Will Entitlement kill competition BBQ?

[tduffy]

How many good cooks do you know, that would drive 5 hours to roll the dice on meat they didn't select themselves?

I'm not a good cook, but if everyone is cooking the same meat, count me in! I'll be the first to sign up. Actually I could probably do more contests in a year if they were meat included and in the entry fee. I'd be all about a contest where everyone gets 16 of the same brand chicken thighs, 4 racks of the same brand ribs, 2 pork butts and a CAB brisket.

Everyone on a level playing field. Sounds too good to be true!

 

[Untraceable]

I'm not a good cook, but if everyone is cooking the same meat, count me in! I'll be the first to sign up. Actually I could probably do more contests in a year if they were meat included and in the entry fee. I'd be all about a contest where everyone gets 16 of the same brand chicken thighs, 4 racks of the same brand ribs, 2 pork butts and a CAB brisket.

Everyone on a level playing field. Sounds too good to be true!

Its good in theory. Ive done a couple rib contests where they provided the meat and it was garbage. I feel one advantage that a cook gets with experience is just selecting better meat. Even in dealing with commodity meats, selection is a huge factor in success. Im guessing your paying for it one way or another

KOS Im guessing is a little different where your getting high end meats hand selected.

 

[rob g]

Sounds like a completely new sanctioning organization to me. If it could get off the ground i believe a lot of the new teams would be with it rather than KCBS, just from a cost perspective and from it being fair across the board.

Our amateur competitions are run like that up here. The teams pay their $50 and get 2 racks of ribs and 2 whole chickens. Everybody gets the same meat. It is not unknown to get frozen ribs on occasion or side ribs when you are expecting baby backs. Everybody takes it in stride and tries to turn in the best product they can.

 

[big brother smoke]

How many good cooks do you know, that would drive 5 hours to roll the dice on meat they didn't select themselves?

It has been done :becky:

 

[ThomEmery]

I'd suspect that Sterling makes sure that nobody gets screwed with the 9 1/2 lb packer that got lobbed into a case to even out the weight with the two monsters already in there that have 2" thick flats. Jorge


The BPS crew did a outstanding job on the meat
It really was kinda fun drawing a numbered ping pong ball
To get your meat box I hope to cook the contest again in 2015

 

[Jorge]

I get it. Sterling does a great job, and takes care of the teams. How many of the other organizers out there will show the same care? It's a great concept for a small event, but applying it across the board is a different animal.

 

[THoey1963]

It actually sounds like a cool concept. If there were one locally, I might think about it.

 

[Ribeye Republic]

I regularly drive 5+ hours for a steak cook. There are starting to be a lot of good bbq cooks show up at steak comps. It is a lot of fun and the meat is usually pretty damn good. Hell, I'm driving from OK to Nashville to cook in a steak comp at the National BBQ convention in March. Give it a try. Go visit the SCA website. The guys that run it are top notch BBQ guys and run a very good program.

 

[jaestar]

I think bbq competitions are at a cross roads. One path is a decline and it going back to what is was 10 year ago, but there is a huge opportunity to grow competiton bbq beyond what it has the last few years.

There needs to be a way of getting the general public envolved and attending bbq contests. That will generate more revenue for the organizer, provide more prize money for competitors and help bring in larger sponsorship.

Sterling does a great job with the KOS. He keeps the crowds away until turn-ins are done and then opens it up to the public. Having good bbq (I believe OBR cooked it last year) that spectators can actually eat and the cooking demos provide the crowds with a reason to come. The days of a local cover band and beer garden attracting crowds are over.

The next big hurdle that KCBS has is how to get more teams into competition BBQ. I had suggested to a board members a concept I have been working on of having some sort of Getting Started in Competition BBQ class for people interested in competing. I know there are many cooks that would be willing to help teach this class, especially if there was a model developed the covers what topics to go over. The class would not be anything close to a tell all class that you pay $750 for, but more of a what to expect, what do I need and how do I move forward in trying competion BBQ. I know quite a few people that have never tried a contest because they are intimidated by doing one. There needs to be away to recruit more teams into competing. To date, I have not heard back from KCBS and am working on doing something on my own this spring.

 

[Scottie]

what he said.. :clap2:... I don't spend $1k to hang out with friends, because I could do that for next to nothing. (I reckon I could rent a friend or two for that kind of money)

A friend? Where do you think I get my girlfriends from? Damn, if I wipe 5 contests off the board, I would be a happy fellow.:shock:

 

[hedge]

I think bbq competitions are at a cross roads. One path is a decline and it going back to what is was 10 year ago, but there is a huge opportunity to grow competiton bbq beyond what it has the last few years.

