Looking to join a Competition cooking team in the Houston area

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smokeonsmokin

Newbie
Original poster
Mar 24, 2013
3
10
La Porte TX
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I have been cooking all my life and love to do it.. I just don't have the friends who r into it like i am so I'm looking to join a team r start one.. I have my own trailer and equipment just need the help and the know how of someone who has been around r a team that needs an extra man.
 
Hey smokeonsmokin, that's a beast of a pit you got there for sure, looks like like you could cook anything that comes along and gets too close to it.

I've been cooking comps as a one man team for 8 years now, You may want to try going to some cook offs in your area and making some acquaintances with cookers, maybe get with some of the promoters at different events in your area and volunteer to do some judging, and meeting folks that are out there cooking the comps or visiting and have similar desires of getting into the competition aspesct of BBQ. Go to the Texas Gulf Coast Barbecue Cookers Assoc. website, or International Barbecue Cookers Assoc. website and look on their calendars links, and they will show all of the sanctioned cook offs that are going on around you and the dates they are happening, also the promoters or contact person's phone numbers. I would suggest again if you are wanting to see what folks are cooking at comps and seeing what they are turning in, then try volunteering to judge different catagories at the cook offs you choose to attend. This will give you an idea of what is being turned in, what the rules are for cooking/judging and what is winning.  I would suggest finding sanctioned cooks under TGCBCA and IBCA as they both are basically run by the same cooking rules and it is a double blind judging where all the cookers are competiting on a level playing field and cooking by the same rules. 

Good luck in getting into comp cooking, get ready to meet some fine folks and have some good times while doing it.
 
Thanks bad santa, I think i will try doing a little jugging it would give me an good idea on how well I can really cook. How hard is it being a one man team
 
Being a one man team is a great advantage sometimes, no one to blame if they get a lil too much in their cups and forget to put something on in time, or wander off chasing some lil cutie that batted an eyelash as she walked by. No one to blame but yourself, if all goes to hell in a handbasket. I use 1 or 2 - 10 x 10 tents that pop up pretty easily with just one person and a Honda 2000 generator that attaches to a 6 gal gas tank so it will run all weekend without being refilled in the middle of the night. My pit is a custom made 72 x 24 horizonal with 24 upright that has a folding roof that the sides raise with hydralic rams like on an SUV reardoor, and in case of heavy rains it can be adjusted down for run off, so it can be raised or lowered by one person and has plenty of storage over the pit and underneath.

I try to keep everything as simple as possible and then it's just a matter of having a time line to start your fire and cook each catagory meat and sticking to it, but allowing a lil leeway for unforseen happenings with your times. Wouldn't know what to do with another person under foot, now I've been doing it so long...main thing is to not try to entertain a bunch of folks n friends and feed them, while you are trying to compete. You can't do both...compete and entertain with a one person team... have freinds come out on Friday nights before the comp. starts because Saturday is for having your thoughts focused on the task at hand. Can always party after turn ins and at the award ceremonies. I have several friends that are just one or 2 person teams that compete all over Texas and Louisiana.

 

 
 
I too have competed in a few small competitions by myself. Won two and came in 2nd on a third. I'm retiring from the Air Force and moving to San Antonio in July. If that's close to you I might be interested in partnering up. I am so worn out after cooking all night. Wouldbe nice to share the workload and take turns napping.
 
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