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!

Virginia Festival Obtains Grass Roots Community Support

Thanks to all the competitors coming out to cook at the KCBS BBQ competition. All are helping us with our cause.  This one: Aporkalypse Now just won at  Swinetastic 2013!

I wanted to give a great big thank you for everyone who is helping me get this festival going in Winchester--well, I call it Winchester but it's really the tiny hidden unincorporated town of Clear Brook that houses the old Frederick County Fairgrounds. 

Thanks to my vendors like Jay Dickey's Sauces who are coming out to sell their wares!

I explained to the Winchester Star that when I was 19 I set up a food stand and started my career there. The fair used to be jammed with people and they would come from neighboring counties. It's a tradition, the old Frederick County Fair.  It's not the newest fairgrounds, or the biggest,  but it's the one that means something to me.  It's country.

Kirsten Sowers, is coming all the way from Philadelphia in the middle of her vacation to perform for us.

I really couldn't do it without all the help from the bands or the community. People don't realize how much effort or cost it takes to have a festival.  You have bands to pay, a soundman, ASCAP & BMI fees (even after you pay the bands to sing), security, permits...............

 

MIK Woodworking helped us set up our cornhole area!

..............  fairground rental, insurance, dumpsters, cleaning, port a johns, attractions advertising, radio ads, cable tv ads,tshirts, flyers, signs,  and trying to get an electrician to modify or generators to give enough juice to your competitors, oh my gosh it all costs a pretty penny.

Centennial Broadcasting was willing to work with us. Shout out to Mario Ordonez. The other station thought $67 for 15 seconds was a great deal. Um, no, those dollars need to be raised for Cancer Care pal!

Thanks to all the local companies like Johnny Blue for helping us by giving us a great deal!

You try to cover some costs from vendors, sponsors, or admission but in this case we've decided to drop so many free passes or discount coupons just to get the community involved. On top of that, a portion of the gate we feel strongly should go to the Clear Brook Volunteer Fire and Rescue because volunteer firemen don't nearly get enough thanks period.  Additionally some of the gate will  help the local Clear Brook church who is helping  us with the parking.

The local Exchange Group is doing the alcohol sales and they do a lot of good for the community. Come out and support their organization.  As for the food, we are giving a portion of that to CancerCare, so we hope you will come, drink and eat!  

Did we mention we will have deep fried oreos and kettle corn ?

So how do you come out on top so that you can donate a nice sized chunk to charity? You hope for good sunny weather and lots of Community Support.  I was in shock that even people from Pennsylvania wanted to help me - they were willing to donate generators (Keystruct) if I needed them or propane (Thanks Suburban Propane).

Companies like AskNeal, helped reduce their normal rates to help us with this festival.

Countless hours, planning, and still so much to do.  So why even do it?  

My wife (left) learned how to cook from her mother (right). She had her when she was 21.

For us, it's personal.

When my Mother-in-Law told us she had colorectal cancer in September 2010, she had decided to go thru chemo and get a small tumor removed. Routine operation, and she was in good health. She cooked for a living, loving her job and the town of Danforth, Maine where she lived. Two weeks before Christmas in December 2010, her surgery was a success in a Maine hospital. She was declared cancer free--the tumor removed and her lymph nodes were clear. Plans to take her home the afternoon of the next day were foiled when they got the call later that evening that she was dead from unknown circumstances. Even after an autopsy, no one to this day will ever know why.   

Sending light to all of those battling or that have lost someone to cancer.

My mother in law told me when she died, not to mourn or have a funeral. Have a damn big party, lots of food and music and celebrate her life.    We couldn't seem to regroup fast enough when seven  months almost to the day, my wife's stepfather took his own life. After 33 years of marriage and a broken heart, he drank himself to death, taking off his wedding ring and writing a note. He could not bear life without her and carried her tin of ashes with him wherever he went.   Our family was in turmoil.  When you are faced with something so horrible, it is sometimes hard to shed light on it. 

CF Sauer helped us with banners, free spices, and more. Thank you!

Our first ever HoggingUp.com is dedicated to her. and that's what we are doing.  That's why we are putting our money, and our soul in it. It's purely a do good festival.   We've  cut our competitors off to give them personalized service.  We've not sold tickets to avoid passing ticket fees to the public. We've gone grass roots and knocked on doors of businesses in Clarke, Stephens City, Winchester, Martinsburg, Inwood, Clear Brook and Shepardstown to tell them about this.

Signet helped us with a giant sign, reducing it by LOTS off the regular pricing. That's community support!

If it's a success, we will damn sure make this an annual event. We would want to choose different area non profits each year to help. 

Thanks for big names like Hatfield for believing in us!

It's a hell of a lot of work, and it's not going to be perfect, but it's going to be our best shot of giving something back to the world and the community.  Turning a bad situation into something good.

