Weber Grill Bel Air BBQ Bash Competition

When you think of competitions, what do you think of? Certainly not this!  A full KCBS competition entry cooked on a vintage Weber grill!  Say what? Well, read why we did this and check out our placement. Not bad for cramming it all together and going with it. Oh yeah, next time, maybe we should inject the brisket woopsie!

Big Fat Daddy's is not serious about competing and we do it once a year at the Bel Air BBQ Bash s condition of us selling our menu.  We'd love to do it all the time but we are booked every weekend selling at fairs or festivals. It's very hard to compete unless you have a big team to help you. We would rather work on bringing you mouthwatering food than worrying about a trophy or notariety.

Left to right: DJ McLain, Wayne Schafer and forefront: vintage Weber Grill

Time to check the brisket

DJ McLain is pumped for competition!

As well, due to our long standing track record for award winning "pit beef" and barbecue according to:

Steven Raichlen, "This is Baltimore's version of BBQ"
Saveur Magazine "Baltimore's Barbecue"
The New York Times "How to Say Barbecue in Baltimore"
Rachael Ray's 2010 Grilling Issue  : "Pit Beef" Pick for Maryland!
The Baltimore Sun, "Iconic Foods"

Yawn....we could go on and one, but we won't. Call us dinosaurs, we don't care.

Snapped this on the way to Warren County Fair, it's the massive Dinosaurs from DinosaurLand!

Hog-It-Up Mike Lackey Bluemont Tells All What BBQ Means to Him @Hog_It_Up_BBQ

Mike Lackey, Pitmaster of Hog-it-Up BBQ Team on the Go, Photo Stolen From PeterGreen

Catching up with Mike Lackey:  What Does BBQ Mean to a Texan and an Aussie? 

  

I'm introducing Mike and Michelle Lackey from Bluemont, Virginia. I love the town of Bluemont, and if you blink you may just miss the old main street or General Store.  I consider the Lackey's Bluemont's best kept secret as far as barbecue goes.  Having met in Australia Mike and Michelle (she's the Aussie) moved to their own little piece of paradise on Blue Ridge Mountain overlooking the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, which Michelle refers to as "Chateau Hog-It-Up" or as her Australian Embassy where everything works a little "differently". 

They've been married for 10 years, Michelle can't believe where the time has gone! Between them they have three kids, all of who have flown the coop, three dogs with "Boomer" being the 3rd member of the BBQ Team! They also share home with some chickens who HAVEN'T flown the coop yet! Both Mike and Michelle members of KCBS and MABA.  (In case you are wondering, the MABA is the Mid Atlantic Barbecue Association, and encompasses members from the East Coast, check 'em out here.)

 

So Mike how did your love of BBQ Start?

"My love of BBQing came from living in Texas where we'd BBQ at family reunions, but then when I moved to Virginia where I found that there was nowhere to go and eat good BBQ, so I figured if I wanted good BBQ I was going to have to cook it myself. Family and friends raved about my BBQ over the years so I thought I'd take it to the next level and compete. Now Michelle on the other hand used to only grill in Australia but has since taken to the BBQ lifestyle like a duck to water. She really likes to think she's the boss, but really I am, ..I think?"

When did you decide to start competing?

"We started competing at Pickin' in the Panhandle's 1st backyard competition in 2007 where we placed 2nd in brisket! In 2008, when we went to enter Pickin a second time , I found that the backyard was on Sunday. I really didn't want to compete on Sunday because that's my day to sleep in and relax, so I was "forced" to enter into the pro's on Saturday so I could keep the Sunday R&R tradition alive and well. Lo and behold we got a 5th brisket that year and the rest they say is history, we were bitten by the BBQ bug!"

The Lackey's Take the Prize at Grove's Harley Davidson Photo: Courtesy of Groves

 That's great!  Do you only compete in KCBS (Kansas City Barbeque Society) events or any contents? 

"Well typically we only do KCBS/MABA  events, but that doesn't mean we won't venture into other sanctioning bodies around the country to compete. We've even dabbled in chili cook offs recently winning first place, with my Texas Chili, at an event held by Groves Harley Davidson in Winchester VA! Michelle, we need to do more of these so we can fund our 'BBQ habit'!"

 What was your best accomplishment and why?

