Black people in Competition BBQ

[Bigmista]

I believe there are more Mexican teams than Black in IBCA.

 

[Andrews]

I need to submit my resume. Lady of Q, senior black female competing solo seeking more sponsors. Experienced in cooking on WSMs utilizing automatic blower devices, varying wood chunks/bricks and select charcoal choices. I am dialed into social networking and I want to promote competition BBQ for all with a passion for low and slow or hot and fast cooking.

You forgot to mention that you are an expert at pairing great music with your BBQ'ng activities!

 

[Sledneck]

The poohbah competes and he sicilian , just sayin.......

 

[Sawdustguy]

I hear you Neil, I wish I had the answer. Hell I wish there were more Polocks also. As far as I know we are the only Polish BBQ team around. Maybe thats not a bad thing, I don't know.

 

[bbqdavarrow]

I hear you Neil, I wish I had the answer. Hell I wish there were more Polocks also. As far as I know we are the only Polish BBQ team around. Maybe thats not a bad thing, I don't know.

I was thinking the same thing and thought of you guys.:thumb:

 

[Pugsley]

My own experience in having a family lake house in East Texas is one of driving past small country houses on Sunday after church let out, and smelling some serious BBQ being cooked -- driving by in my German luxury car on way the back from the store to the lake house in the gated community with a world class golf course.

When I look at competition BBQ on TV, it seems like all I see are teams with brand new super duty pickups towing fancy trailers full of expensive equipment, and I wonder how they can afford to do these competitions. Then it occurs to me, they have lots of money from other endeavors, and the BBQ competitions are mostly for fun -- or ego. And, since they have lots of money to compete with, they have enough money to win with. It's easy to cross home plate if you are starting on third base.

I could be all wrong, but in my 50 years of life, I find that the best way to win in anything, is to have deep pockets to start with. So, there are probably a lot of fantastic BBQ cookers, of all races, who will never show up on the competition circuit, because they can't afford to compete -- and lose.

If you make six-figures at your day job, you can afford to spend money coming in 15th place at a competition.

I think a lot of good cooks don't compete because they just plain can't afford to compete.

CD

absolutley correct Dog IMHO

 

[Wrench_H]

No real answers, but I was thinking the same thing a couple of weeks ago. We were in Rocky Mount, NC competing, and I noticed that the crowd at the festival was probably 70-75% black, but I only saw one black team competing. The people's choice was setup where everyone came around and tried your pork at your station. There was certainly plenty of expertise from the folks there when they tried our pork. We cook on two traegers and a char-griller, so we look like a small time shop. I probably had 25 people tell me that they cook on that same char-griller at home. If I do this one next year, I'll have to throw out the "why don't you consider competing" question and see what type of answers I get.

 

[Lake Dogs]

We have a few teams with black people on the team around here that compete a little, but not regularly. Money is the only thing keeping me and my team from competing more regularly; I imagine it's the same with most of these folks too...

What I dont see are black judges. Not any.

 

[RangerJ]

I believe there are more Mexican teams than Black in IBCA.

In Houston..by far!

That being said, I see more black teams or black team members here in IBCA than all my KCBS cooks combined.

In Texas most events are like $100 - $150.00 to enter. Most have water, very few have electric. Paybacks are either a percentage of entry or guaranteed money.

Also, between organizations here ( IBCA, Gulf Coast,Lone Star), there are probably 25 events each weekend so that keeps the price low and gives folks options that are closer to the community.

Seems most of the events are tied to VFW, American Legion, Elks lodge or a county fair. All annual and all events that folks that I talk to cook annually.

So, affordability, proximity and frequency draws folks from the surrounding communities regardless of ethnicity that like to cook.

But to your point, while I'm seeing more black teams and team members, I've never run into the same one twice on the IBCA circuit.

 

[ThomEmery]

Contests near urban settings would be helpful
I understand we may have two new ones in the Los Angeles area next year

 

[gmholler]

Around here in Louisiana, promoters will usually advertise their contest where they're familiar with - and that often inadvertently means to one racial group. Hubby and I have asked folks that come around on Saturday, asking about the contest, why they didn't enter, and the answer is usually that they would have if they'd heard about it - they just saw a sign that said "BBQ contest" or came to the festival and found the BBQ contest!

Lynn H.

 

[indianagriller]

The problem we have had around here in the local rib burns is that they dont want to change their technique to conform to the rules of competition ie: no parboiling, at the meetings it always gets brought up that boiling and grilling is how they were taught to do ribs and the only way they will do ribs. So the local competitions change to allow this technique. I dont care how you cook your Q, the best tasting food will win but in order to compete in KCBS you gotta play by the rules...

