My first competition this weekend

[Big Grouch]

October 8, Ottawa Illinois, Smoketoberfest. Backyard cooks only, no pros. If it doesn't fit in my Honda Civic, it's not coming. Ribs, chicken and pork butt catagories, but I only have my 18.5 Smokey Mountain so I only entered ribs. They supply them, baby backs. I'm just doing my usual method, read up on how to do a presentation box. Only twenty competitors, I'll let you know how we do. Team is just my girlfriend and myself, Sandpiper Supper Club is the fake restaurant we pretend to be when entertaining the neighbors, so that's the team name.

 

[jaxgatorz]

good luck !!

 

[gmc2003]

Best of luck in the comp., and it sounds like you need to buy a bigger car. LOL

Chris

 

[Big Grouch]

good luck !!

Thank you. I've made lots of ribs for the neighborhood, everyone seems to like them. Or possibly just free food. When wrapping the ribs I've started using ghee instead of squeeze Parkay, as well as flavored honey and brown sugar. In a practice taste test the ghee got rave reviews.

 

[tbern]

Best of luck and have fun!!

 

[Hijack73]

Have a blast and good luck!

Ghee sounds kinda delicious on top of pork fat. I used to eat Parkay but either they changed something or I changed about 20 years ago. It tastes like chemicals to me now, and not good chemicals. I switched to Country Crock for margarine (all I ever really used margarine for was toast) and it wasn't long before it started tasting like floor cleaner. Now it's just butter.

 

[pit 4 brains]

Sharp knife for a clean cut and 1/3 stacking will work. Fresh green lettuce under the ribs
will make the color stand out. Judging goes by eyes, nose, texture and taste in that order.
Good luck in the comp. They are mostly about friends and fun but you have to bring your homework to show and smell..
Let's see some hardware..

 

[Big Grouch]

Sharp knife for a clean cut and 1/3 stacking will work. Fresh green lettuce under the ribs
will make the color stand out. Judging goes by eyes, nose, texture and taste in that order.
Good luck in the comp. They are mostly about friends and fun but you have to bring your homework to show and smell..
Let's see some hardware..

I have a knockoff Tormek sharpener, all my knives are razor sharp. Bringing most of my knife roll, and a steel. I watched videos of rolling up romaine lettuce in plastic wrap, like a cigar, then slicing it for rolls to unwrap in the box. The judges are not KCBS, one of them is a local radio personality. It's also the first time the community is doing this, so I like my chances against other actual amateurs.

 

[pit 4 brains]

The judges are not KCBS, one of them is a local radio personality. It's also the first time the community is doing this, so I like my chances against other actual amateurs.

Show them how it's done!
If there's a People's Choice category, be sure to make plenty extra for that. The last thing you want in a PC is an empty tray.. until the end of course.

 

[radioguy]

Here's something that I do. Cut those ribs nice and square use the best ones from your best looking racks. Dust the edge of each with a small amount of your rub.

Good luck

RG

 

[Big Grouch]

Here's something that I do. Cut those ribs nice and square use the best ones from your best looking racks. Dust the edge of each with a small amount of your rub.

Good luck

RG

Thank you. I watched a video by a guy who won Memphis In May, I was surprised by how much dry rub he used, and kept adding more during the cook. He used a thumb grinder. I'm using Killer Hogs Hot Rub, trying to be careful not to go to heavy. My test group (family and neighbors) liked it the best.

 

[checkdude]

Best of luck!

 

[chilerelleno]

Here's to hoping it all goes smoothly and you knock down a win on the ribs.

 

[fltsfshr]

Good Luck!!

 

[Big Grouch]

We got ninth place out of 20, I'm happy with that. I should have got them off maybe 15 minutes sooner. Plus when I did a practice run I used 4 different runs to decide what to use. Our family loves heat, Killer Hogs Hot run won. Some of the judges were children, maybe too much spice. I'm proud of how we did.

 

[tbern]

Sounds like you did very well, congrats!!

 

[pit 4 brains]

Great job!
Taking Q down the road to an off-site comp is hard enough, let alone only presenting ribs.
If you wind up in this again, do a very small pork butt to turn in. Chicken is another story..
Again, congrats on tossing your hat in the ring and getting good results. Now you're experienced and know what to do better on the next one.

 

[adam15]

Congrats!

 

[checkdude]

Congratulations! Great effort I'm sure. It'll only get better I'm convinced.

 

[meatallica]

Congrats BG!! Sandpiper Supper Club sounds REAL to me. Got a top 10 to prove it! We all have fun with it.. my girlfriend and I call ourselves Possum Park BBQ, when we entertain friends and family. We had half dozen shirts made up too. I even had to pay a copyright fee just to use the dead possum.