So much support from West Virginia, and from  Around the Panhandle Magazine, check them out here!

Thanks to the companies who helped me with donations for the public, the hotels for giving great discounts, and for all the help I received from Richard Leight and the Frederick County Fair board.

Grand Rental Station has helped with product donations.

So the next two weeks I will spend modifying the Frederick County Fair into Virginia's hottest new festival......I will be busy as all get out and unable to talk to you guys.   I hope to see you there.

Livermush and Old Cars North Carolina

This is a Livermush with Egg an Cheese. A little egg and a lot of Livermush!

My time in Shelby, NC training at the KCBS Organizer Training wasn't spent all work and no play. I mean it's only natural smelling all the great barbecue cooking all around Shelby's Hog Happnin' made me hungry. I found the time to sneak out and grab me what they call "A Livermush Sandwich." Now just the sound of it is enough to make some people cringe, thinking of mushy liver, but that's not really what it is.

Sandwich #2

It is what I've known growing up to be called "Scrapple" only better and tastes a bit close to sausage. Perhaps we could call it a cousin of Scrapple morphed with sausage spices, and different ingredients. When I asked the locals what spices were in there I got the "little this little that" response and so I think this secret recipe must be highly protected at best by the citizens of this area in North Carolina. I even found out the annual "Livermush Festival" is a big to-do.  Whatever it is, it's not as fatty as scrapple, doesn't have as much grease, and is darker in color.  Did I mention good? It's damn good.

Tons of vintage cars were lining the festival grounds.

The old cars at the festival were definitely worth a look-see. There were a wide variety to the old and classic to the modified and unusual. This pink car looks like something Marilyn Monroe would have driven. My wife called this her favorite.

Wife's favorite.

Now the cars are a usual staple every year at the Shelby Hog Happnin'. Of course they are placed far away from the smoke of the BBQ pits and smokers so as not to get all dirtied up.  I am real glad this pink one wasn't for sale because I would not have heard the end of it.

This modified car looks liked a piece of artwork.

There were a lot of cars modified by their owners. Some took a lot of thought and were downright unique. I am wondering why the fire estinguisher on the back? How fast does Betty Boop actually go?

"Size Matters" according to Betty Boop.

This motor says "Size Matters" and is turbo charged with Monster Energy Drinks. This was one of three modified in similar in style, but each very unique. This wide open front makes it cool to look at .  Here is the ass-end of another:

Very unique detailing and ornaments. Again, a fire extinguisher on this truck.

Why does this remind me of the Sanford and Son Truck?

Now my wife took a liking to this guy's truck because it reminded her of the red 1952 Ford they used to use for "Sanford and Son" TV show. This was before they switched to a Mercury M-47 1947 one. His bed was lined with a "Welcome to North Carolina" sign and the rear said "Honk if parts fall off."

Time to Relax

All of this festival going was very relaxing to me, as I am used to being on the other side of the festival, having to work long hours in the food stands. 

I'm with Betty, size matters.

We did however eat at the festival, and at night after we left.  Next time I'll tell you about my trip to Bridges BBQ, somehow relation of Alston Bridge's BBQ. 

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• rkashyap (Dec 06 22:48)

If you haven't caught up on my Shelby posts here they are: 

Part Four KCBS Reps
Part Three What Competitors Want
Part Two Alston Bridges BBQ
Part One Two Old Men and a Grill Take Grand Champion

Ernie Linda Poland John Busch KCBS Reps

This is another example where your pits and grills are mounted to a trailer. This guy uses Kingsford only!

If you can't tell I'm really dragging out my trip to Shelby North Carolina, when I went to the Hog Happnin' for the Kansas City Barbeque Society "BBQ Organizer" training because there are so many pictures I can't fit them in one post. I told you about my arrival day in Shelby and meeting Two Old Men and a Grill, my stuffing my face with Alston Bridges North Carolina Barbecue, and about what the Competitors had to say. Saturday morning things were really shaping up at the festival. Before the public arrived, I had plenty of time to walk around.

From Ernie and Linda Poland, we learned it's essential for reps to spend time greeting every team.

KCBS Reps

Now if you talk to some competitors, they have a real misunderstanding of just what the KCBS reps do. Truth be told I didn't know my darn self, I thought maybe their day was gravy. After following Linda and Ernie Poland and John Busch, around all day, I changed that opinion.  They really are busy all day and do alot...at this festival, they all really represented the professionalism of the KCBS in the highest regard.

Now John Busch is regular at this particular festival, but Ernie and Linda were new to this festival---coming in on a last minute notice to replace the other two regular reps.  Smaller festivals may only have two reps, but once you get over so many teams, you are looking at three.  They ran a cook's meeting to introduce themselves and put new competitors through a video training. They did a meet and greet with every team, answering questions along the way.  They really reinforced the turn in times and spent a lot of times with newer teams that had questions.  