 

[ModelMaker]

I have had contact with three local black owned "BBQ" outfits here locally and in talking to them about this & that have boiled it down to this.
These local cooks have no intention of spending money in joining a competition and all its other expenses. They simple "grill" their product for sale in the parking lot, remote auction site, special event etc.
I spent alot of time with one guy who had a fantastic set up for a competition outfit asking him how he cooked, what he used for rubs etc. and all he wanted to do was fill the bin with charcoal, shoot it with lighter fluid and get it up to 400* and cook his rib tips, sausages, turkey legs and sell them in the auto store parking lot.
One of the black cooks at Waterloo is only there to vend and rake in some bucks but they require vending teams to enter the comp and you can always tell his boxes when they hit the table.
I think they see BBQ as a money making endeavor and I (we) see it as a way to gather with like minded masses and cook for the fun and sport.
It all works out thou, everbody seems happy with what they are doing and that should be the point.
Ed

 

[Lake Dogs]

I see a LOT of what ModelMaker has said above. At last weekends comp and next weekends comp the competitions are part of larger festivals. Like last weekend, there were probably 6 or 8 groups of folks grilling on LARGE smoker/grills that would be comp capable, if they'd wanted to. These groups are largely black. They know about the competition because they've vended here for many years, and while I haven't asked them specifically, it's obvious that they're not interested in the competition portion, but rather spend their time/effort on vending... There's nothing wrong with that, but it doesnt bring them into the fold that is competition bbq (as Neil asked).

 

[Lake Dogs]

We see Buster Davis around now & again:

http://www.smokinajs.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50&Itemid=61

He's an excellent cook and competitor.

 

[timzcardz]

A couple of possible observations:

1. Could it be that aside from BigMista Black people have to much dignity and selfrespect to spend their weekends hanging around with fat white guys?

2. Maybe they're just smarter. How much sense does it make to be out cooking for the entire weekend when it is too wet, too windy, too hot or too cold?

Looking at it from the outside, from a simplistic perspective, we must look like idiots!



I know that I never had any intention of competing, and only started because at the time, my then 13YO wanted us to do it. And since that moment, I have spent too many wind driven rainy nights wondering what the heck am I doing this for. The answer is always because it is some very wonderful close time spent with family, without a lot of the distractions that go on in everyday life. Being surrounded by friends, old, new, and soon to be, makes it even more worthwhile.

I don't know how you can adequately convey that though without actually experiencing it.

Maybe you just have to keep inviting new people to experience it with you. Some may catch the bug.

 

[landarc]

I was at a competition where I walked up to a guy that looked like his dog had died, and his wife looked like she had killed it. I asked what was going on and he said he had gotten his scores on ribs and it was all 5's and 6's. I was stunned at that alone. but, hey, maybe it was bad. He asked me to taste them. They were about the best purest example of ribs I have ever eaten, texture and flavor were spot on; and that was after judging eating cold ribs from a pan. They were porky, peppery, tender, I mean, a revelation and he got hammered. I told him I gladly would have paid $20 for a plate of those ribs.

His wife, he said, was angry as they had put over $400 into the competition for DAL. His solution was that he wasn't gonna compete anymore. $400 was too much to pay for DAL. I asked him if he had tasted other folks BBQ, and offered to help him reach out, he said he hadn't. But everyone told him he needed to add more sweet and heat. He decided he would just keep cooking for his family.

This guys brisket and pulled pork, maybe top 10 in what I have ever had, his ribs, maybe top 3, he cooked better than I can. He felt the flavors the judges wanted just weren't his.

 

[G$]

Neil, I have to admit I have had the same question for quite a few years, but I figured my universe of experience was too narrow to even know if the question was valid. You cook mostly CA and some AZ. I cook mostly AZ and some CA, so we have a pretty similar sample (although your is broader and more frequent).

Locally, I know of a few black barbecuers that do NOT compete at all, but do cook socially and for family. Plus, the best (by far IMO) local Q joint is run by a black family and I think he/they have no interest in entering competitions.

I have not read all the responses yet, but would be curious what sort of participation you would be looking for (in %s of competitors I supopose)

 

[atvalaska]

what u do is ban other folks of any color! then whats left will take over...PC gone mad.....

 

[goodsmokebbq]

...some of my best friends are black

(That one if for you JB )