Silver Lake BBQ 2009

Harlan and John= Grilladelic Brazen Que

Silver Lake BBQ Championship is in the books.  A nice event, made even better by absolutely perfect weather.

Team Grilladelic joined up with team Brazen Que for the first time and we are fairly happy with the results:

• 10th place overall (out of 35 teams)
• 3rd Place Chicken
• 9th Place Pork
• 14th Place Brisket (but should of been higher)
• 25th Place Ribs (but should of been lower.  Absolutely terrible)

Overall a great time.  Harlan is a great guy and a real student of barbecue.  A slip up with the ribs probably cost us a top five finish but that is life on the competition BBQ circuit.  Next up:  Sparta! Harvest on the Ridge.

Click here for the detailed results.

3rd Place Chicken Turn-In

Chicken 3rd Place.

Ribs = Disaster. Overcooked the spares.

Fantastic Pork. Sliced and Chunked

Our BBQ site. Eggs and Kettles. Beautiful day

M-22 BBQ. The famous Mrs. Dog the Applegate Team

Competitor's rig. BBQ vendor too.

Nora liked the ribs. Judges did not.

Harlan's turn-in for pork. This was 9th place. It was tasty.

Getting Ready to Rumble…Silver Lake BBQ 2009. Part #1

Folks, it is almost here.  Silver Lake State of Michigan BBQ Championship.

Team Grilladelic is joining Brazen Que to create a “super team”; Grilladelic Brazen Que..sort of like the Crooked Vultures. Except instead of guitars and drums we have Eggs, Hasty Bakes and Webers!

For those new to KCBS competitions, we cook the four BBQ food groups (categories):

• Chicken (Grilladelic specialty)
• Ribs (Grilladelic specialty)
• Brisket (Brazen Que specialty)
• Pork Butt (Brazen Que specialty)

All meat has to be inspected on Friday night; it must be raw (no pre-seasoning, brining or marinading) and it must be the right cut (don’t even think about beef ribs, turkey or a beef clod).   The meats are typically trimmed and seasoned that night.  Teams cook under their own canopies and must bring their own tables, cutting boards, knives, three-compartment cleaning/disinfecting system, etc.  It’s not unusual to see teams prepping throughout the night.  Some teams even begin cooking on Friday and go through the night..typically big briskets and butts.

Competitors Team

No gas or electric grills or smokers allowed.  However, for the life of me, pellet grills are allowed (strong lobbying group…)

Each category has an assigned time to be turned in.  This begins at 11:00, 11:30, 12:00 and 12:30 (or something close to that).

You are given a styrofoam container to use.  This is numbered.  A double-blind system is used to keep everything even.  The judges do not know which container belongs to which team. Only a number.  You place a minimum of six servings in a container.  You have a 10-minute window; five minutes before and five minutes after the hour

My Family Team

Judges then taste.  Six judges with a head table judge then score it; taste, tenderness and appearance.  Appearance is an art.  You can use lettuce or other greens in your container.  Very subjective.  Always grumbling later.  There is a convoluted scoring system that weights certain categories, drops hi/low, etc.  Don’t ask me.

These are then tallied.  At approximately 3:00 pm, winners are announced.  Typically top ten in each category and then the Grand Champion and runner up. Cash and trophies.  Cheers, tears and beers follow.  I’ve had my share of them all.

Tear down the cook site.  Tired, dirty.

If you do well…you are a happy dude (or dudette).

If you did terrible, you swear never again.  You change your mind a few months later and start practicing again.

Here is the official info:

SILVER LAKE SAND DUNES
APPLE & BBQ COOK-OFF FESTIVAL
Features a Sanctioned Kansas City BBQ Society Cook-Off

KCBS sanctions and judges BBQ competitions across the U.S. and promotes barbeque as America’s cuisine. It is the largest society of barbeque enthusiasts in the world.

By providing the most respected form of judging and scoring in the world of BBQ. KCBS provides a representative for each contest and an appropriate number of certified BBQ judges who have been trained in how to judge world-class barbeque, all while using a blind judging process that is fair and void of personal knowledge of teams being judged.

Outlined below are numerous opportunites for amateurs & professionals to participate in this family friendly event.

