At the end of last year, I reflected on the progress our fledgling BBQ team made over the course of our first season.  With a year of competition in the books, I wondered how 2011 would unfold.  I figured we’d do OK, but I also wondered if we could actually improve on 2010.   Never in my most optimistic forecast would I have anticipated what 2011 would bring Degüello BBQ.

I will look back on on 2011 as the year we really found our footing.  The few miscues we pitched and obstacles we dealt with have actually made us a better team.  So when I tried to think of a phrase that encapsulated the season, the title of a certain Sergio Leone spaghetti western came to mind. Hope you enjoy reading Degüello BBQ’s version of The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.

THE GOOD

Really there’s enough for  several blog entries here.  The year started off with our receiving the Mid-Atlantic BBQ Association 2010 Rookie Team of the Year at the MABA annual meeting in Downington PA.  Our friend Mike Fay presented us with a nice banner and unique blown glass trophy that now resides prominently on the wine cabinet/trophy case.  Come on over and I’ll show it to you, whether you want to see it or not.

Our first competition of the year was the Go Naked BBQ Showdown on the grounds of Mason-Dixon BBQ Services in  Greencastle PA.  Degüello BBQ took 3rd place in ribs and tied for 2nd place in the People’s Choice Wing competition in this one-day chicken and ribs event.  Aside from the handsome framed tightie whities and a $100 bill, we took two things away from this competition.  First, I reconfirmed that I can cook “naked”, as in no temperature control devices (OK put down the bleach you were about to wash your eyes out with).

But even better, I met two new friends at this event, Alex Covrljan and Al Do.  These two rolled up about 7:30 AM in steady rain and temperature in the mid-30s, pulled a brand-new canopy out of its box, set up a UDS and proceeded to destroy the rest of the competition, taking 1st place in chicken and ribs.  Great job guys!

Our first full KCBS competition of the year, the Lexington NC BBQ Capital Cook-off was good, bad and ugly all in one.  The good came as a direct result of dealing with a real setback.  On Friday morning I opened up our chicken and found it was spoiled.  Every single piece.  Sharon immediately stepped up and began looking for somewhere to buy more chicken.  She found Conrad & Hinkle’s Market in downtown Lexington, which was literally a three-minute walk away.  We bought 16 whole legs, which I broke down into thighs and legs.  Prior to awards I was talking to several other teams about our chicken challenge, and  the consensus was “you’ll get a call for sure”.  Guess I should listen to my friends, as we took 3rd place!  Many thanks to Conrad & Hinkle and to Sharon for finding them.

The first annual Naptown barBAYQ was another successful outing.  I got to spend some time with organizer Don Chomas, who has become a good friend and occasional BBQ collaborator.  And we took 2nd place for ribs and finished in 10th place overall.

Although the 2nd annual Middletown DE  BBQ Cook-off didn’t go quite as planned for us, we did get to see our good friends Pork Barrel BBQ win their first ever Reserve Grand Championship.  Heath, Brett and Rex worked extremely hard to refine their competition ‘cue over the previous year, and it was awesome to be there when it paid off.

The first annual Swinetastic BBQ Festival in Frederick MD was another good finish for Degüello BBQ.  Along with our 2nd place chicken, we finished 3rd overall in a field of 53.  I also want to mention the really nice words of encouragement from Paul Hess of PA Midnite Smokers.  Paul and Brenda set the bar for class as well as success on the competition trail, and Paul told me to keep working hard and that we’d get our first GC soon.  Turns out Paul was right…..

The 2nd annual Holy Smoke Barbeque Championship in Easton, MD gave Degüello BBQ our first-ever four call performance.  Despite that result, we still finished out of the running for the GC at 3rd overall.  And once again, one of the classiest competitors out there gave me a little pep talk.  Mark Breen of Serial Griller advised me to keep on cooking consistent and the GC would come.  Little did I know we’d only have to wait a week…..

The inaugural Bluemont BBQ Bash in Bluemont VA saw Degüello BBQ’s first career Grand Championship. It was sweet to get the first GC so close to home and even more so when we were surrounded by several teams who’d just nipped us out several times.   There is never an easy week out here.  The funny thing is, the downstream implications of our GC never occurred to me until someone said “hey now you’re in the draw for the Jack!!”  Like we’d actually get a chance to go to the Jack in our second year of competition.

Our first participation in New Holland PA Summerfest didn’t exactly set records, but we did keep our ribs call string alive with a 9th place while keeping an eye on the approaching Hurricane Irene.

The 3rd annual Southern York County BBQ Cook-Off in Glen Rock PA was another first, as we had our  first-ever two 1st place call competition with top results in brisket and ribs.  Unfortunately, our chicken and pork didn’t come out so well which spoiled our chance at a second GC in six weeks.

