Non KCBS Contest Near KC

[Plowboy]

Last year one of the local RV dealerships held two BBQ contests at their location: Nationwide RV in Grain Valley. Just talked to the sales manager today at the local Sports Show today. First event this year will be mid to late March. The second one will be in the fall.

I was able to do their second event last year. They go by their own rules and way of doing things. The entry fee is $100. They provide all the meat. You can't bring your own, you must turn in everything, and you can't take any meat with you. The reason for this is that they serve all of the meat to customers. They use the event as a promotion and customer appreciation. Only thing you bring is a gallon of beans.

Sauce is not allowed. No garnish is allowed. Box presentation isn't necessary as you'll understand in a second. You get a half pan and a full sized aluminum pan for each entry. The pieces you want judged go into the half pan. Each category is judged by 10 people that are pulled at random out of the crowd. 10 different people are pulled for each entry. The pieces to be judged are placed on small plates and given to the judges. They neither get to see the entry box nor pick their own pieces. This is why presentation of the box isn't necessary. Way different than KCBS, but kinda fun once you got used to it. I didn't know the rules until I showed up. I would have come prepared with different recipes had I known. Entries were...

Spares
Chicken quarters
loin
brisket
beans

The first event had 17 teams. Second event had 28. About half were KCBS teams. The rest were backyard guys.

No overall GC or RGC was even announced or scored. Payouts were for top three in each category: 1st - $600, 2nd - $350, $3rd - $150.

[Plowboy]

Wanted to also add that this is a good contest for RV/Camper owners. You get a LOT of room to set up. They put you out in a hay field behind the dealership. They don't have RV hookups, though. Half or more us had generators.

[scottyd]

Sounds like a crap shoot, but could be fun. nice pay out. Judges out of crowd is crazy but what a wicked spin to things. I still think this would be fun.

[Plowboy]

Originally Posted by scottd

Sounds like a crap shoot, but could be fun. nice pay out. Judges out of crowd is crazy but what a wicked spin to things. I still think this would be fun.

Right. Once you know how it works, you can try to predict outcomes. Figure most people are there for a free meal. Most are more in the senior crowd and almost all are not trained BBQ judges. Don't go hot, keep it sweet, and "falling apart" will be seen as PERFECT Q. We find that a lot of people think something's cooked perfect if it is falling off the bone. I think most of us would say that is overcooked. Just one of the things you adjust, IMHO.

[Plowboy]

Several of us KCBS cooks showed up thinking we'd school these backyard guys and come home with a bunch of money. We'll, we did school most of the backyarders, but split a lot of the money between us. I hit fourth in chicken which paid nothing and tied for 2nd in brisket with one of the MoKan Meatheads... I lost the coinflip. So I spent $100 to get $150.

The contest is three miles from my house, so it was great for me.

[HoDeDo]

Originally Posted by Plowboy

Several of us KCBS cooks showed up thinking we'd school these backyard guys and come home with a bunch of money. We'll, we did school most of the backyarders, but split a lot of the money between us. I hit fourth in chicken which paid nothing and tied for 2nd in brisket with one of the MoKan Meatheads... I lost the coinflip. So I spent $100 to get $150.

The contest is three miles from my house, so it was great for me.

I know pig newton was out there.... and some others. Lil' old Ron - you tied him for brisket! Now that is funny!!

I could have my Camper serviced at the same time I guess.... They are the local KZ dealer to boot.

[Plowboy]

Originally Posted by HoDeDo

I know pig newton was out there.... and some others. Lil' old Ron - you tied him for brisket! Now that is funny!!

I could have my Camper serviced at the same time I guess.... They are the local KZ dealer to boot.

It was funny... it was the week after the Blue Springs contest and a bunch of us started pulling in that were at Blue Springs: Pig Newton, Ron, Mean Dean's, Rabbit Gulch, Big Dawgs, and a couple others that I don't remember now. we were all laughing that we thought we'd show up to this little non-KCBS contest and wipe up. Pig Newton and Mean Dean's had the biggest haul as they both got 1st and 2nd in multiple categories. I think Dean won ribs and Pig Newton got Brisket. I think they got another first, but can't remember now.

[Plowboy]

Andy, you could even come home with that new toy hauler with the beds for the girls.

[Jeff_in_KC]

Ron must have sliced his brisket across the grain!

[smknwhlswife]

Originally Posted by Plowboy

Andy, you could even come home with that new toy hauler with the beds for the girls.

Todd, please don't give Andy any ideas.....

[Plowboy]

Originally Posted by smknwhlswife

Todd, please don't give Andy any ideas.....

Kim, you're in trouble. I get to sit by him all night at the banquet. He'll be totally corrupted by the end of the night.

[MoKanMeathead]

Originally Posted by Jeff_in_KC

Ron must have sliced his brisket across the grain!

Yea - when he is cooking by himself he does it right. He didn't enter as the MoKan Meatheads I don't think.

Late - March - don't forget about the Kookers Kare Charity Smokefest in Sugar Creek on the 23rd and 24th.

[HoDeDo]

Kim has to combat my "great ideas" at least once a week

If I get my hauler sold, I have a triple axle Holiday Rambler in the wings
We were really close to owning two

The fact she puts up with all my crap is just daily affirmation that love is blind!!!

[Plowboy]

Originally Posted by MoKanMeathead

Yea - when he is cooking by himself he does it right. He didn't enter as the MoKan Meatheads I don't think.

Late - March - don't forget about the Kookers Kare Charity Smokefest in Sugar Creek on the 23rd and 24th.

Nope, he was a lone Meathead that day.

We are signed up for Kooker's Kare again this year. Is it too late to be a sponsor and get our logo on the shirts for 2007? If not, what does it take to do that?

[HoDeDo]

Originally Posted by Plowboy

Nope, he was a lone Meathead that day.

We are signed up for Kooker's Kare again this year. Is it too late to be a sponsor and get our logo on the shirts for 2007? If not, what does it take to do that?

We'll be out at Kooker's Kare again as well. What a great time, and a great cause.