Archive for May, 2009

Buster Dog BBQ competed in the first annual Smokin in The Junction.  This was a non sanctioned contest that will try to be sanctioned next year.  30 teams showed up and 6 were turned away.  The event was setup on 5th street in Valley Junction.  I thought the contest was ran pretty well and there was a lot of foot traffic through the area.  We got there at 625am and it was a little chaotic with people going every direction.  Next year they could use a little better check in procudure,especially if they are going sanctioned.

We had a lot of people come out and stop by.  It’s always fun to have people stop by but I always feel bad cause I cant spend a lot of time with them.  I was probably short with some strangers who want to just stand and talk.  One guy started walking into my “personal space”.  I dont know how he got by the Buster Dog security force, but I had to cut him off and ask him what he was doing.  I dont like people in my kitchen that I don’t know.  Another lady stopped by and asked if the food was ready for her.  So I asked if she was a judge because that was the only way she was getting any.  I wish at these contest the organizer would have signs that say samples not available.  It’s not that I dont want to give samples, it’s the fact that I cant afford to feed the public.

As far as the food goes.  I blackened the chicken by accident and didnt feel it was acceptable for turn in.  Luckily I was testing some chicken in the FEC-100 and we used that.  It came off pretty good but the judges didnt score it in the top 10.  I thought the ribs were really good too.  But one thing about these non sanctioned contest is the time of turn ins.  The ribs were 1 1/2 hours later than normal and that caused quite few adjustments to our schedule.  We cut them too soon and I think they dried out by the time the judges tasted them.  I think the same may have happened with the pork loin.  We finished 12th overall out of 30.  Not horrible, but not as low as I wanted to finish.

Saturday at 8 am I could have gave you 800 reasons I would not even consider returning to this contest in Austin, MN.  Thankfully the awards made things better.  When I got there on Friday there was no one to greet me when I pulled in.  I found someone finally and got my spot number.  Only problem was I couldnt find it.  They spray painted the numbers on the grass which was about 6″ long and hard to read.  Took three trips to find where I was as numbers were in different sections and the original person told me the wrong area.  So I got in our spot which was nice and flat but not a lot of grass at the back and thus a lot of dirt which turned to mud after it rained Friday night.  The weather was horrible.  Some of the worst we cooked in.  It was almost 60 when I got there but wind and rain moved in and the temp dropped to upper 30’s.  I put everything under my 10×10 canapoy up agains the trailer and had some big water jugs we tied to the canapy to hold it down.  I then had side walls to put up.

By about 1am Sat the wind was gusting hard and my canopy was rockin.  I thought I was losing it.  It was cold and damp.  The good thing was the cookers just kept going and didnt care.  That’s what I liked. The canopy stayed together and the we finished well.  I keep experimenting with chicken and we finished 18th.  We finished 1st in pork and 8th in ribs.  Not so well in brisket at 40th, but 7th overall out of 71 teams.  Made the trip a lot better.

As far as the contest itself.  It has some real good potential as they got 71 teams.  It is held at the fair grounds which meant lots of electrical outlets and water, plus nice clean restrooms in a few buildings.  So the facilities are pretty good barring heaving rain. They also had Friday night wing contest and chili (which we passed on both) and a spam and desert category on Saturday (we also passed) in addition to the four regular KCBS categories.  The organizer was just the opposite.  In my opinion it was extremely disorganized.  I couldnt find my spot and no one to take me there, there was no ice for sale and no one knew where to get it. The awards which were to start at 4, started at 445 and took almost an hour.  Our 1st place pork trophy?  Looked the same as the 8th place ribs.  A little medal that says Minnesota in May.  But we did get an apron that says first place pork on it and a check for $500.  Additionally, our site (and others) were not visited by KCBS reps or volunteers.  Will I go back?  Only if Iowa has more contest cancelled last year but at this point, probably not.

Last year we did really well at this contest, finishing with three top 10’s and 7th overall.  We really thought we would have a chance to move up.  This was our first contest of the year and gave us a chance to practice a few things we picked up in the Old School/High Tech class we went to back in April.

I got to the contest and setp early.  It had been rainy all week, but the BBQ gods smiled on St. Joe and the rain moved out and sun moved in.   Then the teams started moving in.  Last year there were only two teams from Iowa.  This year there were 11.  Probably due to the cancelled contest here.  At any rate, this was turning into a prime contest.  The 2008 Jack Daniels Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion were both in attendance along with some other really heavy hitters.    That’s fine, each team has their day.

We pretty much followed the plan we set and most of the meat was good…except the ribs.  I took four racks I got from a pork supplier last year and most had what is called shiners.  Couldn’t see this through the cryovac.  A shiner is where the meat cut to close to the bone and the bone is exposed on the meat side of the rib.  Our chicken was good but had a little bit rubbery skin. The pork and the brisket I thought were also pretty good.  I had a hard time cutting the money muscle wich got a little squished.  The brisket had about a 1/2″ smoke ring which looked nice.

A few things to take away for our next contest.  I just wished the scoring would have been more consistent.  When you have a range of 4-5 from the judges it is hard to pinpoint where your problems are.  If all would have consistently graded our ribs down on tenderness, I know what to address.  But that wasnt the case.   oh, well.  BTW..In the picture below, Buster is taking on the look of Jabba the Hut.