The inaugural Sam’s Club Series local qualifier in Chesapeake VA was a miserable experience from a weather perspective.  Our manic-depressive pork was definitely on the manic side this weekend as we took 2nd in the category after two disappointing pork finishes in a row.  Coupled with an 8th place chicken call we moved on to the Sam’s regional final in Laurel MD.  But just as quickly as it was near the top, our 2nd place pork in Chesapeake became 27th place pork in Laurel and our run in the series came to an end with a 17th place overall finish.

Aside from seeing friends, Smoketoberfest at the Grove was a bad way to go into the Jack.  For details see “bad” and “ugly”.

And then there was the Jack Daniel’s World Invitational Barbecue.  In September, we were fortunate enough to win the Virginia state draw for the Jack.  I told Sharon that the opportunity to cook one of the signature events in competitive BBQ in our second year was really enough for me, and I meant it.  After a year full of good results, getting to Lynchburg was the perfect way to end the season.  And getting not one but two calls (10th place chicken and 10th place ribs) was more than we could’ve ever hoped for.

THE BAD

There were a few bad things in 2011.  The funny thing is bad things often seemed to lead to good things.

On the way back from Middletown, we had a blowout on our trailer on I-495 less than five miles from home.  Most importantly we didn’t have an accident, and thanks to Fairfax County Motor Patrol we got our spare on the trailer and made it home in once piece. The next day, I found that the inner treads on both tires of our single axle trailer were completely worn down, which indicated we had an axle issue of some sort.  And imagine my unhappiness when I drove down to our dealer and learned that our trailer was three days out of warranty.

But like I said, in 2011 bad things seemed to lead to good.  We’d been disappointed with our trailer’s suitability for carrying our equipment and its general durability, and on a lark I decided to take a look at toy haulers.  By the end of the day we’d traded in our single axle trailer on a tandem axle Forest River Work and Play that has made our life a lot easier.

I already mentioned our spoiled chicken in Lexington.  However, having to find new chicken introduced us to Conrad & Hinkle’s fabulous pimento cheese.  That pimento cheese is really calling me to back to Lexington for 2012.  And thanks to Conrad & Hinkle we learned that we can cook winning chicken, just as long as we have good product to work with.

Consistent results across the four categories was occasionally a problem in 2011. But nothing could have prepared me for the gut punch of a 44th place finish in chicken at Smoketoberfest.  That was out of 47, but #47 was a DQ for late turn in.  I was cooking Eric’s event as a dress rehearsal for the Jack the following week, so a rock-bottom chicken result was tough to take.  But once again, something good came out of this experience.  I got advice from too many people to count saying to shake it off and cook the Jack just like it was another comp.  And seven days later, Degüello BBQ received the first call in the four major categories with a 10th place chicken in Lynchburg.  I am certain that the advice and words of encouragement were a part of our success at the Jack.

And then there was the weather.  After getting really lucky for the most part in 2010, we fared much worse in 2011 when it came to the elements.  From near-freezing temp with an accompany steady downpour to begin the season, riding out a really intense hailstorm  in Frederick, cooking New Holland in the teeth of an approaching hurricane, and thinking we’d have to purchase an ark at the Sam’s Club events, it was an adventurous year.  But the biggest challenge was the extreme heat in July.  We hit 105F in Easton with a heat index somewhere north of 120F, and the high temps taxed the onsite power to the max and beyond.  From that event we learned that it was imperative to be self-sufficient as much as possible, and our Honda dual-generator setup carried the day in Bluemont and the Jack.

THE UGLY

Nothing uglier than the sight of the KCBS rep approaching your site with a box in hand.  And although it hurt a lot to get disqualified for having a foreign object in our brisket box in Lexington, the experience taught us a valuable lesson about the importance of keeping foil away from the cutting board.

Oh and NEVER put cream cheese in an apple and smoke it, even if Steve Raichlen does say it’ll be a taste sensation.

So 2011 is in the books, and now it’s on to 2012.  We enter this year with a wealth of experience and a goal to cook more consistently across all four categories.

To that end, we’ve added a new piece of equipment to our arsenal.  We are looking forward to competing with our new Backwoods Extended Party purchased from Mason-Dixon BBQ Services in 2012.  The WSMs will still be in the mix, but we hope the Backwoods will help us achieve the goal of smoking consistently superior products.

As always, thanks for reading and we hope you’ll keep checking in!

Decent BBQ in a restaurant setting is hard to find in the DC/NoVA area, due in large part to purveyors who don’t know how truly great smoked meat should look, smell and taste.  Heath and Brett know great BBQ, and together with their partners Mike Anderson and Bill Blackburn they’ve done an excellent job of translating their award winning products into a commercial establishment.