John Busch: Walking Encyclopedia for KCBS

On the inside, they make sure everything is running up to par. Judges signed in and piled in from all over the country.  We were amazed at how far they would travel to judge a BBQ contest.  John, Linda and Ernie ran a quick judges meeting and made sure the turn in times were enforced. Oh, and by the way, the judges and reps don't fraternize with the teams on game day.  We threw a million questions at John, Linda and Ernie and they had great answers and advice for us! Thanks guys.

 

Joyce Gardner, festival organizer, does a great job with the judge area.

No Cheating in This Game

What we really liked is that Linda Poland made sure to change the labels on all the competitor's boxes when they came to a table, and mixed them up in a top secret way, so that no one would know who was who.  No also, she then mixed up the entries before giving them to the Table Captains so that no table essentially ate the same bbq twice .... essentially this levels the playing field and really evens out the possibility for winning.  Many teams sent extra meat in so that after all the judging rounds the table captains and volunteers could nibble accordingly.

 It's a numbers game for sure.  When Kansas City Barbeque Society says it's a fair and square blind judging process they aren't lying. We watched the boxes from the turn in table get processed to the Judge's mouths. There is essentially no way to cheat and we were in awe of the professionalism of the judges.  Joyce and Jerry Gardner were nice enough to let me try some ribs from what they call the "grazing table" or extras. Like a cow in a pasture I grazed some delicious ribs. Of course I don't know whose they were but they were a ten in my book!  After the judging was completed, we watched as the reps made sure the scores were compiled and data entered in.

The car show was great, I'll post more pictures soon.

Meanwhile on the outside...

The festival was now open to the public and there was a lot going on. The antique cars were to die for and that will have to be a whole other post.  There were merchandise vendors and food vendors, the local fire department's PINK engine (read that post later), entertainment and a marching parade were just a few things I saw. Daryyl Mast from BBQ Superstars was getting in as many interviews as he could.

Darryl Mast from BBQ Superstars was filming on the outside.

And of course during all this I found the smell of all that judging making me hungry as hell and I found y own time to graze...which I'll tell you about next...my trip to 3 Eyz BBQ and the Livermush Sandwich.......

In the meantime, please visit my friends who keep me writing. You can find the best Australian Yumcha here : Yum Cha at home

A giant shopping cart hot rod was a good photo opportunity!

Hey, guess what?
I'm adding more shirts to my store. I have leftover limited anniversary edition shirts. Now you can be a member of my pit crew!  Soon I will be adding these:

A Taste of Carolina Tells What KCBS Competitors Want

Howard's got one helluva smoker!

More on Shelby, North Carolina Hog Happnin'

So, where were we? I was telling you about my trip to Shelby, North Carolina to do my Organizer Training for the Kansas City Barbeque Society portion (for my Hogging Up Festival) . I learned from Jerry and Joyce Gardner all the ins and outs of having a great contest and festival.....if you didn't read Part One (Grand Champion), or Part Two (Alston Bridges), better do so now.  The other reason I was there was to really talk to the competitors and find out what they are looking for.

Howard Wooten: One of the nicest guys on the BBQ circuit you'll ever meet. He's from Alexis, NC.

At Taste of Carolina, Howard Wooten

I spent a lot of time talking to Howard Wooten, from Alexis, North Carolina.  He is a regular at Hog Happnin' and explained a lot to me.  Lucky for him, this annual event is right down the street from his home, and knows most guys who are there.  The circuit is tight - they all know one another from this contest or that contest.

First off, I truly didn't realize how much money professional barbecue guys may spend going to a contest.  There may be an investment of $1000.00 easy wrapped in attending one event!  Howard explained, from the time they submit their applications to a contest, have to then buy the meat in four categories, ice, charcoal, supplies, and then factor in the high price of gas and tolls--it can get costly.

So I learned electric, space and water are requirements are a must for them.  If you have a ton of space, don't fret if they need a few extra feet.  Oh, and the goodie bags? Howard doesn't want another pen from a realtor he won't use. Why not give paper towels and aluminum foil, something he can use?

I'm watching carefully as Howard prepares his chicken. He is seasoning and getting ready to put it in the smoker.

For Howard, his huge smoker is set up on a trailer custom made to accommodate him and his right hand man Larry when they are competing. Complete set up with sinks, prep area, paper towels and chairs, this is where they do their thing. This of course didn't happen over night. Howard was originally on another team, then branched off on his own. Once he obtained the smoker he wanted, it took him a crane to get it on the trailer. (The trailer is actually build around the smoker.)

Now, chances of winning a competition like this are slim when you figure 60 to 80 competitors are usually in this contest. So why does he do it? 