• Amateur BBQ Competition
• Grand Championship BBQ Cook-Off Competition
• Rib Eating Contest
• Vendor Space
• KCBS Certified Judges
• 2008 KCBS Cook-Off Winners

BBQ Field Notes: 8-18-09

I practiced my rib recipe tonight, preparing for my next competition in September.  This year Team Grilladelic will be joining forces with my friend Harlan and his team Brazen Que.   Grilladelic will be responsible for chicken and ribs.  Brazen Que, brisket and butt.

SILVER LAKE SAND DUNES
APPLE & BBQ COOK-OFF FESTIVAL
Features a Sanctioned Kansas City BBQ Society Cook-Off

Here are my field notes from tonights practice:

• Warm and humid, light breeze.
• Coals lit at 2:23, ribs put on at 2:51
• Two racks of back ribs, bought at Meijers, 3. 49/lb.   Pretty nice slabs.
• Peeled membranes then coated with yellow mustard
• Dusted with  Rockford Rib, Butt and Bird Rub. Purchased at Hermans Boy.
• Weber Kettle with Lazzari lump and apple chips.  Charcoal purchased at Kingmas.
• Placed ribs in Weber rib rack
• Brown sugar massage followed by a tin-foil wrap at the 2-hour mark.
• Finished with Blues Hog Barbecue Sauce at the 3-hour mark.  Sauce purchased at Kingmas. First time.
• Back on the grill, wrapped in foil for 45 minutes then served

Results

• Ribs were incredibly tender.  Maybe too much for competition. Note:  cut back 15-20 minutes
• Nice smoke ring, but prefer pecan to apple.   Chunks to chips.
• Added the brown sugar a bit too early, had a little burn action on the bottom rack.  Note: add brown sugar at the 2:45 mark.
• Blues Hog Barbecue Sauce is incredible.  It could become my sauce of choice.
• I want a new rib rack.  Too tight, tough to pull ribs out without damaging the bark.
• Very close to championship caliber ribs.   Very close.  Try the same thing one more time using a St. Louis cut.  Then lock it in.

Silver Lake, here we come!

Music to Sooth the Savage Soul

As I lick my wounds from the beating I took at the Silver Lake BBQ Competition, I used a little a music to bring back a healthier perspective on life.  No matter how dry a brisket might turn out, there is still good music to be discovered and enjoyed. Life remains good.

Here is a new CD I reviewed from the WYCE collection.

The John Henrys
Sweet as the Grain

This summer I was turned on to Fred Eaglesmith with his sensational Tinderbox CD.  Then I discovered the Duhks.  Now I have added The John Henrys’ new CD, Sweet as the Grain,  to my playlist.  The common denominator; Canadian roots music.

Sweet as a Grain, has been highly praised by a wide variety of mainstream and new media music critics. It is a blend of country, rockabilly and rock and roll.  Although their sound is unique, I was reminded of The Flying Burrito Brothers and New Riders of the Purple Sage, especially in track #1- Sweet as the Grain.  In tracks #3 and #6, there is certainly a sound much like Tom Petty’s new band; Mudcrutch.  Another musical memory was when I listened to tracks #5 and #10- and The Rolling Stones “country” sounds were called to mind.  A little rockabilly (with a touch of surf music) rounds out the CD– especially on tracks #8 and #9…(anyone remember the The Lost Planet Airmen?)

So there you go- The John Henrys; A little Burrito, some Petty, a couple of stones,  a touch of a surfing Commander Cody and a fresh Canadian breeze.

Silver Lake + Grilladelic = Titanic

This was basically the only highlight, in a long, wet weekend.  Grilling with the kids….

But first things first.   This was, without a doubt, an almost fatal blow to my competitive BBQ aspirations.  I don’t know if it was the Gaelic Storm t-shirts my wife and I wore on Saturday, but Team Grilladelic resembled the USS Titanic.  The only difference being instead of an iceberg, we ran into tough ribs, dry brisket and baffling pork (baffling because it tasted terrific…)

I am not going into any detail on how bad we did in three of the four categories (and overall).  A third place in chicken was the only bright spot on Saturday.