FOOD:

Good BBQ is about properly smoked meat, and this is where Pork Barrel BBQ really stands apart from would-be competitors.  Brisket was moist, with a nice smoke ring and just tender enough that it holds together without crumbling (a sure sign of overcooking).  Pork was also tender and moist.  But my favorite meat offering was the smoked sausage, which had just the right amount of spice and was very juicy.  I understand it’s made especially for Pork Barrel by a local sausage maker, so you can enjoy a tasty link and support a small business at the same time.  All of Pork Barrel’s meats are seasoned with their own All-American Spice Rub, and if you want to try their rubs and sauces at home, they are available at many local area supermarkets.

Sides are also excellent.  Mac and cheese is a BBQ side staple, but I’ve yet to find a really tasty take on this dish in any area BBQ establishment until now.  My mac and cheese was smoky and a little spicy with a nice crust on top.  Another standout was the Redneck Ratatouille, which actually allowed me to eat and enjoy some vegetables alongside my smoked meat entrees.

DRINKS/BAR:

Ice filled tubs with retro/vintage sodas is a nice touch and provides an alternative to mainstream Coke/Pepsi products.  The bar has an excellent selection of draft beers.  If you must have the standard offerings they’re on tap, but do yourself a favor and try the Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat Porter or Alexandria’s own Port City Monumental IPA.   Bar staff is competent, attentive and very friendly.

AMBIANCE:

I grew up in Texas, and for us BBQ is as much about community and getting to know your neighbors as it is enjoying a meal.  Pork Barrel BBQ must have had this idea in mind when they designed the restaurant dining area.  The setup is open, with a number of large booths, a community table and ample bar space.  If you’re looking for a cozy, intimate dining spot there are alternatives.  If you want to have a great BBQ dinner, enjoy the company of others and maybe meet someone new, then you will be happy.

Bottom line, Pork Barrel BBQ not only met but exceeded my expectations.  At last, I can have great BBQ in an open and inviting dining space without having to drive hours.  Thanks guys and look forward to the next visit!

Every year for Thanksgiving we try to make something new (for us, anyway), and this year we decided to try a few recipes from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc At Home cookbook.  With this book, Chef Keller wanted to share his recipes for American comfort food that us mere mortals can make any or every day.  Based on the outcome of our Thanksgiving dinner, we’ll be revisiting this book often over the winter.

For the past two years, Sharon and I cooked an entire turkey as the centerpiece of our Thanksgiving meal, but this year we decided to go with a half turkey breast and add another meat.  Fig-stuffed Roast Pork Loin recipe sounded different, yet familiar so we decided to go with it.

The centerpiece of this recipe is a fig and balsamic vinegar jam.  It was super easy to make, and I prepped it on Wednesday evening.  On Wednesday evening I placed my pork loin roast in a savory brine for an overnight soak.

On Thursday morning I added browned ciabatta bread, garlic, shallots, and fresh fennel to the jam and set aside to cool.

I cut two lengthwise slits into my pork loin roast and piped the stuffing into the roast.  I was a little concerned whether the stuffing would flow enough to fill the roast all the way through, but there was no need to worry.  I used a disposable pastry bag and cut the end off to make the opening about 1/2″ in diameter and the stuffing flowed perfectly.  I filled from both ends and I could see the roast plump up as it flowed to the center.  Then I tied the roast with cooking twine to help it retain its shape and seasoned liberally with sea salt and fresh ground tellicherry peppers.

I browned the stuffed and tied roast on all sides for 2-3 minutes to get a nice crust on the surface.

I placed the browned roast on a rack in a pan to catch the drippings and used our convection oven temp probe to cook the roast to 140F internal temperature.  After the roast was done I wrapped the pan with foil and set it in the oven warming drawer to rest.

I was mildly concerned about the roast drying out during its extended rest.  Turns out I had nothing to worry about.

Here’s a photo of the sliced pork.  The roast sat in the warming drawer for about 90 minutes after cooking.

The second dish we cooked from the Ad Hoc cookbook was Potatoes Pavé.   This is a simple potato recipe from an ingredient perspective (potatoes, heavy cream, butter, garlic, salt, pepper, garlic, thyme and chives).  The most challenging part of the recipe is the preparation of the “pavé”.  Pavé roughly translates as paving stone or cobblestone, and the finished potato pavé looks like a large paving stone you’d find on a cobblestone street.  If, of course, you lived in Mr. Potato Land.

Our pavé was made with very thinly sliced (1/16″) russet potatoes dredged in heavy cream seasoned with salt and pepper.  I layered the slices in a deep baking dish and seasoned with salt, pepper and butter every few layers.

