What I would like to see......

Sounds like fun.

I've worked enough with different meats, meat suppliers, etc. that I'd have a tough time convincing myself to put that in the control of someone else, frankly. For the first part, I've learned that my techniques, injections, rubs and sauces dont work worth a flip with meats that have been packed with *something*. Then you'll have people who dont do spares. More who think 1 packer, or 2 butts, or particularly 8 thighs isn't enough. Oh, forgot, you'll have people who dont do thighs too...

Part of the beauty of "the system" is decisions, controls, etc. are left to the competitor, to be able to bring their very best BBQ to bare on any given afternoon.

However, following your train of thought (which isn't terrible, by the way), I think the organizer should also supply all the smokers (every single one) requiring us/you to cook only on the provided smokers, using only the provided wood/heat source. To be truly level we'd all be using the same equipment and cooking the same meats. Otherwise, IMHO, still not nearly level.

I like to see NO electricity or generators

Will all of that meat come pre trimmed so I don't have to do it there :becky:? If so I'd give it a whirl. It is a cool idea, but very hard to get implemented.

I think you would still have the same teams on top. The differences in todays teams/rankings is not the meat/supplier.

abangs said:

I think taking the "premium" cuts of meat out of the equation and having everyone cook the same grade/quality of meat would throw a monkey wrench in some of the KCBS teams system for sure. Hell, think about it, you have Joe Schmoe over here, works a 9-5, has kids and a family, and cooks maybe 6 events per year.......realistically speaking, he can't afford to cook Wagyu and Kurubota. Hell, he (most of us!!!) have to budget to cook in competitions to start with......then you have a heavily sponsored team, a guy that can throw money at a hobby without thinking about it, or a restaurant owner that has a dozen cases of briskets at any one time to choose from.....that makes it tough for ol' Joe to compete!!!

Just saying, I think it would be a great event to see how some of these teams like Jack's Old South (Myron Mixon), Cool Smoke, Memphis BBQ Company (Melissa), etc would do with the quality meat that 95% of us cook!!!!! I'd be willing to bet that you would see more "average Joe" teams getting calls!!!!!


Zoogme, I think that would be great too!!!! No dang power!! Man that would defintely throw some guys for a loop!!!!!

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I'm right there with you. I've funded all my competitions by myself, no help from team members. I've had the luxury of competing against Myron on a few occasions and so far I've outscored him a few times and so far he's yet to GC any of the competitions I compete in. I've not had the opportunity to run into Tuffy or Melissa and Pete yet.

I hear all the time that the "big teams" (meaning big money, big rigs, notoriety, etc.) have an advantage. Truth be told, their advantage is KNOWLEDGE. That's it. They know how to do it.

Money doesnt buy wins. Knowledge wins.

abangs said:

KCBS competition...you register and show up with your recipe and cooker. The event organizer provides all the meat and puts it all n coolers...1 cooler per team...everyone gets 1 packer, 2 butts, 4 slabs STL's, and 8 thighs. Number the coolers, put the numbers in a hat, pull a number and let's dance. All meat from same supplier and all same quality/grade. No wagyu or Kurobuta. Just good old everyday stuff.

That would be awesome!!!! It would definitely level the playing field!!!!

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The South Carolina BBQ Association does a variation on this. In SCBA events, you only cook butts and ribs, and the organizer provides both. The main difference is that almost always, they provide a case of each.

EDIT: Also, the cost to enter the comps isn't any higher than a KCBS event. All of them I've done have been $200 or under to enter. The comps make their money by selling tickets so the public can sample the leftover meat that the cookers don't use.

abangs said:

KCBS competition...you register and show up with your recipe and cooker. The event organizer provides all the meat and puts it all n coolers...1 cooler per team...everyone gets 1 packer, 2 butts, 4 slabs STL's, and 8 thighs. Number the coolers, put the numbers in a hat, pull a number and let's dance. All meat from same supplier and all same quality/grade. No wagyu or Kurobuta. Just good old everyday stuff.

That would be awesome!!!! It would definitely level the playing field!!!!

Click to expand...

http://www.rachaelray.com/blogs/index.php/2012/05/07/the-bare-bones-bbq-a-contest-and-a-manifesto/

Of all the uneven playing fields in competition BBQ, meat quality has got to be the most uneven. People can say "still gotta cook it right" all they want to, but a better piece of meat is a better piece of meat.

That being said, try to limit it to the use of meat that can be purchased at the typical supermarket, and you will see a riot.

Competition BBQ: Taking food for the common man, and making it an a way that a common man can't/won't afford to do.

abangs said:

I think taking the "premium" cuts of meat out of the equation and having everyone cook the same grade/quality of meat would throw a monkey wrench in some of the KCBS teams system for sure. Hell, think about it, you have Joe Schmoe over here, works a 9-5, has kids and a family, and cooks maybe 6 events per year.......realistically speaking, he can't afford to cook Wagyu and Kurubota. Hell, he (most of us!!!) have to budget to cook in competitions to start with......then you have a heavily sponsored team, a guy that can throw money at a hobby without thinking about it, or a restaurant owner that has a dozen cases of briskets at any one time to choose from.....that makes it tough for ol' Joe to compete!!!

Just saying, I think it would be a great event to see how some of these teams like Jack's Old South (Myron Mixon), Cool Smoke, Memphis BBQ Company (Melissa), etc would do with the quality meat that 95% of us cook!!!!! I'd be willing to bet that you would see more "average Joe" teams getting calls!!!!!