There needs to be a way of getting the general public envolved and attending bbq contests. That will generate more revenue for the organizer, provide more prize money for competitors and help bring in larger sponsorship.

Sterling does a great job with the KOS. He keeps the crowds away until turn-ins are done and then opens it up to the public. Having good bbq (I believe OBR cooked it last year) that spectators can actually eat and the cooking demos provide the crowds with a reason to come. The days of a local cover band and beer garden attracting crowds are over.

The next big hurdle that KCBS has is how to get more teams into competition BBQ. I had suggested to a board members a concept I have been working on of having some sort of Getting Started in Competition BBQ class for people interested in competing. I know there are many cooks that would be willing to help teach this class, especially if there was a model developed the covers what topics to go over. The class would not be anything close to a tell all class that you pay $750 for, but more of a what to expect, what do I need and how do I move forward in trying competion BBQ. I know quite a few people that have never tried a contest because they are intimidated by doing one. There needs to be away to recruit more teams into competing. To date, I have not heard back from KCBS and am working on doing something on my own this spring.

Awesome idea. Keep us posted

 

[columbia1]

The PNWBA has already done that, we normally schedule a cooking class with all of our judging classes. We have our normal cooks, cook for the judging class, and then afterwards we have the students do a "turn-in" of what they cooked to the newly trained judges.(we even give out awards to the new cooks)

 

[TooSaucedToPork]

MBN has held held "bootcamps" for teams for the last 2 years. Veteran teams teach and advise less experienced MBN teams on the ins and outs of the Challenger series contest. Judges judge the teams food in front of them, give comments and critiques, and it is a really cool learning experience.

 

[jaestar]

The guys from Smokehouse 72 do the Frostbuster up here that is a practice comp judged by CBJs and they get 15 minutes with the judges to ask questions.

The class I was thinking of would not emphasis cooking, but more of the logistics, rules and expextations of a competition. Below are some of the topics I thought would be relevant to someone wanting to learn how to do a competition.

Topics:
Introduction to competition bbq
Rules
Equipment
Site set-up
Safe food handling/practices
What do judges look for
Time lines
Supply lists
Box presentation
Contest preparation

 

[hedge]

The guys from Smokehouse 72 do the Frostbuster up here that is a practice comp judged by CBJs and they get 15 minutes with the judges to ask questions.

I heard from someone who has done the contest in the past that it will not be happening next year unless they find a new venue.

 

[DMDon]

I'm not a good cook, but if everyone is cooking the same meat, count me in! I'll be the first to sign up. Actually I could probably do more contests in a year if they were meat included and in the entry fee. I'd be all about a contest where everyone gets 16 of the same brand chicken thighs, 4 racks of the same brand ribs, 2 pork butts and a CAB brisket.

Everyone on a level playing field. Sounds too good to be true!

IMO every team cooking xyz brand meat does not level the playing field as much as it sounds. The teams that consistently finish near the top, would continue to do so. I have seen that it's not the pit, type of fuel, rub, injection, meat, etc as much as it is the amount of time spent practicing and cooking contests that make the most difference. When we cooked more contests, we held our own using club butts, ribs, and grocery store chicken. People will still come up with reasons why they didn't finish as well as they think they should. Ex.How can they be competitive cooking on grills when others as using jambos? Why not make all teams use the same cookers, fuel,rubs, sauce etc. If a contest goes this route, I doubt they are going draw more "experienced/bigger name/more competitive" teams. It would be tough to find teams willing to invest the time and money and give up any competitive advantage they feel they have with using their own meat. And if a contest is not drawing these teams, its probably going to have a tough time generating sponsorship and public appeal. Running a contest off of entry fees alone has got to be very difficult to pull off. Granted, there will be exceptions to make everything I just said a bunch of hot air. It's maybe a good idea to attract newer/less experienced/more social then competitive teams. I see a tough balancing act for comps to provide meat and keep entries fees low and payouts high enough to keep teams coming back. Undoubtedly, they will need to provide value added extras that don't have much cost to them. No doubt it can be done, but it would take an exceptional group to make it work. Just my opinion.