Here’s the pavé under construction.  When finished it was about 2″ tall, 10″ long and 6″ wide.

I baked the pavé in the oven until it was thoroughly cooked and then allowed it to cool completely.  I then weighed it down on top with a foil covered piece of cardboard and refrigerated overnight.  On Thursday afternoon I removed the solidified pavé from the refrigerator and the pan (thanks to the parchment paper lining in the bottom of the pan).   I trimmed the edges of the pavé and cut into twelve  pieces.  I heated and browned the individual pieces in canola oil seasoned with garlic and thyme.

Just before serving, I garnished the individual pieces with a pat of butter and fresh chives.

Despite this being the first time I’d attempted either of these recipes, both came out great.  There was a bit of a learning curve, particularly with the potato slicing on my mandoline and construction of the pavé.  But it will go a lot easier next time around on      both.  And after enjoying both dishes, I believe we will be having both of these again.

On October 21-22, Degüello BBQ competed in the  23rd Annual Jack Daniel’s World Invitational Barbecue in Lynchburg TN.  ”The Jack” is one of the true signature events in the world of competitive BBQ, and an invite to compete is a both a privilege as well as an accomplishment.  The Jack field is filled via automatic bids awarded to grand champions of a few select events and teams with at least seven grand championships over the previous year, a state by state drawing of teams with at least one grand championship, and selection of international teams.  The selection process yields a formidable field of world-class competitors, so just getting to Lynchburg is a career highlight for many teams.  And since the majority of the teams get their invite via a random draw, there is no guarantee a team will get a future invite.  Bottom line, we were honored to have been selected via the Virginia state draw, and we came to Lynchburg with the intention of cooking the way that got us there in just our second year of competition.  With 89 teams competing, Degüello BBQ was incredibly fortunate to hear our name called twice with a 10th place finish in chicken, 10th place ribs, 74th place pork, 59th place brisket and a 32nd place overall finish.      Huge congrats to Smokin’ Hogz of Abington MA for taking the Grand Championship and Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q of Decatur AL for winning Reserve Grand Champion.  I’d like to think I imparted some karma to Bill when I met him in the elevator at the Holiday Inn on Thursday morning and to Chris on Saturday when I came by to say hello (I told him I wasn’t buying his book because I already a “grease-stained” copy).  But neither of those guys need any help; they’re world-class cooks and nice people too.  Here’s the contest rundown:

Chicken: 10th out of 89 (173.1428)

We arrived at Moorehead Pavilion to find a mass of humanity already in place for the awards ceremony.  As we looked around for a place to put our chairs, I found a stack of hay bales at the back of the pavilion with people sitting on them but open space behind.  We set up there and settled in what we were told would be an incredibly long ceremony.  After the all the ancillary awards, the main category awards began.  By this time, I’d actually gotten a bit distracted with Facebook setting up a post with 10 to 1 that I would fill in with results for each category.  I’d just finished and looked up when the announcer said “10th place chicken!  Now, uh, how do I say this?”  As any of the twenty or so of you that regularly read my blog know, the very first call we got was for chicken in Middletown DE and this is exactly what the announcer said there.  Subsequently it’s become a bit of a running joke and some of our friends will shout out “DO YOU JELLO!!” or some other goofy approximation of our team name when we get a call.  It also works out kind of nice because when an announcer says “How do I pronounce this name?” early in an awards ceremony we’re thinking the next thing we’ll hear is something like “‘deh-GWAY-o”.  Or not.  When I heard it this time, I actually thought “Ha!  An international team’s about to get a call in chicken!  Nice!”  and then the announcer says something like “Dee-gOO-lo”.  I turned to Sharon and said “Surely not….” and then the announcer tried agin and this time got the pronunciation perfect (there must’ve been a Top fan down there somewhere).  Wow, what a feeling.  We spent the next few minutes winding our way through the crowd to the stage and trying to find a gap.  As we walked by Pork Barrel BBQ I gave Heath a man hug and said “I love you man!!”  and we went down to get our ribbon and bottle of Jack.

I’d like to say we did something special with our chicken, but we didn’t.  Aside from putting in seven thighs and some white meat, it was our standard recipe and prep.  When it’s on, it’s pretty good.  And on this day it was on.  Great chicken from Wagshal’s Market in Washington DC was a huge part of our success on this category, and I’d like to give special thanks to Pam at Wagshal’s for hand-selecting and trimming our chicken.

