Thank you for the kind words. Last year was our first year so we keep everything pretty simple. This year we want to add a few more things so the cookers have more chances to win some money, the public gets to taste some real good BBQ, and we can involve the sponsors who help pay for the contest. Right now we are leaning towards a People's Choice and a Cooker's Choice for Friday night, and adding a dessert category on Saturday. What do you think about allowing the cookers to bring pre-prepared pulled pork for the People's Choice on Friday night, and a Cook's Choice category that is judged by the sponsors and the sponsors come to the cook site to judge in entry? Also, do you think the cookers would be interested in staying at their cook sites on Saturday night and enjoying some really good live music at the stadium, rather than just packing up on Saturday afternoon and going home? Thanks again, looking forward to seeing you in July.
A number of the contests that we participate in have entertainment
(bands) Saturday night as well as Friday night. Not all stay Saturday,
but many do. I almost always stay.
For the peoples choice, the only ones that we participate in are blind and
done the day of the competition (with earlier turn-in so as not to interfere
with comp turn-in). If not blind (done on site), we dont participate
because it's 99% the team with the most local appeal (local club of some
kind). If on Friday evening, you've usually missed the BBQ being given
out to Saturday crowd, and it requires that I'm cooking all day Friday
just for this one event. Honestly, it's not worth the cost in extra wood.
If Saturday, I'll just cook it right along with all the other meat that we
have on the smoker.
The others, like $1/bone. Our cost is at or more than that; no interest.
Most of the comps that we do also have ancillary categories on Friday
night and Saturday morning. Friday night has things like Brunswick Stew,
Chili, Gumbo, Anything Butt (usually a game category), desert, Margaritas.
Some do Saturday morning ancillaries, like Bloody Mary's, grits (dishes),
etc. They're fun and fairly easy to do and fairly inexpensive to enter
in to. Judges love them also. You should see the line to judge Bloody
Mary's on Saturday morning.
RE: Peoples Choice: I highly suggest that you provide 2 butts to those
entering. It'll give your crowd enough Q to taste for a while. 1 butt
doesn't cover it. Provide 2 butts and a aluminum pan to put the Q in.
Have teams turn in around 10am, possibly up to 11, but no later. Have
the crowd pay a dollar or two to sample say 4 pulled pork samples without
adding any additional sauce to it (only use the sauces provided by the
team). Then have them judge the best of those four. Mix up which 4
you put on every plate, and viola, you have a peoples choice vote.