- Apr 19, 2018
- 12
- 45
Competed in my 1st ever competition this past weekend at the Almost Heaven BBQ Bash in Weston, WV. I competed in the backyard competition as well as the Peoples Choice pulled pork and the Chicken Wing contest.
For my first time competing, I honestly felt pretty good. I did not forget to pack anything, our setup was great, and I was proud of the meats I turned in considering I was using a smoker I had very little experience on. (Sling-n-Steel Gameday)
Pulled Pork - No clue where we finished as they only announced the winner, but I hit my temps and flavor profile perfect and could not have been more proud of the product we submitted.
Chicken - I submitted thighs, and I knew going into this that they would be my weekness since I have only done them twice before. While they looked amazing, the skin was not bite through and they were a bit dry. I placed 10/14 on these. I did gain great feedback from the judges though, so that is valuable.
Ribs - Felt very good about these. I did overcook them a tad and that was noted from the judges, but they seemed to enjoy the flavor profile. I just need to tweak it a bit to get a bit more pop on the front end. I placed 7/14 and missed getting a call by .02 points.
Chicken Wings - Honestly, I didn't feel good about these at all. the charcoal was a bit too hot when I went to finish them and they got a lot darker than I would have liked. The flavor was spot on for how I prepare them though. This competition was open and backyard competed against the pro teams. I placed 2/22 teams and missed 1st place by 1.1 points! I am still smiling over this.
Overall we had a fantastic and fun weekend and met some awesome people. We had 6 family members hang out with us all weekend which made it really enjoyable. To say I am hooked to the world of BBQ Competing is an understatement. Both myself and my wife had a blast and made a great team together.
For my first time competing, I honestly felt pretty good. I did not forget to pack anything, our setup was great, and I was proud of the meats I turned in considering I was using a smoker I had very little experience on. (Sling-n-Steel Gameday)
Pulled Pork - No clue where we finished as they only announced the winner, but I hit my temps and flavor profile perfect and could not have been more proud of the product we submitted.
Chicken - I submitted thighs, and I knew going into this that they would be my weekness since I have only done them twice before. While they looked amazing, the skin was not bite through and they were a bit dry. I placed 10/14 on these. I did gain great feedback from the judges though, so that is valuable.
Ribs - Felt very good about these. I did overcook them a tad and that was noted from the judges, but they seemed to enjoy the flavor profile. I just need to tweak it a bit to get a bit more pop on the front end. I placed 7/14 and missed getting a call by .02 points.
Chicken Wings - Honestly, I didn't feel good about these at all. the charcoal was a bit too hot when I went to finish them and they got a lot darker than I would have liked. The flavor was spot on for how I prepare them though. This competition was open and backyard competed against the pro teams. I placed 2/22 teams and missed 1st place by 1.1 points! I am still smiling over this.
Overall we had a fantastic and fun weekend and met some awesome people. We had 6 family members hang out with us all weekend which made it really enjoyable. To say I am hooked to the world of BBQ Competing is an understatement. Both myself and my wife had a blast and made a great team together.
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