Ribs: 10th out of 89 (174.8572)

After the thrill of getting a call at the Jack, we were standing around behind the pavilion talking with Jen and Jack of Black Cat and feeling really good about our day.  I was only half paying attention again when the announcer began calling ribs.  So imagine my complete surprise when I faintly hear “10th place ribs…..Degüello BBQ!”  The one call had made our day, but two calls?  I was pretty stunned.  I ran from behind the pavilion back to the stage to get our second ribbon and bottle of Jack.

Of the four categories we cooked on the day, this was the one I thought came out best.  I’ve had temp issues cooking ribs on the WSM almost all year, and on Saturday morning I woke to near freezing temperature and a pretty hard frost.  Based on conditions, I made the snap decision to cook less racks and use our WSM blanket from the BBQ Guru.  Turned out to be the two best decisions I made all day as the big WSM held perfect temp for the entire cook.  After the craziness I experienced at Shrewsbury with temp control and a broken door handle, it was odd to be able to sit there calmly instead of fiddling with doors and fans in an attempt to stabilize smoker temp.  We had plenty of good bones to choose from, and I was gratified the judges liked our submission.

Pork: 74th out of 89 (157.7144)

Well, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses at Moorehead Pavilion…..

I’d say I was surprised by the pork results, but I’d be lying.  True to form, schizophrenic pork (actually I think I’m going to start calling it “manic-depressive pork”) was due for a depressing performance after a top ten finish the week before in Chambersburg.   And just like every pork submission of the last four months, I don’t have a clue why it performed the way it did.  When we’ve hit it big (2nd, 2nd, 5th and 8th) I wasn’t overly impressed with the turn ins, and when we’ve gone the other way, I thought things went OK.

I wasn’t thrilled with the result, but I wasn’t exactly crushed either as I have to look at it partly in the context of the level of competition.  My #1 priority in the off-season is to work on cooking consistently moist, tender pork with snappy, well-balanced  flavor.  I feel it’s an achievable goal, especially the consistency part.

Brisket: 59th out of 89 (158.2856)

Middling results for a middling submission.  And like I’ve been saying all year, if you don’t bring it strong you’re not going to be too thrilled with the results.  I was keeping pretty good company down there, though; I counted two 2011 automatic Jack qualifying teams as well as previous winners of the “Big Four” (American Royal, Jack, Memphis in May and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo) south of where I finished on this day.  Don’t get me wrong; I would never place myself in the category with any of those guys.  I’m just saying it was a tough field when teams of that caliber finish that far down the ranks.  I tasted the brisket of one of those teams, and I now know why he is one of the most-respected cooks in my home state of Texas.  I know it put my entry to shame.  If you’re wondering who I’m talking about, I’ve given you enough clues that it shouldn’t be hard to figure out at all.

Having had some time to process the experience of the Jack, all I can say is wow.  The setting, the ancillary events, and just the honor and thrill of competing against so many incredible teams all made for an experience that may never be surpassed for us.  If this event ever becomes a “grind” then it’s time for us to hang it up and do something else.  Seriously.

The spread at Miss Mary Bobos.  My parents are wanting to go to Nashville and visit Opryland, and when they do I intend to take them down to Lynchburg to experience this place.  Great food and great stories here with Pork Barrel BBQ, Mango Mike, Jen and Nisha.      

Pork Barrel One.  Paul Huff was parked in the shade of the bus, but it didn’t seem to hurt his overall performance!

Mr. Jack at the Visitors Pavilion

Statue of Jack Daniel at the base of the spring where he distilled whiskey and from which the water for all Jack Daniel’s whiskey is still used.  

Our Jack Daniel’s sign courtesy of the organizers!

The parade about to start!

Sharon Peade Rudd, the brains behind Degüello BBQ

Pork Barrel BBQ with the DC flag

Sunset on the Hill

Guy Fieri and the Master Distiller Jeff Arnett

Jasper the Pig.  He was filled with papers containing bad results of the competitors, doused in Jack and then lit on fire.  My paper said “44 DQ”.  

Degüello BBQ is an all-WSM team!

This is how we drink coffee at the Jack (no whiskey in the cup, stirring stick notwithstanding)

The 22″ WSM with BBQ Guru smoker jacket

Judging at the Jack is done out in the open.  It was really interesting to see the process underway!

The chicken ribbon and bottle of Jack.  I was kind of stunned, hence the look on my face.  

The ribs and chicken ribbons.  I was doubly stunned by this time.     

Sorry for the last minute flogging, but I’m about to place an order for Degüello BBQ clothing.  This is going to be an embroidery order, so there a LOT of options available:

• Shirts – tees, polos, button down long/short sleeve, work shirts, fishing shirts
• Fleece – jackets, vests etc.
• Other items like caps, scarves, winter hats are available (subject to enough interest to meet minimum order quantities)

In addition, I’ve still got a few print shirts in assorted sizes, colors, etc. If you’re interested in one of those let me know your size/color needs and I will check my inventory.  Contact me at my email address redc40@yahoo.com, via comment here on the blog or on my personal Facebook page (Kit Rudd) , my Degüello BBQ Facebook page or via comment here on the blog.  Thanks!

