Holla-N-Swalla BBQ Team

Enjoying BBQ and Horses is Easy at an American Royal Hotel

2012-02-12T08:41:00.001-08:00

Kansas City embraces its heritage as a livestock center of the Midwest along with its reputation for being a major BBQ center. In days past, this part of the Midwest was where the Mississippi River met the railroad lines. Cattle coming from the West could come into this area and go up or down the river. They could also cross into the East. Other agricultural goods also followed as more and more land in the Plains came under the plow. That heritage continues in the American Royal festivals that occur every fall in Kansas City. You will find an American Royal hotel is a great place to stay for the fun.

Today, the American Royal BBQ competition is the crown jewel among competitions in North America. BBQ and Kansas City are almost synonymous. People go to Kansas City just to try the dozens of barbeque restaurants that dot the landscape. The American Royal tournament draws people from around the country and around the world. They come to compete for the blue ribbon of BBQ championships. The best judges take samples from dozens of competitors. In the end, only one can emerge a winner in each category. You can experience this if you stay at the American Royal hotel.

Other than BBQ, the American Royal is famous for its long running livestock exhibitions. This exhibition also includes judging contests that offers individuals and teams a great way to see who has the best livestock in the area. There are different categories for competitors. There are categories for Livestock Judging as well as Meat Judging. There is also a separate Crops Judging category. College level and high school level competitors have categories for thee age group. The idea is to advance their knowledge of the field as well as their maturity as individuals. Many families choose to stay at an American Royal hotel.

Horse shows is another reason to visit the American Royal in the fall. Horses are a big part of the American Royal. There are categories including Arabian, cutting horses, hunters/jumpers, quarter horses, and saddle horses. Youth have their own competitions. Each category of competition has its own subcategories. For example, the Arabian division involves competitions in halter classes, western pleasure, English pleasure, and dressage. Throughout the weekend, the horses go through various competitions. In the end, a select few become winners of the Royal. For those coming to see the show, staying at an American Royal hotel make sense.

That's A Wrap - 2011 Season In Review

2011-12-23T10:04:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe that 2011 is almost over. Like everyone says, the older you get the quicker the time goes! I wanted to give a quick wrap up of our competition year. Even though it was a small window of time, it proved to be one of the best for us!

We got off to late start compared to most teams as our first contest was in Springfield, MO at the Rockin' Rib Fest in late April. This was our second time cooking this contest. The weather was not spring like at all. Cold, windy and some rain greeted us on Friday. It definitely was not barbecue weather but we approached it as a challenge. We get spoiled cooking in perfect weather and this was an opportunity for us to implement some different techniques to turn out the high quality product we seek to produce. What we learned here would come into play throughout our season as we faced different weather challenges. In the end, we finish 8th out of 58 teams. We had calls in Pork and Brisket. Not bad for our first contest out of the chute.

Trying to coordinate schedules for two people, plus their family commitments, sometimes does not leave time for barbecue contests. As we found out, the next contest we were able to get on our schedule was in Raytown, MO in early June. This was our second time around at this contest. The weather was warm but we did have to endure another downpour. We were just thankful for minimal lightning and no heavy winds. It made trying to finish our chicken somewhat of a challenge but no harm done. Forty six teams showed up and we finished 13th overall. Not the top 10 overall finish we were shooting for but a call in Chicken and Sausage would help ease the pain.

After another break, we cooked at Racing for the BBQ in Lee's Summit, MO at the end of a very hot July. This was our first time cooking this contest. We liked the venue as we had lots of room. The short walk to the turn-in tent was nice too. Prior to this event, a slight tweak was made to our Pork process and we tried it here. We loved the resulting flavor. Even though we did not get a call with it, we felt like we were onto something with it. Out of 36 teams, we finished 9th overall with a call in Ribs and Brisket. We were pleased with our results considering the level of competitive teams that participated at this event.

Our long break between contests would continue until mid-September with our return to Springfield, MO. This would be our second time cooking the Sertoma Summer Sizzle. It had taken place in August the previous year and moved to a cooler September date this year. We enjoyed cooking this event last year. It is well run and the organizers are great. Unknowingly, this contest would become our harmonic convergence. After twenty two attempts, all of our feelings of disappointment and doubt were swept away with the announcement of Holla N' Swalla as the Grand Champions of this contest. We were so close last year at winning here but we were betrayed by our Brisket entry. Not this year! A 1st in Chicken, 9th in Ribs, 1st in Pork (the tweaking paid off!) and 5th in Brisket finally provided some much needed validation about what we have been doing. It indeed was a huge goal reached for us and a goal we want to keep repeating!

