How does your competiton team work??

[sitnfat]

Yeah what mo green said it works for us

 

[Gowan]

Each group will reach their own balance depending on the skills, resources and desire for control of each person. The key is to find that balance - you must avoid the clash of egos as well as overloading anyone when things must happen quickly. I've cooked alone, with one other person and with as many as seven on a team. All worked OK, but we've found a four-man team suits us best, given our equipment and personalities.

Johnny - handles the press and sponsors, rub and sauce recipes, rib and brisket boxes
Gowan - injections and glazes, raw meat trimming, chicken and pork boxes
Warren - fire builder, garnish, box runner, photography, camp cook
Bobby - handles the public, dishes, gopher, end of contest clean-up and trailer packer

With the exception of Bobby, all of us are capable of acting as "head cook" and we don't have any ego issues between us. It really is a team effort. Over time, we've divided the work up in ways that seemed natural to us and allow everyone to get at least 4-5 hours sleep on Friday night. This is important as we find we enjoy a contest much more if we aren't dead tired.

That's how we do it anyway. Married couples and young folks have a different dynamic, but for a team of guys that ranges in age from mid 30's to 60's the above arrangement works well for us.

 

[FamilyManBBQ]

Interesting topic!

We're a first-year father/daughter team. Have cooked excusively in one day events so far. My daughter, Katie [8], really gets her hands dirty during meat prep, applying rubs, sauces etc. Katie is our official taster. She helps make our turn-in boxes. She's also been our runner (with dad hustling behind her to take pics).

While cooking is a team effort, Dad is responsible for packing/unpacking equipment and tries his hardest to get out of cleaning "dirty" dishes when we get home.

We've had some pretty good luck so far. And, more importantly, get to spend some quality time together. :-D

 

[Balls Casten]

We’ve got 8 of us running around! The only real problems we had in the past have been to many cooks opening the smoker. And no one could figure out why the meat wasn’t getting done.

Another guy and I are the main cooks but that designation is one to keep things organized and be sure someone is getting the job done and on time. At some point everyone has done every job at a contest.

This has probably cost us at some point. But we have also competed in more contests because there are always people to attend. But being around friends for a weekend is what makes it worth it.

Who ever pays the entry, takes the money. We split the entry, we split the moey.

 

[Trucky1008]

My brother and I are a first year team. We split all costs. I cook brisket and chicken, he does ribs and pork. For the 3 comps we've been in this year it seems to work out for us.

 

[Red Valley BBQ]

We are a three man team. My dad, cousin and myself. I make the decisions on just about everything but listen to other's opinions. My cousin is the runner and an extra set of hands. My dad...well, he's the dishwasher and official beer drinker. Since we have a stick burner, we divide the fire tending duties during the overnight. My recommendation is one person on the team needs to be the clear leader and delegate responsibilities to others. I have seen more than a few good teams split up because of too many chiefs.

 

[CBQ]

I drink most of the Tequila, Charlie drinks the Jack, Carlotta drinks mostly beer but sometimes hits the Jack and Coke (not good), Doug will drink most anything you throw at him. Of course we all hit the Dougjitos and like to share them with other teams.

Except when putting those Harpoon Trophies to good use.

 

[kurtsara]

I'm in the same situation as Ford. I've been cooking alone long enough now that it would actually be hard to take on a partner. I wouldn't know how to divvy up the work load. A DB would be nice every now and then but even that isn't a big deal.

Russ

What is a DB?

 

[JD McGee]

Two man team here as well...I do the ribs and butts...Brian does the chicken and brisket...I do the game plan and pit bitchin'...Brian does the prep and presentation...so far it has worked well for us.

 

[Jeff Selle]

This is an interesting thread because we are a first year team of four, and it's been pretty much a free-for-all under our easy-ups... We've walked in every comp so far this year (about 5 including amateur stuff), but we have been talking about organizing better...we need some GCs, so this input is helpful...

 

[Jeff_in_KC]

It's my wife and I. Here's how it works: I tell her what to do and she does it. Then I go sit down with a beer or glass of wine and a cigar.


































For God's sake, no one tell her I said that!!! :tape::shock:

 

[NorthwestBBQ]

We are a two person team, and it works pretty well. I do the meat trimming, my wife and I share in the prep work at the comp site, we do the boxes together, I handle the cooking, she handles the site decor :-D and we split everything else.

Like candy we use a lot of disposables like pan liners and disposable cutting boards. The only dishes the we wash are things that will be reused at that comp Otherwise everything else goes into a hotel pan and into the cambro for the ride home. We found that we were re-washing stuff at home anyway, so why do it twice

Very cool, Ron!

 

[rksylves]

This will probably get pulled and I'll get a nasty email telling me that I'm banished from the board.