Chicken: 44th out of 47 (146.8566)

Absolutely rock bottom results.  I was utterly and completely shocked, as I felt pretty good about our submission.  In anticipation of the next week, I turned in white and dark meat.  Also, based on a fair amount of feedback/talk I’d been hearing about “too spicy chicken” I made a change to my rub.  I guess those were two ill-advised decisions, as this was the worst placing in any category we’ve ever had, with the exception of our brisket DQ in Lexington NC.

Ribs: 12th out of 47 (158.8572)

Once again, our usual ribs.  However, the wind on Saturday played havoc with temp control on the 22″ WSM and I spent the entire morning opening and closing the side door to maintain a proper temp.  Perhaps the temp swings hurt the quality of the end product, and maybe we just competed against lots of really good ribs.  My guess is it was a combination of both.

Pork: 8th out of 47 (165.7144)

And once again, pork goes the other way as we got our only call of the day.  Schizophrenia?   Whiplash?  Inconsistency?  I am a little unsure what to call it.  What I do know is that it’s gone way past unsettling.  I need to give some serious thought to what exactly is driving the extreme swings in pork results.  That’s what the offseason is for……

Brisket: 36h out of 47 (145.1428)

Bad finish, but it wasn’t exactly one of my stellar briskets either.  I’ve observed this year that the level of competition has gone up a lot, and if you don’t bring it strong in a category you’re not going to be happy with the score.  This is a great example how of the higher level of competition will humble you real quick.

Two consecutive  weekends of poor execution really hurt, and this one was particularly painful due to the chicken result and the timing.  The Mid-Atlantic is full of outstanding teams who bring it strong every weekend, though, so we need to step up our game. On the plus side, we’ve  had a strong run this year, and I’m confident we will bounce back strong.  As the season winds down, I’m already thinking about how to make some incremental improvements across all four categories in 2012.  For now, though, the biggest event in the short history of Degüello BBQ awaits as we prepare to cook on one of the biggest stages in competitive BBQ,   the Jack Daniel’s World Invitational Barbecue in Lynchburg TN on October 21-22.  Time to uncork a performance like the one that got us there.

This weekend, Degüello BBQ competed in the inaugural Sam’s Club National BBQ Regional Final in Laurel, MD.  This was easily the biggest competition in the short history of our team, so we came into Laurel with the intention of cooking strong like we’d done all summer.  Unfortunately, we didn’t deliver when it counted.  With 30 teams competing, we finished 20th in chicken, 11th in ribs, 27th in pork, 11th in brisket and 17th overall.  With the top nine teams advancing to the National Finals in Bentonville, AR, this was the end of the road for us in this year’s Sam’s Club Series.  Huge congrats to 3Eyz BBQ for taking the Grand Championship.  Here’s the contest rundown:

Chicken: 20th out of 30 (157.7142)

Not the worst chicken we’ve turned in, but not that bad (or so I thought).  Honestly, I was much more worried about our chicken two weeks ago in Chesapeake.  The pieces I tasted had nice skin and good tenderness.  But with a Regional Final field, pretty good isn’t going to make it very far.

Ribs: 11th out of 30 (160.5714)

Our usual ribs.  I felt they were better than Chesapeake, and they did score a little better.  Again, though, you’ve got to step it up when the field is this strong.  I had good temp control on the WSM this time, which was a welcome change.  I used Kingsford Competition Briquettes, and in my experience they burn a little hotter than most non-lump charcoal.  So I think that may have helped.

Pork: 27th out of 30 (152.5714)

Two weeks ago, I said  ”And just as quickly as pork had apparently fallen off the table, we hit big again.”  And this weekend?  Well, after this weekend’s result, I do not know what to think. It’s days like this that almost make me nostalgic for this early season mid-pack pork finishes.  Almost.

Brisket: 11th out of 25 (157.1426)

Second consecutive 11th place brisket finish.  This one hurt more, though,as I was more pleased with this entry.  Based on the score, the judges seemed to like it more as well.  But even more so than Chesapeake, there were a lot of strong brisket cooks in the field.  Our raw score today would’ve been top five two weeks ago, but this was a different day, different field and different judges so it’s not really a valid comparison.  A good solid entry that was bested by superior competition.

This was a very disappointing result.  We failed to measure up to strong competition, and it hurt.  But the responsibility for this outcome resides solely with us.  The one thing I will NEVER pin bad results on is judging.  Although I do think different groups of judges have different preferences, that’s out of our control. What IS in our control is cooking consistently good entries that please the widest number of palates.  When we do that, we’re successful.  When we don’t, a short ride home from Laurel seems a lot longer.