The last stop on our barbecue tour was the American Royal Open. Our expectations were a little higher this year after coming off of our victory two weeks earlier in Springfield. The weather was great and our cook had no issues. The results were disappointing. We could not land anything in the top 100. I am still not sure what happened? All of our categories throughout this season have cooked and finished with the same consistency. There may be a slight divergence in taste on occasion but never anything drastic. It's easy to blame the judging but a contest of this size has so many factors that can influence it. I guess the only thing consistent about the American Royal is that Kemper Arena sits empty and the rest is a crap shoot.

The 2011 season is over but for our team, even though we only competed five time, it was our best season. Sure we had some great highlights from our 2009 season (BBQ Pitmasters, 3rd place Chicken finish at the Royal) but this was the most satisfying season. Now to look forward to 2012. We have already secured our spot at the Rockin' Rib Fest this coming April and we are looking at adding another five to 8 events for this season. Plus, we finally get to cook in the American Royal Invitational! No more looking in the toy store window like Tiny Tim. We get to go inside and play!

Happy Holidays from the Holla N' Swalla crew!

American Royal = Circle the Drain

2011-10-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

I haven't had a chance to comment on our experience at the 2011 American Royal. The weather was beautiful this year. We enjoyed sunshine for 3 straight days with temperatures in the 70's. Little to no wind made the conditions ideal for us WSM cooks.

We returned to our same spot for the fourth consecutive year and set up our gear like we always do. This year we had Myron Mixon and his entourage behind us. It was interesting watching people approach his area as if they were getting an audience with the Pope. Myron seemed gracious to everyone, stood for pictures and let each visitor kiss his ring before leaving. Okay, it wasn't his ring! Seriously, Myron is a good guy and and has a been a great ambassador for barbecue.

Friday night was the typical Royal spectacle. We spent most of the night guarding our porta-potty from being defiled by drunks and their raging cases of diarrhea. I suppose if we were to charge the drunks to use our crapper, we probably would make up our entry fee money on Friday night but it ain't worth the hassle.

The cook went well. No problems or issues. It was very relaxed for us and I thought that would be a good sign. Chicken came out great, tasted like it always does and we were able to get 8 pieces in the box. Box looked great and off it went to the judges! Ribs cooked perfect, great flavor and color. Many pieces went into the box and confidence was high as that box went off to the eaters. The Pork had great flavor like the Springfield contest and looked great in the box. So far in my mind, we are 3 for 3. Brisket was good, nice beef flavor, passed the pull test so we loaded the box with slices and burnt end cubes. Off it goes to be judged. Last up was Sausage. It cooked well too, great taste and we loaded the box. I had a good feeling about our chances of getting a call.

Time for the awards. After all the sides, etc. are announced we get to the Sausage category. Last year we were called for 6th overall. This year no call. Chicken no call. Ribs no call. Pork no call. Brisket no call! I'm thinking maybe we were just on the outside of the top 20 in at least one category but it was a cruel day for us. We end up 270th overall. Yuck! You go from Grand Champs one weekend to the dung heap the next. Such is the world of BBQ.

So we are done for the year. We'll crawl back into our cave and lick our wounds. I wish we had another contest to close out our 2011 season but scheduling won't allow it. Our plan is to amp up our cook schedule for 2012 and hopefully win another Grand and roll into the Royal ready to rumble! I'm ready to take the Invitational on next year!

Good luck to everyone cooking the Jack this weekend! Safe travels to you all!

Springfield Sertoma Summer Sizzle - Boom Goes the Dynamite!

2011-09-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

Springfield, MO - Our fourth event this season took place on September 16 & 17th at the Sertoma Summer Sizzle. We cooked this event last year when it was in the blazing days of August. This year it was moved to mid-September and the weather was the opposite. Of course it rained, it would not be a contest for us this season with out rain. We have been four for four this year with the rain! But rain be damned! It was time to cook.

We really enjoyed cooking this event last year. It was well run and the organizers were constantly coming around to check on the teams. You could not ask for better organizers. It was a no brainer for us to do it again. The event date did change this year and made this contest coincide with 5 other regional events. We were not really sure what the final team list would be like here but knew going into this, like all events, we would have to be on our game.

We arrived and set up in the same spot we had last year. We were able to beat the rain and get everything set-up our standard way. We were able to get our prep work and boxes done before it got dark and had down time to enjoy the bands until it was time to cook.