"Our best accomplishment by far has to be making it to the American Royal in Kansas City, in 2012, which was officially the biggest BBQ Competition in the world with 525 teams competing in the 'Open' portion of the event! We had an outstanding cook with Michelle, the Aussie "Chicken Queen" of our team, pulling a 5th place call in the Nation during the Invitational part of the Competition, which had 154 Grand Champion teams from around the country competing for the top spot. Now let's not forget our 54th placing in the Open, 525 teams, not too shabby at all!"

What is your favorite way of smoking or are you partial to any brand of smoker?

"First off. you "Don't mess with Texans! 'Cause we cook a little like this, We use a little Salt, Pepper, Cayenne and garlic, that's all ya need right there, slap it on your meat, fire up the Stumps Smoker, put some Oak in there and away you go! It don't get better that that!"

The Lackey's must be off sleeping while the Stumps is going....

So Stumps is your pick of a smoker? 

 

"Our all-time favorite pit is a Classic, one of Stumps Smoker's, original competition pits and we LOVE IT! In fact we love it so much we've ordered one of Stump's newest masterpieces .. the Monster!  Stumps Smoker's build a top quality smoker for the avid home BBQ fan as well as competition teams. They truly are a "set and forget" kind of pit being fully insulated and with the best part of all..... a charcoal chute! No messing around once you light that baby. Now we get some beauty sleep! 'Cause you know ...'Stump Don't Build No Junk!'"

Tell me in a nutshell "What does BBQ mean to you?"

"Ultimately BBQ means having a great cook, producing something you can be proud of, hearing your name called last and best of all catching up with friends over a few beers. Where else can you spend tons of money to hang out with your buddies!"

Who would have seen this coming?  

 

Anything else you want people to know?

"We are a multicultural team! Michelle is from Australia and I'm from Texas, well yes Texas is a country .. Isn't it? *wink*"

Damn Right it is.    

Mike and Michelle are great folks, and one thing I learned from this interview is that barbecue competitions aren't all about the prize money and winning. They are ways to make new friends, have something fun to do!  

I should also add that Michelle, ten years later, hasn't lost her Aussie accent.  Michelle is open to Australian companies pitching products to her. She'd love to be a spokesperson. 

Connect with them: 
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More Great Things from Australia - Beef & Biltong:


A related product you should try is this Great Australian Biltong Online, They ship worldwide and use the best Australian beef for their biltong.  It's the epiphany of what we call beef jerky.  You really are missing out if you haven't tried  it.

You may also remember some time ago I gave you three recipes for Australian beef. If you haven't tried them yet you should. If you want my honest opinion, both of the above "tastes better than ours" due to the fact Australians have different quality standards including grass fed cows versus grain fed. You won't find growth hormones or rushing cows to slaughter like big beef processing plants here.  The beef whether used in brisket, beef flat, bottom round, or to make Biltong just tastes so much better. 

Read all the "What BBQ Means to Me" BBQ interviews here. 

Two Old Men and a Grill KCBS Grand Champion Shelby NC

I was pleased to say Congrats to Bob of Two Old Men & A Grill for winning his 9th? Grand Champion KCBS Title this year. I lost count.  He's the first one who greeted us in Shelby, NC

 
I recently took my trip to Shelby, North Carolina to the ORIGINAL Hog Happnin' to learn hard from organizers Joyce and Jerry Gardner.  Ironically, Bob from Two Old Men and a Grill was the very first friendly face I had met. He greeted me when I arrived and talked to me about Barbecue galore.  Suffice to say, he was the Grand Champion. Congrats to you my new friend!

Wife made me stop to snap this photo going into Shelby. The back roads are long and windy, and the cotton fields are amazing.

I wanted to learn all about the other side of life as it pertains to the Kansas City Barbeque Society side of festivals. The KCBS calls it the Organizer Training. I call it Priceless Enlightenment. I did this because of my HoggingUp festival coming up next June. Sure,  I have been participating in and even helping some festivals for 30 years, but what makes a KCBS one different? What do competitors want? What do they need? What makes them tick? What is the judging all about? What makes a good festival for them?  What makes Joyce and Jerry's so successful each year?  Why do judges drive half way across the country to judge barbecue (unpaid)? I was amazed at the answers and learned so much.  The dedication, commitment, and expertise of all involved makes these type things come together in a miraculous way. 