So now we move on to the last two competitions of the year.  Next up is Smoketoberfest BBQ Challenge in Chambersburg PA on October 14-15.  And after that. it’s on to the our final, and biggest ever, competition.  Degüello BBQ was fortunate enough to win the Virginia draw for the Jack Daniel’s World Invitational Barbecue in Lynchburg TN on October 21-22.  We are super excited to be going to one of the two or three biggest events in BBQ in our second year of competition.  A good showing at the Jack would be a nice finish to the season!

Last weekend, Degüello BBQ competed in the inaugural Sam’s Club National BBQ Tour Local Qualifier in Chesapeake VA.  With 25 teams competing, we finished 8th in chicken, 13th in ribs, 2nd in pork, 11th in brisket and 7th overall.  Most importantly, our 7th place finish allows us to advance to the Regional Final in Laurel MD on Sept. 30-Oct. 1.  Weather conditions were miserable, with constant rain from late Friday through awards.  Although the weather was unpleasant, it actually a good thing to experience it here since we may see rain again this year.  Here’s the contest rundown:

Chicken: 8th out of 25 (166.2858)

I will take this result, as I fully expected to see us at the bottom of this category today.  Recently I’ve not been sampling our chicken, but today I decided to try it.  The first piece I sampled had rubbery skin.  Concerned, I decided to try another piece, and it was only slightly less rubbery.  Now I was definitely worried.  I decided to try one more piece, and it was noticeably better.  Based on the tasting, I decided to put all small pieces in the box, on the assumption that the smaller ones had a better chance of having good skin/tenderness.  The downside of using small pieces was that they may be less moist, but I decided that moister meat would not trump a judge taking a bite of one of my thighs and getting a “chicken skin soul patch”.  It appears that the small pieces box was the right call.

Ribs: 13th out of 25 (156.5714)

Just prior to taking the ribs out of the smoker, I had a near disaster that would’ve ruined our day for sure.  As I walked out to pull the ribs, Sharon said “Oh my, look at the canopy!!!”  The canopy had filled with water and was bending from the weight.  Most disturbing, the panel directly above the WSM holding the ribs was so full it was almost touching the top of the smoker.  I VERY delicately dumped the water out of the canopy and successfully removed the ribs without dousing them and the smoker.  As for the end product, I thought they were quite good, but the mid-pack finish tells me I may have been a little optimistic. As always, I had temp issues early on, though, so I may not have gotten the ribs cooked quite enough.

Pork: 2nd out of 25 (169.1428)

And just as quickly as pork had apparently fallen off the table, we hit big again.  Although I was very confused why we’d had two bad pork results in a row, I was convinced that those results had little to do with our prep.  I did think that maybe the PA judge pool don’t prefer our flavors, but even so I was not ready to make wholesale changes to our flavor profile.  Good thing we stayed the course, because this call was what probably got us through to the next round of the Sam’s Club Series.  We stuck with the presentation we’ve used all summer and made one small tweak to our ingredients (thanks to a certain unnamed neighbor).  A very welcome and needed result.

Brisket: 11th out of 25 (157.1426)

Disappointing result here, but there were a LOT of good brisket cooks in attendance this weekend, and I am certain they all brought their “A Games”.  If I had anything to say about our brisket this weekend, I’d say it was a wee bit lacking in flavor and I did a below average job with the knife and got unevenly sized slices.

We’re happy to advance to the Regional Final in Laurel.  However, we are going to have to put everything together to have any chance of advancing to the Finals in Bentonville. I counted more than 15 teams coming to Laurel that I feel have a legitimate shot at taking the top prize, so there is really zero room for a bad category.  We’ve had some good performances this summer, so we’ll do our best and be happy with the outcome this weekend.  Consistency, consistency, consistency………..

 

Troy Black giving instructions

2nd Place Pork!

On September 9-10, Degüello BBQ competed in the third annual Southern York County BBQ Cook-Off in Glen Rock PA.   With 28 teams competing, we took 13th place in chicken, 1st place in ribs, 20th place in pork and 1st place in brisket for a 5th place overall finish.  After dealing with Hurricane Irene in New Holland, the weather this weekend was a very nice change.  In addition, we were very happy to post two category wins in ribs and brisket.  On the downside, this was the second poor pork result in a row.  Hearty congratulations to Pigs In Blankets for their first Grand Championship and Thick and Saucy (I just love that name) for taking the Reserve Grand Championship.  As always big props to Alicia Herbst and Ben Kauffman for putting on a superb event.  And a special thanks to Joe Oaster for coming out for awards.  It was great to see you again, Joe.   

