[ronbeaux]

So we are on year number 4 and have 'walked' a good number of times to the stage in the top ten. It is to us, like killing three birds with one rock, we get to camp out, compete, and get to enjoy the entertainment. This is what we like to do. My wife and I. This year, if you guys agree, I would like to try and put into words what we do for fun.

I'll start with the planning part. Where are we going to go this year, and most important. Why?

Our first is in Gonzalas Louisiana and I really want to get off to a good start. There are some really good pit masters here and the sport(I say sport because it is grueling to say the least) has really grown in the last few years. We went from only three competitions to 15 for this year!

Gonzalas is a State Championship and a draw for the 'Jack Daniels National.' I really want to make it to this comp. I have come sooo close.

So step one. Drag out the notes and start practicing. If it were not for family and neighbors there would be no way I could cook all this food!

RonbeauxQ

[Marlene]

Awesome. I'm looking forward to following along!

[crazeecat5]

Marlene, on 10 January 2010 - 08:51 PM, said:

Awesome. I'm looking forward to following along!

Me too. How exciting!
Sheryl

[Matthew Kayahara]

Me three! It sounds like fun, even if it is a lot of hard work.

[ronbeaux]

OK. So I checked the IBCA shedule and even though it's still early, all of the events are not listed?

http://www.ibcabbq.o...s2010/Year.html

No problem. There are enough on there to get started planning.

3-5,6 Gonzalas(St. Jude fund raiser) This one is actually boring because it's in the parking lot of a place that has other events. No music or crowds. Just a serious weekend of cooking against 38 other teams.
4-9,10 Dequincy(Railroad festival. Cool, I like trains)
3-12,13 Marksville(Yeah, it's at a casino!)
3-19,20 Alexandria(no clue, but they like zydeko music there)
5-21,22 Baton Rouge(Proposed, but just down the street, sweet! D'Augustinos restraunt is just down the street and the bread there is to die for)

This weekend I will inventory my cooking gear and rubs, so forth so I can start getting the camper ready for the first trip.

I use a check list to make sure I bring everything. I actually forgot to bring my smoking wood one time???????

They have one in Mississippi in Feb but I don't want to make the 200 mile trip this early and I hate to admit it, but I DO NOT LIKE IT COLD!

One other problem has risen. I may get transfered back to Texas, but if you look at the calander you will see that there are at least 10 times more events there. BBQ paradise!

Teaser pics







These were from the last comp in Ponchatoula. I got called for 4th place ribs.

This post has been edited by ronbeaux: 11 January 2010 - 08:42 PM

[Marlene]

I love all these,but particularly like the shots of the chicken in the first photo. Do you have a special sauce that you make for competition, or just smoking in general?

[ronbeaux]

I generally use a store brand sauce, either Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Chipotlet or Stubbs medium that I add the drippings from the ribs or brisket or the chicken along with honey and what ever amount of spice I think the judges are looking for. The ribs and chicken get a final glaze of honey or Smuckers pineapple sunday topping or marichino cherries smashed for their pulp mixed with honey and brown sugar. Some areas like their ribs like candy and their chicken spicey. Almost everywhere around here they like their brisket 'beefy' and spicy, although in the Ponchatoula area they like everything sweet including brisket???

[ronbeaux]

Pulled a 15lb brisket out today to thaw. You thaw it like a turkey in the fridge so it stays at the proper temp. I recently purchased all of the ingredients for an injection that I think will do well, which I will talk about later.

Briskets here are expensive, and I only buy choice, not select. I've had the Wagu and the Prime, and by the time I get through with them they all taste the same. It's not enough to just put a selection of your best looking slices onto the turn-in box, they have to stick out. Don't get me wrong, Wagu is fantastic and so is Prime, but once you doctor it up, if it is cooked properly, the lower grade piece of meat will still do well.

I pulled out my stash of 'Rancher' 100% natural charcoal for this cook/practice. I can't get it here any more since the Home Depot quit carrying it. I'd have to drive to Alabama to get some but fortunately I bought out the left overs from HD before they quit selling it. 20 bags are waiting for this years comps. I normally will use 1 and 1/2 bag per comp so that is my plan.

I also am going to modify my "better bring it" list this year. I find that I just don't need everything that was on the list. I'm trying to keep it as simple as I can and still do well.

Next report is for Saturday.

[ronbeaux]

Comp practice started today at 1300. I normally show up at the comp to get setup around noon on Friday. I wave down the meat inspector and have him inspect my meat so I can get started. All meat brought has to be un touched until OK'd. So at 1300 I injected the brisket with a mix of Moore's, Beef Base, a touch of garlic, and some water to make it a broth. I crammed a full 1.5 cups into it then trimmed some of the fat off. I'm trying a new seasoning as well. It is called Russel's and I put a very heavy coat all over the brisket then wrapped it for resting in the fridge all night.

Then it's up at 0430 to light the pit and have the brisket cooking for a make believe turn in time of 1530. Which happens to be when the Saints play!

I'll run the Backwoods Chubby at 250 using pecan and hickory chunks mixed in with the charcoal. Should be about 8 hours total cook time with a 1.5 hour rest. I'll let it cook until the plateau breaks through at around 155 to 160, then wrap it in foil with some more beef broth and let it cook until it gets to 195'ish and fork tender. Then it's rest until time to slice.



The pit is in a ready to light state where all I have to do is light the chimney and then load the lit charcoal tray.