DB = Dish Bitch (The poor soul who gets to clean everything up)

Russ

 

[Swinebuck]

We do MBN - MIM contests. There are so many ancillary contests we need to share the cooking efforts. MIM is so expensive you need a large team to share the cost. Our next contest is the new Smoken Aces contest at Harrah's Casino in Tunica MS. If anyone in the area wants to see a Stumps in action please stop by. Here is the breakdown of cooking events.
Blake - ribs, tomato sauce
Brad - seafood
Danny - hot wings
Eric - ribs, hot wings, mustard sauce
James - exotic
Johnny - people's choice (butts)
Mike - ribs - only helping & taking photos
Shane - beef, beans
Thanks
Mike
Swinebuck

 

[Lake Dogs]

It's my wife and I. Here's how it works: I tell her what to do and she does it. Then I go sit down with a beer or glass of wine and a cigar.




For God's sake, no one tell her I said that!!! :tape::shock:

It's too late to delete it now. I have a screen shot on my PC.

How much are you willing to pay for it?
:shock:

 

[Lake Dogs]

We do MBN - MIM contests. There are so many ancillary contests we need to share the cooking efforts. MIM is so expensive you need a large team to share the cost. Our next contest is the new Smoken Aces contest at Harrah's Casino in Tunica MS. If anyone in the area wants to see a Stumps in action please stop by. Here is the breakdown of cooking events.
Blake - ribs, tomato sauce
Brad - seafood
Danny - hot wings
Eric - ribs, hot wings, mustard sauce
James - exotic
Johnny - people's choice (butts)
Mike - ribs - only helping & taking photos
Shane - beef, beans
Thanks
Mike
Swinebuck

LOL. I saw where one poster said "As it's all pork, it doesn't take any
more effort to cook MBN than it does KCBS will multiple types of meat. Its
just what you prefer".

Seems your team, like mine, seems to differ with that, although I do prefer
MIM/MBN because if nothing else there's more folks there to party with.

This is IF no whole hog:

Hance - Pork Shoulders prep, cook, on-site presenter, peoples choice
butt prep, bloody mary's, 2nd seafood, poultry, and stew,
sleep shift 1
Tracy - Fire, Pork Shoulders assist, 2nd on-site presenter, sauce,
peoples choice pull/finish, sleep shift 2
Jerry - Ribs prep, cook, final, Hot Wings, also behind the scenes on-site, sleep shift 2
Jack - Ribs assist, assist with behind the scenes on-site, sleep shift 1

Donna - Drives the behind the scenes on-site, with clean-up and prep
Jennifer - Margaritas. clean up, photographer
Mary - dessert, clean up, beer fetch
Teddi - Runner, clean up, site prep, photographer
Casey - 1st seafood (we sometimes put in 2 entries)

 

[Sticks-n-chicks]

I work my butt off and they sit around and drink...or wait is it the other way???

Actually we pretty much all can do everything and we all do anything that needs to be done. What I mean is we are not dependent on any "one" of us to do a comp, we cook what we practice and we all can cook the 4 categories. Usually there are 2 out of the 4 of us that are cooking at any given comp. I also have been lucky enough to have some great guys that help out doing anything they can (although the drink there weight)

Over the last 6 comps Jon and I and Mike have split the duties of getting the meat, supplies, booze and we split up the trimming just to make it easier. When we get to the comp we set up and we start to focus on the categories. Jon will prep pork I will prep brisket and we all prep ribs and chicken.

Were lucky we don't have any that is more that an arse than anyone else. What we have learned is no question is a dumb question unless it's not asked. If your thinking "did we do x" then ask if they did, nobody's feelings get hurt cause your at a comp and thing get forgotten...

We split the cost and any winnings go in the bank for the next comp.

 

[Southern Home Boy]

We've only done two comps and the second was WAY different than the first.

The first time it was just me and a buddy of mine. We had an unmodded CG Offset and a Weber Kettle. We split everything including the all night fire tending on the CG.

The second time, we had a little more help: One other friend of ours was our Sherpa, I did fire and meat management and my buddy did flavor profiles. All three of us worked on prepping boxes, I sliced and chose the pieces for turn in, my buddy built the boxes with the pieces I selected and our friend ran.

Also, my two girls and one of their friends were our clean-up crew. They kept dishes and utensils washed and ready, made sure we had ice and water and emptied trash when necessary.

 

[MRI_Guy]

I am an amateur.

My sister-in-law & I have our (errr - I mean HER) team down to a science.

I do all the set up, meat prep, cooking, and cooking of our lunch.

She brings people over to our area, feeds them my ribs, keeps me hydrated, gets in my way, and has her friends bring my stuff to the truck when it is time to go home.

 

[Yakfishingfool]

I'm the official keeper of the shiny things reminder