The Family of the Kansas City Barbeque Socity

Howard says it's not about the money. It's a true love of barbecue, and networking with other barbecue guys, which some he considers like a second family.  (We heard that same story from everyone we asked...)  Howard's kids are all grown up and not too close by, so it's something he does and enjoys.   We get that - but how is there so much love in the KCBS? 


North Vs South Doesn't Really Matter, It's All One Big Family

This guy Charles Fretwell is from Boiling Springs, South Carolina, but welcomed to North Carolina just as well.

Howard doesn't mind all the local competitors, and says that he knows most of the out of state competitors, too as they compete together in contests , like B.S. Pitmeisters, (Charles Fretwell) from Boiling Springs, SC.  (Ironically, some of B.S. Pitmeister's best wins were in North Carolina, not South Carolina....) go figure.  

For Howard, it's not about where you are from or your zip code. It's a hobby (or sport) that everyone can enjoy doing. Howard has one golden rule, you have to help your neighbor if they need it, (need a thermometer, or ran out of ice,..) because one day you may need something too.  Now if you ask him an hour before turn in time and he may just give you a different answer, as tensions are high right before game time.

Charles Fretwell (BS Pitmeisters) was doing everything on his own in Shelby, from cooking to turning it in!

The only downfall? Howard explains that sometimes it's hard to understand why you did so bad at one contest, when you placed so well at another.  Even more confusing to competitors overall is when they see how the scores may appear high on your final sheet, but you still were not one of the top ten.  He says, it's all part of the challenge called BBQ Competitions, and you just regroup for your next competition.

How long will Howard do this?  As long as he wants to have good, clean fun.  Well, maybe not clean when you are covered in barbecue sauce.........but still......some of us would love to do that all weekend.   Special Thanks to Howard Wooten for his time and expertise.  More soon...

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Alston Bridges Barbecue North Carolina

Thursday the competitors were just arriving at the City Park in Shelby for the Hog Happnin'

Of course I'm going to drag out my trip to Shelby, NC as long as I can just to keep you in suspense. The wife and I went down primarily to see how a good Kansas City Barbeque Society festival is run for when we do HoggingUp next June. We learned from the best, HogHappnin in Shelby. Joyce and Jerry have been doing their event for 21 years.  We were supposed to be there Friday and Saturday, but we arrived on Thursday. Keep in mind the annual event is normally held at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds. The competitors had to relocate to the Shelby City Park due to unforseen circumstances.

Loyal competitors didn't mind moving from the Fairgrounds to the City Park, they've been coming from years. This is one big ass smoker.

We noticed that the transition from the Fairgrounds to the City Park was done in two weeks. Joyce and Jerry were on top their game and pulled it off just perfectly.  The competitors didn't mind making the move, and aside from having less electric than normal, they came out to help support this barbeque event. Each year Joyce and Jerry raise money for the local Children's Homes.  It is amazing.

This is the Allston Bridges Pork BBQ sandwich. It is covered in "red slaw."

But what do do on Thursday?  Not much. So we went to Alston Bridges Barbecue.  This looked small from the outside but there's plenty of seating. Done in old-timey down home country feel the prices are super reasonable. Maybe I just have a big appetite but I found the sandwiches are smaller than the Barbecue around my parts. After I ate my first sandwich, which was covered in red slaw (a sweet concoction of only North Carolinian's knows what -- that's completely brand spankin' new to me being a Yankee).....I realized I had to then eat another helping. I ordered a full platter that comes with their homemade hush puppies. 

Excuse me, I'm trying to eat.

Now they ask you if you want it chopped or pulled , and it doesn't really matter what you get because the pork barbecue is to die for. I'm not a fan of the red slaw by itself, but when you mix it with the pork it's tasty as anything. I assume the slaw must include some type of tomato or ketchup base, some vinegar, finely chopped cabbage and maybe what's in that little cup.  What you see there is their top secret au' jus which has a thin consistency but is so darn tasty.  I then found myself still hungry and wanting  to try the brisket.  I know, I'm a hog.

Brisket sandwich, much like the pork was slathered in red slaw.

Now I can't complain about the brisket. It melted in your mouth and tasted good with the slaw, but to me didn't leave me wanting seconds. Maybe because I had already eaten three servings of food for lunch?   I'm not saying you shouldn't try it, but the pork wins hands down. If you have the choice, go with the pork. I  have to say the pork was one of the best in North Carolina I've ever tasted.  So I really need to tell you if you are in Shelby, or in North Carolina hunting around for good barbecue, start here.

No excuses folks.

Food Photography 
 Hey, I get asked all the time if my photos are my own and they are. I get crazy with my camera or make the wife snap when she can, with her HTC smartphone believe it or not.  If you are looking for good Food Photography check out this site Photo-Flare.  In the meantime, stay tuned for more of my road trip adventures, news on the HogHappnin' and great places to eat in North Carolina. Oh, if you missed my Part One here it is,  Grand Champion Winner Two Old Men and a Grill