The old metal North Carolina sign now lines a truck bed. Upcycling at it's finest. Photos of the truck to come in the days to follow.

Now I guess you are wondering why I drove nine hours from my home in Baltimore to go to small town Shelby, North Carolina. My wife looked up and researched the some 380+ Kansas City Barbeque Society festivals and found that Shelby's is one of the older and most loved ones here on the East Coast.  Very popular with the folks who go there each year. Why?  We attribute that to the dedication of Joyce and Jerry Gardner. We thank them for having us and we'll tell you more soon. I have so many great pictures and stories to post, it will surely take me a month.  Everything from Joyce and Jerry's kindness to my first Livermush Sandwich. Oh yeah, stay tuned.

Thanks for reading.

KCBS Barbeque Competition Jitters and Grilling Tips

It is true, even after all these years I'm camera shy.

The First Competition Jitters

People have asked me why, if I'm a lifetime member of the KCBS, I don't compete? Truth be told I've been grilling my way (or the highway) for 30 years (prior to the conception of the KCBS) but that's not really why.  I hate being on camera and hate doing interviews, because I'm really a private person, but that's not really why.

The reason is my livelihood is selling and serving food at most of these events. It is my career. It takes me a long time to prep, get ready and make sure I have enough of my texas beef, pork barbecue and turkey legs to serve the public when they come to eat.  I am, by trade, a food vendor.  The problem simply is time. 

BBQ Competing is True Dedication

I am sure any BBQ Team will tell you the extraordinary the amount of time and painstaking grilling, flipping and prepping that goes into competition barbecue. I know because most of my friends and pals do it all the time. Watching the pork butt, turning it here, turning it there.  If you don't keep an eye on things, your stuff will burn to hell, or dry out.  I don't want to put out a half ass entry. I want to be able to dedicate my whole damn day to it.

Truth be told, it's not about the money, but about the product. I want my meat to be mouth-watering, scrumptious, and yummy.   So I'm here to announce that I have the competition jitters. This weekend, I'll be competing for the very first time, (solely thanks to Scott Walker at the Bel Air Downtown Alliance) in my hometown, while trying to cook and serve my food to the masses.  This is going to be serious pressure for me, and I will have the Monsters on Hand and my wife on speed dial just in case I have a nervous breakdown. I keep having nightmares that I'm busy flipping turkey legs to sell to the public and my competition pork butt is burnt to hell.  Don't want that big DQ on my chart.

Eric Sessions, Professional Competitor and Owner of South Carolina BBQ

Friends in the KCBS

So to my rescue came one of my best KCBS pals to hug me and tell me "It's going to be all right Big Fat Daddy. " Hey, even a real big man needs a hug once in awhile from his friends.  Special thanks to Eric Sessions, of South Carolina BBQ for giving me some pointers.  Here is what he had to say:

• Don't stress, just go with it!
• Cook that pork low and slow. 
• Presentation is key. 
• Don't use anything in your presentation that may throw off the taste of the meat. 
• Don't get one blemish on that container or you are looking at a Big Fat DQ.
• Sleep in your car using the car phone to wake you every two hours to flip your pork.
• Prepare to sleep all day Sunday. 
• You can be first place this time, and last place next time. You will never know it all, or master it all, so just have fun with it. 

I will feature Eric soon on this blog.  In the meantime, I'm getting some zzzz's now since I won't be sleeping at all this weekend. Instead of sheep I will be counting briskets...

Competition Update: We basically sucked. I did manage to beat my pal Eric in one category, but Competition grilling is a lot different than grilling for the masses for lunch. One day you are #1 the next #55. OUCH. Definitely is an art to master. For starters, I did not know I could use bbq sauce on my pork that could have helped me a bit. Woopsie. Got in trouble and points deducted for my ribs falling sweetly off the bone.  Love 'em that way darnit. Bottom line, it's not how you like to eat something, or how you are used to making it, they have rules, standards, specifications. Better read 'em before you go into it blindly. So if you think you are #1 take a step back and enter a BBQ competition. It's not as easy as it looks. Hats off to my fellow BBQ Teams. This fallen pitmaster's going to take a moment of reflection, then get back up on the horse and ride.