I just wrote this for the guys at the British BBQ Society forum but it has a lot of info about my upcoming class in England so I figured I'd repost it.
I'll be happy to answer any questions but understand that Jon Finch is handling logistics on your side of the pond and I'm working on the class schedule here so it's highly possible that neither of us has all the answers yet. It's still a work in progress but we wanted to get the date out ASAP. We are trying to make sign-up available this week so stay tuned.
The class will cost 200 pounds per guest and if it fills up and I can get a good deal on a flight and hotel we may make a few dollars. But at that price I am fully prepared to do this for no fee. I truly want to help promote American style BBQ in the UK. Now understand that BBQ is my job and I hope to get paid somehow and some way down the road but not this time.
This class will be mostly demonstration with me doing the cooking, and that's why we're limiting it to 30 guests. I will go through everything at least twice so you should get a good look at it all. We'll cook the ribs and chicken live during the class. The Butts and briskets will be cooked overnight before the class arrives, but most of the US teams hold these meats fully cooked in a catering cabinet so it won't be much different than live. I'll demo additional raw butts and briskets and we'll trade them out for the cooked ones when it's time for presentation. I will show the class exactly what I do from meat selection to turn in for every category. No questions will go unanswered. If it gets to be hours after the class and I haven't answered all the questions yet we may have to move to the pub to finish, but I'm good with that.
Guys I'm going to do my best to show you exactly what I know the top US teams to be doing. I've been a KCBS member and cook since 1991. My member number is 943. I'm also a KCBS Master Certified BBQ Judge. I know all the players and have seen the evolution from a bunch of guys partying and cooking BBQ to the new wave of high tech serious BBQ competitors. I've cooked at the Jack 5 times and I have a trophy jug and a stack of ribbons from it. I've judged the Jack twice. I've cooked the American Royal 15 times. I've done dozens of these classes and trained many of the top cooks. Rick and Jackie Weight AKA Mad Cow began their BBQ journey by attending a class I was teaching in the barn where the Jack Daniel's cook-off is judged and as I think you all know the later returned and became the first ever International team to win the Jack! It can be done
But it's not all about history. Last year I was Grand Champion at 2 KCBS contests. I'm already in the Jack draw and the American Royal invitational for 2012. My email is
drbbq@hotmail.com if you'd like to contact me personally.
Thanks,
Ray Lampe
Dr. BBQ