It normally take the Chubby 45 minutes to get up to temp but it will be no problem loading in the brisket before it gets there to give it more smoke time.

[ronbeaux]

I only over slept 15 minutes. Fire is going at 0445 and the brisket is loaded. At 0530 the pit temp has climbed to 175 so I closed off a little on the bottom vent to peg it at 250.

[ronbeaux]

I am a little puzzled with this brisket. It is ahead of schedule by at least an hour. This is the first time for injecting and it seems it has shortened the cook time.

Here it is ready for it's wrap in foil then returning to the pit to finish. Temp is 183 internally and it already feels tender???



I'll check for tenderness again in about an hour and it is looking like it may get done an hour early. It will stay in the Cambro for at least an hour before slicing.

[Marlene]

I have heard that using an injection will make it cook faster. But I have no idea why. It also looks like you've got a fair bit of shrinkage going on too!

[ronbeaux]

I have to say I am impressed with the injecting of a brisket. It cooked quicker, stayed moist, and still had the look needed for the Judges. Start to finish on this 12lb(after trimming) brisket was 7 hours including 1 hour rest. I usually shoot for a total of 9 hours. I'm gonna like the extra sleep!

[Dana]

I'm interested in the injection thing - if you inject a chicken will it cook faster, too?

Your potato salad looks great. Can you share the recipe?

This post has been edited by Dana: 16 January 2010 - 03:53 PM

[ronbeaux]

I'll have to quiz my Wife on the potato salad. She doesn't measure anything so it might be hard to jot down a recipe.

I inject chickens with herbed butter before putting them on the pit. More especially, I brine them for at least 8 hours in a solution of 1 gal water(enough to cover the chicken) 1/2 cup of kosher salt, 1/2 cup of turbanado sugar, and 1/4 cup of maple powder. It keeps the chicken very juicey and the maple powder really enhances the taste, especially when you use a spicy seasoning on the chicken. It kind of balances it out. I haven't noticed it cooking too much quicker though.

[Dana]

measuring is highly overrated. I don't measure much myself - esp for potato salad.
Where do you get maple powder?

[kim shook]

Ron, this is fascinating! I am following this thread very closely!

[ronbeaux]

The maple powder is available here:
http://www.targil.co...=ALL&refresh=no

The potato salad
6 medium red potatos cubed
3 boiled eggs
1 tablespoon mayo
1 tablespoon brown spicey mustard
sweet pickle relish
salt and pepper to taste.

She cooks the potatos until just tender, no more, then just stirs everything together trying not to mash the potatos.

[crazeecat5]

Amazing Ron. How do you get to be a judge at these competitions? LOL

[ronbeaux]

crazeecat5, on 16 January 2010 - 05:57 PM, said:

Amazing Ron. How do you get to be a judge at these competitions? LOL

In KCBS you have to go to a Judges school for a day and then travel to the comps. They pay for your travel expenses but some of the comps have a waiting list for the judges. In IBCA where I cook, you either have to know the Director of the comp or be some kind of town dignitary to get to judge. Each 'volunteer' gets a class just before the comp to explain the rules and proceedure of judging. That's why it's so hard to win even if you turn in your best product.

My best guess is to keep with the averages. Men to Women, how many like spice, how many like sweet, etc. I have judged several times and it is a big help in determining what the averages are as to likes and dislikes. And yes, you can really get burned out on BBQ. I normally only taste test my cooks and give away the rest. I am burned out eating it. My wife is my secret weapon. Her pallet is spot on with the most percentage of Judges and if I hit with her I know we will walk in the top ten.

I really think this latest brisket is right in the top ten ranking of any I have eaten, so it's gonna be duplicated for my first comp to see if it works. She loved it and so did her family. I always am too critical of the cook and to me it was too this or too that. But that is a good thing it seems because you want them to remember it.

Picture this;
You sitting at a table with 5 to 8 other Judges(depends on the number of contestants) and a person brings in the first box and hands it to judge #1. He/she opens it and takes a look then can only use a cheap plastic knife and fork to get them a piece to taste. When they are finished they pass it to the next judge and they do the same. As soon as you pass it another box is delivered to you and it keeps going until all of the boxes are tasted and scored. That first box is picked pretty clean by the time it gets to the last judge so every bite in the box better be good!

Then they bring out the second type of meat! and then the third, and fourth, AND there are an average of 38 teams showing up so you do the math.

The judges are given crackers, grapes, cheese, water, dill pickles, and sugar to clean their pallet between tastes to try and stay on track. If some guy puts a lot of pepper spice on his turn in then they will have to guzzle water and cheese to neutralize the taste. If it is too sweet then you go for the crackers and water and pickles. Etc.

Each judge writes down the score before passing the box so it is always their first impression that counts. You tend to forget the average ones and remember the ones that stand out.

There is absolutely no way for a judge to know who cooked what. It is a double blind system and all they know is a number, and YOU are the only one to know what number your boxes are.

I love it. We have a great time competing and as I said earlier it is a way to enjoy the weekend. We meet the coolest people, even Myron Mixon, The Proffessor, and the others on the food TV. Yes I have scored higher than them on occasion, but they are way more consistant than me and don't have the restrictions of money to go play like I do.

There is nothing better than to walk up on that stage and accept an award, money or not. It is just plain fun! Here is a pic of me and my son with 4 top ten awards last year in Port Allen Louisiana. I worked his butt off and I can't even explain the look on his face to get to stand next to me up on the stage.