Besides having my family with me, I did get a chance to see many old friends…most from The Outdoor Cook days; the Applegates, Eric and his wife,  Harlan, Chuckie, Ford, Ted, Hot Smoky and Righteous, Big Moe, and several other folks so it wasn’t a total disaster.

I did make it to a life boat and worked my way home  (in pouring rain), unloaded the trailer, (in pouring rain) and spent a couple of hours of cleaning before I was able to enjoy a cold one and hit the hay.

Here are the top 10 results (out of 38 teams)

Chicken:
1- Quau
2- Extreme Roasters
3- Grilladelic (the only bright spot in a dismal display of BBQ)
4- Red Wagon BBQ
5- Brazen Q (good going Harlan…)
6- Coyote Cafe
7- M22 BBQ (the return of Steve and Julie Applegate to the BBQ elite)
8- Donnies BBQ
9- Hot Smokey And Righteous (customer from The Outdoor Cook)
10- Pork of the North

Ribs:
1-Motley Que Crew
2-All Day Smoke
3-Extreme Roasters
4-Red Wagon BBQ
5-Bavarian Smoke
6-Cancer Sucks
7-M22 BBQ (the Applegates again…is this a trend?)
8-Home Smokin
9-Straight Meat (Dr. Chuckie was a guest this weekend, helping out another customer from The Outdoor Cook)
10-Aww Hell

Pork :
1-All Day Smoke
2-Big Moe’s (Paul is one of the areas best barbecuers—hardest working too)
3-Great Lakes BBQ/Feed (Ford is a classic BBQ technician…good guy and serious Q’er)
4-Smokin Scottsmen
5-Cancer Sucks
6-Hickory Bbq and Grill
7-Quau
8-Red Wagon Bbq
9-Roadmaster Bbq
10-Motley Que Crew

Brisket:
1-Extreme Roasters
2-Quau
3-Pork of the North
4-All Day Smoke
5-Rubbed Smoked Sauced
6-Straight Meat Bbq (very good day Ted)
7-Smokin Scottsmen
8-M22 Bbq (Hmmm…Eric and is wife helped too!)
9-Red Wagon Bbq
10-Down Home Bbq

Top Ten
Grand-All Day Smoke (652.5714)
Reserve-Extreme Roasters
3-Quau
4-Red Wagon Bbq
5-Smokin Scottsmen
6-Cancer Sucks
7-M22 Bbq  (aka Mrs. Dog)
8-Great Lakes Bbq/Feed (Ford- great seeing you again)
9-Pork of the North
10-Straight Meat Bbq

Where did Grilladelic end overall? Let me put it this way, we added another “B” (Brutal) to BBQ.

Here some pics:

M-22. (The Applegates) Pouring rain. Perfect Egg weather.  The best foul weather grill/bbq made.

Third place chicken. I do admit, this was good chicken.

Last place ribs.  Looked great, tasted good, tough as leather.  They needed another 30-45 minutes in foil to really get tender.  And to think, I was worried they were going to be overcooked!

Grilling in the Rain. Just Grilling in the Rain.

Rain is in the forecast for the Silver Lake BBQ Competition.  I will need to do my best Fred Astaire impression I’m afraid.

It makes me yearn for The Big Green Egg.  The finest foul-weather grill/bbq in the world.  I just have to make due with my Webers and Hasty Bake….adjust for longer cooking times.  The interesting thing about bad weather at  a cookoff, is that it can throw off some teams with less experience.

My next post will be after the event.  Goals:  1) Top 5 finish.  2) Three top ten call outs.

We’ll see.

Tassier’s Maple Rub

A new product on the shelf caught my attention the other day.  Tassier’s Maple Products. Specifically, their Maple Rub and their Maple Brew Barbecue Sauce.

After reading the ingredients, I knew I had to try it; sweet and locally made in Cedarville, MI (Michigan’s UP). I am always looking for locally crafted sauces and rubs- not just private label stuff, but honest-to-God-made by the producers.  Not easy to find. [I am hoping that I still know how to read labels, and that the FDA has not made any changes to their: 'manufactured by" vs. "manufactured for"regulations]”

Besides liking new products, I do have the Silver Lake BBQ Competition on the horizon (in about 10 days) and I am wanting to do something with my pulled pork.  It’s good.  Not great.  I need great to have a chance for a top 5 finish.