 

[Fat Freddy]

IMO every team cooking xyz brand meat does not level the playing field as much as it sounds. The teams that consistently finish near the top, would continue to do so. I have seen that it's not the pit, type of fuel, rub, injection, meat, etc as much as it is the amount of time spent practicing and cooking contests that make the most difference. When we cooked more contests, we held our own using club butts, ribs, and grocery store chicken. People will still come up with reasons why they didn't finish as well as they think they should. Ex.How can they be competitive cooking on grills when others as using jambos? Why not make all teams use the same cookers, fuel,rubs, sauce etc. If a contest goes this route, I doubt they are going draw more "experienced/bigger name/more competitive" teams. It would be tough to find teams willing to invest the time and money and give up any competitive advantage they feel they have with using their own meat. And if a contest is not drawing these teams, its probably going to have a tough time generating sponsorship and public appeal. Running a contest off of entry fees alone has got to be very difficult to pull off. Granted, there will be exceptions to make everything I just said a bunch of hot air. It's maybe a good idea to attract newer/less experienced/more social then competitive teams. I see a tough balancing act for comps to provide meat and keep entries fees low and payouts high enough to keep teams coming back. Undoubtedly, they will need to provide value added extras that don't have much cost to them. No doubt it can be done, but it would take an exceptional group to make it work. Just my opinion.

I understand where you are coming from Don, but I dont completely agree with you on this. Without some of the smaller teams then many of these contests wont get the required number of teams to make them qualifiers and then the big teams wont come anyways. And from everything I have seen and heard the biggest reason some of these smaller teams dont do more contests is the "specialized" expensive meat ie. Wagyu. Whether that is right or not that is what is perceived by reading bbq forums, facebook, bbq radio shows, bbq tv shows etc....and using myself as an example it is not like I can drive a few blocks to get quality meat. The only briskets I can get within an hour and a half's drive is Walmart briskets, and while there is nothing wrong with them I am at a disadvantage unless I absolutely nail it. And then even if picking Sam's to get meat the closest Sam's to me, Sioux City, does not carry primes and can not get them( I have asked) so realistically I have to drive 2 1/2 hours to Des Moines to get good quality primes. So adding just the general cost of beef and then the gas costs it almost makes it the same price per brisket as a wagyu and that is something I cant afford for 10 or more contests. So this year I did less contests.

So I guess in my longwinded way of saying things I absolutely love the idea of everyone cooking the same kinda of meat and would be willing to pay a bit more for a contest like that.

quick side note though did a back to back contest in Marshalltown earlier this month and day 1 did a wagyu and had my rear end handed to me. Day 2 I did a nice looking Wally world brisket and got a 10th place call in brisket and our first RGC so maybe I am completely off base with what I am saying.

 

[Untraceable]

I heard from someone who has done the contest in the past that it will not be happening next year unless they find a new venue.

Not exactly. the idea was they if they did it again, they would like to try bringing the concept to a different location ie MN, WI, wherever.

BBQ Mayor might chime in

 

[bbq.tom]

quick side note though did a back to back contest in Marshalltown earlier this month and day 1 did a wagyu and had my rear end handed to me. Day 2 I did a nice looking Wally world brisket and got a 10th place call in brisket and our first RGC so maybe I am completely off base with what I am saying.

Maybe...

I was at a contest last month where a team accidentally left their Waygu at home and stopped by a WalMart and picked up whatever they could get. Scored a 180 in brisket!!!

 

[DMDon]

Hey Freddy, congrats on the RGC! I agree it takes all kinds of teams to make sure a contest is a qualifier. Flip things upside down. For example Sloan(if it was a 2nd year event) and Marshalltown, if the had everyone cook the same meat. Do they get enough of the "big" teams to make a qualifer? Sloan and M ' town day 1, maybe. M ' town day 2, no way. Regarding costs. We started cooking with all Sam's meats and got some calls. Someone asked me why I was spending $x per contest with so so results. When spending extra for the specialized will help improve results. Don't look at it like, how can I afford to spend extra for for each contest, instead try the approach, how can I not afford to spend the extra to increase my chances for better scoring. Here is what I found. Instead of stretching my budget to cook as many as possible, I used the same $ amount, spent more on extras and cooked fewer. We started seeing an immediate better results and started recouping some expenses thought prize money. With this house money we added more contests and stayed in budget. Fun and socializing are great, but winning sometimes, doesn't suck either. No matter how great the meat is, it still takes practice to make it work. Which kind of takes me to one last thing. I am not surprised when I hear/read about someone who tried a better piece of meat(wagyu, yak, compart, etc) against what they normally cook and the normal piece turns out to be a better finished product. Meat is not the same and it there is going to be some learning curve that that can only be learned by cooking that meat numerous times. Don't let one. Best of luck with your future comps. Don