Here’s the contest rundown:

Chicken: 13th out of 28 (157.7140)

The fickle mistress known as chicken continues to taunt us.  Another solid entry, but just middling results.  We had smaller thighs this week, and I did go easier on the rub as well.  I also cooked a batch of drumetttes and wings, but I decided not to turn them in as they were a little bland.  In retrospect, maybe I should have, as I’m beginning to think that PA judges are not responding to our (admittedly) bold chicken flavor profile.  We’ll stay the course, however, as we’ve hit on this prep and profile several times this year.

Ribs: 1st out of 28 (166.2858)

Ribs are right on track.  They tasted awesome, and they had great tenderness.  As much as our friends in PA have shown indifference to our chicken and pork (more on that later), they’ve responded well to our ribs.  We took 2nd in ribs here last year, and now we’ve got a 1st place trophy to go with that one.  One big problem we had to deal with; the door handle on the WSM broke about an hour into the cook and we were unable to lock it in place.  I had to wedge it in place and periodically replace it when it fell out.  Looks like it had little effect on the ribs, though.

Pork: 20th out of 28 (148.0000)

Wow, I am really at a loss here.  Two pork clunkers in a row is concerning.  Again, I was happy enough with the taste and tenderness.  As for appearance, the box presentation was much better than New Holland, where placement of the money muscle and pulled made our entry look a bit like a part of the pig no one would want to eat.  I’m still not ready to make any changes, as we had two outstanding results with that prep and flavor profile in July.

Brisket: 1st out of 28 (166.8570)

This was a really good brisket, and it was awesome to have won this category here in Shrewsbury for the second year in a row.  Big props to Don Chomas for scoring a beautiful brisket for me in Annapolis at My Butcher and More since I’d used up all my briskets from Central Meats.  That was the winner, Don!

Overall , we were happy with today’s results.  Actually we were very happy, as any day we can win two categories is a good one.  But the goal is to cook consistently across FOUR categories, and we came up short there.  Next up will be a much harder test, as we will be in Chesapeake VA for the Sam’s Club National BBQ Tour Qualifier.  Consistency, consistency, consistency………..

Our version of Charlie’s Angels

Nice hat Ben! BTW I have one exactly like it at home…

1st Place Ribs courtesy of the broken door WSM 

On August 26-27, Degüello BBQ competed in the New Holland Summerfest in New Holland, PA.  Cancellations due to Hurricane Irene’s approach reduced the field to 67 teams from the scheduled 72.  Not exactly a standout performance for us, as we took 26th place in chicken, 9th place in ribs, 53rd place in pork and 23rd place in brisket for a 20th overall finish.  Weather was great on Friday and into early Saturday morning.  By noon on Saturday, the rain and wind began and steadily increased until the awards ceremony, by which time it was obvious we needed to get rolling out of there.  Congrats to 4:20 Q  for taking the Grand Championship.

Here’s the contest rundown:

Chicken: 10th out of 26 (157.7142)

Chicken is a fickle mistress.  Our entry wasn’t bad this week, but I was a little disappointed with the skin as it had more bite resistance than I prefer.  May have had a heavy hand on the rub, too, as we got a comment  card stating our “sauce was spicy”.  No worries here; we’ll continue with our current recipe and prep.  I will ease up on the rub, though, especially as we go north into Pennsylvania.

Ribs: 9th out of 67 (164.5714)

After two 3rd place finishes in a row on ribs, we were bound to have a little drop off, but 9th in a field of 67 is still a good result.  I’m still dealing with the  low initial temp issue on the WSM but have devised a work around that keeps temp up until it stabilizes on its own.  We’ll keep things the same here.

Pork: 53rd out of 67 (148.5712)

Youch!  From 2nd to 5th in August to 53rd today wasn’t much fun.  Not sure what happened here, although I took a look at pictures of our box and it did not look particularly appetizing.  As for the actual raw scores, they were all 7s and 8s with no comment cards.  So we will mark this up as a day where there were many better submissions and stay the course.

Brisket: 23rd out of 67 (159.9996)

Good, solid brisket that just didn’t break through for better results.  The box was a little less artful than our 1st place box in Bluemont last month, but still no worries.

After a really hot run this summer of two 3rd place overall finishes and one Grand Championship, we were due for a bit of a letdown.  Aside from going easier on the chicken rub and a little closer attention to box construction, though, we’re happy with things as they are.  Next up for Degüello BBQ is the Southern York County BBQ Cook-Off in Shrewsbury PA on September 9-10.

This is not beer

Don’s Baklavas on the WSM

The finished baklavas

Freaky Gnome