Zoogme, I think that would be great too!!!! No dang power!! Man that would defintely throw some guys for a loop!!!!!

Click to expand...

you wouldnt see more average teams get called. They are average. Average BBQ doesnt get called. The teams that win, do so because they are a better bbq cook than the average joe.

This whole idea of creating a contest to bring people down to your level is beyond redic...first, the only people entering such a contest are going to be people at the bottom rungs of competition anyway, unless the prize money is in high 5 digit range.

Secondly, why the sudden need to bring the best down a notch? Focus more on raising your game within the rules and worry less about what the other guy is doing.

Fancy meat and restaurant names dont get called, good cooks, cooking high quality bbq, landing on good tables get called. If you aren't getting called focus on what you can control and get better.

I had my contest meat stolen out of my cooler at work this past weekend. A friend met me at the contest at 6pm with new stuff he rounded up. Pulled a rgc outta my butt
I'm in!

abangs said:

Jason, I saw where you did pretty well in Tryon. Your ribs and pork did well. Congrats! But, no, you'd have to trim it yourself!!!!

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Thanks. I've been cooking and practicing a bunch and glad to see it is working. You guys are close to me in Gainesville. Is your place a store where folks can come by and look at what you have?

Oh and if I have to trim stuff there then I'm totally against this new process ..........

Q-Dat said:

Of all the uneven playing fields in competition BBQ, meat quality has got to be the most uneven. People can say "still gotta cook it right" all they want to, but a better piece of meat is a better piece of meat.

That being said, try to limit it to the use of meat that can be purchased at the typical supermarket, and you will see a riot.

Competition BBQ: Taking food for the common man, and making it an a way that a common man can't/won't afford to do.

Click to expand...

I mean, this may be correct, but it is afterall a competition, one to see who is the best of the best on that day. As an average-joe competitor myself, if I'm going to compete, I'm ****ed sure going to bring my A game and work hard to beat Myron and Tuffy and Melissa. Otherwise, why compete at all? Seriously. Why compete? I'm going to do everything I can and bring every weapon in my arsenal to bare, including purchasing the very best meat that I can (and, BTW, I dont think wagyu necessarily leads to a better brisket).

See, I'm of a completely different mind-set altogether. I just cooked for my daughters college graduation. I'll cook for our anniversary coming up on the 4th of July. The amount that I'll cook for this (or cooked a few weeks back) makes cooking for a KCBS competition look puny. Guess what? I still use the same meat. The meat that I cook "back yard" is the same meat I compete with. Why would I do this, you ask? Because if I can't cook my very best and produce my very best on this day, then I just wont cook. We can always order out pizza....

If you're of a different mind set back-yard, that's great. Fine. That's completely up to you. However, I highly suggest not doing this at a competition. I mean, you might as well author the book "How to get your *** handed to you in a competition".

BTW, if you really want to see how the big boys play (ie. Melissa and Pete of Yazoo's Delta Q, and Myron or Jack's), join in on an MBN competition. These guys (and so have I) will be cooking 7-9 20# whole shoulders (I cook 9 because they come 3 to a case and are as cheap as buying 7), usually cooking a case of baby backs, and then they're cooking 1 or 2 whole hogs... You wont see any wyagu beef... And the "big teams" dont win consistently because they're big or fancy, otherwise some other guys who are bigger and more fancy (yes, more money than Myron and Melissa put together) would win every time.

The "big teams" win because.... They know how to win; knowledge. They understand competitions. They understand how to bring their A game every day, every time. They're practiced at it. They're serious about it. They love it. And, by the way, they can cook like no tomorrow.

DawgPhan said:

you wouldnt see more average teams get called. They are average. Average BBQ doesnt get called. The teams that win, do so because they are a better bbq cook than the average joe.

This whole idea of creating a contest to bring people down to your level is beyond redic...first, the only people entering such a contest are going to be people at the bottom rungs of competition anyway, unless the prize money is in high 5 digit range.

Secondly, why the sudden need to bring the best down a notch? Focus more on raising your game within the rules and worry less about what the other guy is doing.

Fancy meat and restaurant names dont get called, good cooks, cooking high quality bbq, landing on good tables get called. If you aren't getting called focus on what you can control and get better.

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I see your point, but if you and I each cook a brisket, and one is just plain better quality than the other one, and we are both great cooks, and we both nail it, then that brisket that started out better will end up better, and usually show it in the scores. I say usually, because you never know what judges are going to do.

^^^ While I actually disagree with your premise, if you feel strong about it then I highly recommend that you purchase the best quality meat that you can.

Q-Dat said:

I see your point, but if you and I each cook a brisket, and one is just plain better quality than the other one, and we are both great cooks, and we both nail it, then that brisket that started out better will end up better, and usually show it in the scores. I say usually, because you never know what judges are going to do.

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chances are your "nailing it" and someone else's "nailing it" are a little different. If you are nailing your cooking and not getting called, it wasnt the meat that beat you, it was your definition of "nailing it".

seriously the price difference on a mail order brisket and a RD choice brisket is only about $50. Who cares about that when you are spending $700 to go and compete. I dont think that most folks are using the higher end pork and I dont know that it makes much of a difference. We also cook a lot less these days than we did when we started. Teams complaining about the price of wagyu are typically the ones cooking 4-6 butts, 6-8 slabs, and 30 pcs of chicken. cook less higher quality meat.