jalepeno cheddar sausage!



Business never takes a break...also Ron really helped me out because i needed to print and sign some documents to send back to my realtor for a contract on a new house...yes we are some hi-tech rednecks 'round here!


The first sausage and sticks gettin' smoked up




Keith checking the smokehouse






First sticks are done! Sweet and Spicy



I Made up some of Jeramy's (JarJarChef) smoked cabbage recipe


Started the smoker around 9am saturday and get it pumping TBS all day long! Started out with cabbage for a lunch side dish, Ron's smoked baked beans, some ribs candy from my spare's trimmings, and i had some extra jalepenos laying around so i figured i'd smoke them up for some chipotle in adobo sauce


Ron's beans!! Delicious!



Sweet&Spicy and Jalepeno snack sticks



Rib time! Everyone got a lot quieter now and were focusing on ribs preparations! Here is Keith wish his.


Spycam on Steve (roadkill cafe) prepping his ribs


Keith cutting up his chicken for the competition and lunch



Our first 4 judges for the Chicken competition! Keith and I walked the whole park trying to find judges. Can you believe people actually turned us down!!??


Waiting for the judging and results


Smoker was getting full! Steve's smoked mac N cheese, my ribs, steve's ribs, don's ABT's, Don and My competing smoked backed beans! (in order from bottom left to right and up to the 2nd level right to left)


A Successful Saturday topped off with a fire where we all finally rested after a busy day! What a great end to an awesome weekend!


Jeramy - sorry it doesn't' seem i got any pictures of you and your wife but i'm sure others have some!
 
Looks like the Weather Gods were on your side for the weekend!

Awesome!!

Todd
 
Great weekend!

Thank you to all the sponsors and their support.

Doug you and the others who put the whole event together. You all did a great job! Thumbs Up

I will see what the wife has for pictures. I know I did not take any :th_crybaby2:
 
Looks like tons of fun. Sorry i couldn't make it.
 
WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW​

That sums it up in one word... A great time was had by all (myself more than others)... It was great to see old friends and to make new ones... I have some pictures that Don's daughters took.. haven't loaded em on the computer yet but will post some when i do... I won't be back home until next week (still on vacation and at the same campground until Wed. Then we are heading down to Homestead for the Nascar race....

I want to put a BIG THANK YOU out to the sponsors that sent product... what a great thing y'all do... so thanks again...

So until I get home see y'all soon
 
Looked at wife's phone. Yes she took pictures and I will put them up tomorrow. They are a little bias, so you are warned......
 
I really need to give a shout out to Joe (Boykjo) here... This guy will give you the shirt off his back (as evident with others he helped out)... When he was packing to leave, he walked over and handed me his 5lb stuffer... saying, "Here you can have this, I never use it anyways as I have a 30lb electric.. plus I am going to get the 11lb'r after using Ron's (rubbinbutts) "... So Joe, thanks Bub.. I owe you one and will pay back some how at the N FL Gathering....

Jeff is the one that needs the most thanks.. he's the one responsible for these awesome gatherings... If it wasn't for him starting this forum we would have never come together and done this..... "THANKS JEFF"

Sponsors of the forums... Thanks you guys for the product you sent... It will all be put to good use... It makes the comps. all the more competitive to know we will win your awesome products....

Doug... "YOUR THE MAN" ... If it wasn't for you and Al (SmokinAl) putting together the first gathering for S. FL... we would all have been sitting home twiddling our thumbs... thanks bro....

so here's a few more pics to make y'all drool and wish you could/would have been here....

Here's the SMF Crew


the clean up crew looking for anything that fell

(Don's)


Ours


Jeremy's


The judges enjoying some awesome ribs (all but mine, they sucked)


Rib winner... Jeremy, receiving the awesome products from sponsors (he also won chicken, but I don't have a pic of that, sorry)


Special dish table (submitted for comp)... Cheese cake, 2 baked beans, no boil mac and cheese, broccoli salad and shrimp ? (help out here Jeremy)


Ron's winning special dish... Cheesecake


Ron accepting more of the sponsors products


my wife (Charlotte) and her best friend and husband... She had no idea I invited them over.. surprised the hell out of her (thanks for coming Mavis and Trevor)


that"s about it for my pics....

oh waittttttttttttt... I do have one more....

this is the 3rd batch of sticks out of the smokehouse that we did on Sunday... everybody pretty much left except Don, Joe, and myself


I can honestly say... we pretty much got our wish on making mostly snack sticks.... As Doug said... we really did wish the gathering wouldn't have ended so soon.... so those that couldn't get reservations for this years gathering, make sure you get your reservations in early for next year....

WHAT A BLAST WE ALL HAD.... from what I remember of it (the shine was flowing and it was good) :biggrin:
 
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Weather was GREAT!!!! 

So here are the pictures I took from wife's phone.They tend to be a little bias on subject matter....

My little helper ready to go.


Working on the cucumber for the escabeche for the "Something Special" entry.

Recipe for those interested http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/127617/shrimp-escabeche-w-pic


Smoked them hot and fast instead of poaching.


Our view of the compound.


Our guard dog. Even if she just saw you, for some reason she would greet you with a bark......


Chicken was working.


Getting the ribs ready for a short nap before the cooker.



Choosing which pieces to present to judges.


Waiting till turn in.


She likes the shade....


Our chicken panel of judges.

The couple on the left was very serious about their job and eating!


Keith being a good host!


Doug and Steve counting the votes.


Our judges did a great job of cleaning their plates!!


I was shocked to win after all the talk the night before.


Thank you to Jeff (book) and Todd 96" tube smoker and pellets) for the loot.


My little buddy looking for her share of the loot!!!



A little TBS flowing. Next time will have to remember the charcoal basket. Was a bit of a battle at times.


Some of the amazing weather!!


Right where i want them. Now to wrap.



I used a modified version of Trigg's wrap sauce.


Not so secret addition, a bit of apple sauce. Who does not like pork chops and apple sauce???


We had a bit of down time. Lets say I cook better than I play Corn Hole....... Steve and I were no competition for Ron and Kieth..... I think it was 21 to 4...... I will stick to cooking!!!



A bit of final glaze.....



My shrimp... if you look at the temp on the therm that is what it was in the sun..... 88 is not bad....


Frying the tostones



I final check to make sure we were all set.


Our judges for the Ribs and Side dishes. The couple from earlier actually offered to pay to be judges again. They brought their kids and it was very cool watching them explain and talk through each item.



Time to go for now. Until next year........


We had an amazing time!! Can't wait for the next one.
 
get ya some practice so when we beat ya next year it won't be so bad...
biggrin.gif
gotta build me a board and start practicing! 
 
Doug, great job again. We surely enjoyed the weekend, and seeing everyone again.

Also enjoyed meeting new friends.

Joe, you are the best. Your certainly a wealth of knowledge when it comes to sausage making Your kindness and generosity towards others is second to none.

Keith, great job on the smokehouse, hope you enjoy the races. Get good use of that Pecan.

Don, Steve, and Jeramy, it was great meeting you and putting a face to a name.

We are already looking forward to next year, and are planning for the North Florida Gathering in the spring.
 
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