To make a long story short, I tried both the rub and sauce with a 6lb. pork loin that I had my Weber kettle rotisserie.  Thumbs up.  I need to tweak the sauce a bit (add some heat….) but the sweetness was there…and it was a maple sugar sweetness…something a little different.

So I am all set:

Chicken and Ribs:  Rockford Rib Rub and Big Ricks BBQ

Brisket: Homemade rub and Orgasmic Slabs BBQ Sauce

Pork: Tassiers Maple Rub and Barbecue Brew

If Time and Money Were Not an Issue…

What would you do?

I would still be barbecuing, that is for sure, but probably with a Weber Ranch Kettle. Another thing- combing music with travel and adventure.  How is this for the ultimate music/travel/adventure trip:

Roots on the Rail Polar Bear Train

Riding a train with Fred Eaglesmith, to Churchill, Manitoba, “the Polar Bear Capitol of the World.” Can you imagine anything better?  C’mon…

Speaking of music, my brother-in-law turned me on to a new Canadian band a few weeks ago -The Duhks.

(Not really new, but new to me) The Duhks are more proof (along with Fred Eaglesmith) that Canada is  exporting more necessities than just beer and bacon.  I love my Canadian brothers!

Because time and money are an issue, a great consolation prize is an upcoming must-see concert featuring-The Young Dubliners .  They will be rocking The Intersection in Grand Rapids, this September.  One of my favorite bands and a source of many iPod downloads.

Next post will a Labor Day BBQ update- maybe a little pulled pork for carnitas.

Silver Lake BBQ Competition- Green Light!

Providing I am not too late to register, I got the green light to compete- and defend my brisket championship at the Silver Lake BBQ Competition.

Why do I need a “green light”? In the immortal words of a famous political candidate, “it’s the economy stupid”.

There is a website, that tracks the “fan cost index”. Basically this looks at the cost for a family of four attending a major league sporting event- not just tickets but all the other stuff that adds up.

When looking at BBQ competitions, there are similar costs involved that can make competing an investment that needs to be factored in.

So, for novices to the world of competitive BBQ (KCBS Circuit)- here is a BBQ Cost index (based on the Silver Lake Competition)

Registration $225.00

Meat (est) $90 (this is on the very low end. $10- Chicken, $25 Brisket, $30 ribs, $25 pork butt.  This amount really varies,,,some teams are easily spending $200-$300)

Sauces/Spices/Fuels/Ice/Supplies- $50-75

Overnight food/meals/beverages  (team of four)- $100

Gas-travel (varies) $50

Total- $515- 600

This does not include the equipment (grills, canopies, etc….)  And it does not include hotel rooms…real nice when traveling w/spouse and three young kids…but obviously a luxury.

So you can see, this is not a sport to be dabbled in….it can be costly.  Winning a ribbon or prize money is a longshot even for good teams and then, it ranges from $100- $2000 +/- (depends on the competition).

So why do it?  For fans of Kung Fu Panda…“we are barbecue people.  Barbecue sauce runs in our veins”

Pride Goeth Before the Fall

The Brisket King is dead.  Long Live the Brisket King.

As you might surmise, the “brisket king” was trounced in the State of Michigan BBQ Competition.  Yes….I was in the bottom ten instead of the top ten.  The only good news on the brisket front was that the beating was self-inflicted.

Poor choice of meat and lack of attention to the cook.  To make a long story short, I bought an untrimmed brisket and did not anticipate the amount of fat that cooked off, starting an early morning grease fire.  From that point, I attempted to recover, but the brisket ended up being very dry….something I thought I had worked through with my foil wrap technique.

However, my mistake in technique was not fully wrapping (crimping the foil tight around the brisket) the meat and instead I just let it simmer in a foil pan, leaving the top 30% of the brisket exposed to the dry winds of a Weber kettle.

Not all was lost however.  Team Grilladelic took 12th overall (out of 39 teams) and had a 5th in chicken and 7th in ribs.  If only the brisket had cooperated…I could of been a contender!

As I wrote earlier, I was gunning for a top 15 finish and two walks.  I accomplished that and now will focus my efforts on the Silver Lake Barbecue Competition!

Pictures of the fun weekend to follow!