The cookers were fired up at 1230am but the rain forced us to move the cookers under the tents to keep the temps where needed them. Our brisket was a little bit undersized. Probably about 11lbs or so. It went on at 130am with the pork butts. The cookers stayed at 250 degrees so we took a nap. Everything cooked well without any problems which was nice considering the conditions. The rib cooker did spike to 350 degrees for about 10 minutes while we went to grab some coffee and donuts but fortunately no damage was done.

Our chicken came out well and we were able to get 8 pieces into the box. We had plenty of good ribs and filled that box too. We repeated our pork process from our last contest. We made a few tweeks to the injection and followed our normal timelines with it. What really helped is that we were able to get some great money muscle slices to put in the box with our pulled pork. The brisket turned out like it has the last 3 contests and did not wow us but had good flavor. After the turn-ins were over, I felt we had a strong chicken entry, good ribs, good pork and decent brisket. Now it was time to sit and wait for the awards.

The awards started with the chicken category. I thought we should get a call and as the winners names were called 10,9,8,7,6,5,4 still no call 3,2, and then we called for first! It felt great! We won first place in chicken here last year and it was great to repeat. Then the rib category started and we heard our names called at 9th. Not a bad finish and I was happy for the call. Pork was next and I really didn't know what to expect. Maybe 8th or 6th at best. As the names were read 10th through 2nd place, I was disappointed. I didn't think we had a 1st place entry but then I heard our names called for 1st place! I was shocked. After getting our award and sitting down, then I became nervous. We sat in this similar position last year waiting for a call in brisket to have a shot at winning but we never heard that call. We looked at each other and said we just need to hear our names. When we heard it at 5th in brisket I knew we had a shot at a top 3 finish. As the top overall was read and we were not the 3rd place finisher, we were now on the verge of doing something we had never down before -finish 2nd or 1st! Well when we weren't called for reserve grand I knew we had done it! Finally a Grand Championship! What a great feeling to finally experience. It had been a long time coming for us!

Thanks to our families for hanging in their with us. Thanks to Brant for dragging me into the competition world. This is not a cheap hobby and I was not sure how much longer this train was going to roll but I could never say no. There were times that I thought we were on the verge of breaking through to a win only to sit in an award ceremony and end up out of the running. It has been long haul to get here and I am glad our team did not give up! Now we need to work on our 2nd Grand Championship!

Racin' For The BBQ

2011-07-31T17:20:00.000-07:00

Heat and rain! What a great combination we had this past weekend in Lee's Summit, MO at Blue Springs Lake. This was the third year for this competition and a new venue for 2011. Despite the 100 degree temperatures, humidity and rain, we had nice time and enjoyed the new venue. The organizers did a great job and the KCBS reps (Dave & Peg Rogers) were superb.

Overall, our cook went well. We dealt with the rain and even though it came down hard for about an hour, there was no strong wind or hail. The chicken came out like it always does but the skin was slightly rubbery. The ribs had great flavor and we were able to get 9 pieces into the box. We have made a few changes to our rib process and we have been pleased with the results. The pork tasted excellent but the money muscle was too overcooked to use. We were really excited about how the pork tasted. We have made a few changes to our recipe and felt like it payed off on how the prok turned out. We knew either it was a winner or the eaters would trash it. We cooked a prime brisket for this contest instead of the Waygu. It cooked well and also had a good beef flavor.

The boxes went together well. We struggled with the pork box because we had no money muscle to work with. We gave the eaters a lot pulled pork to sample and hoped that would help our cause.

At the award ceremony, we were not called in chicken and we were surprised. Afterwards, we would find out that we finished in 11th place. We actually tied with the 9th and 10th place finishers in that category but lost the tie breakers to keep us from being called. So I was a little disappointed after that first category was called.

Ribs were next. Again, they were cooked perfect and had a great flavor. Usually this is the kiss of death for us. It is one of our more inconsistent categories. Surprisingly, we were called for 6th place and that improved the mood.

We sat through the pork category and no call. I really felt we would hear our names but once again a no call. We ended up with 23rd place. I was really disappointed with the result. I felt it was a strong product. Were we knocked because there was no money muscle or too much pulled pork? Just a few questions that need to be answered to get a grip on this category.

The brisket cooked well. We decided to try a prime brisket purchased at Sam's and it did well for us. We heard our names called for 4th place and got some much needed redemption.

We ended up 9th overall out of 34 teams. Big Creek BBQ took the grand, Pork Pullin Plowboys were the reserve champs and Muchin Hogs at the Hilton finished 3rd . A super trifecta to try and overcome for sure. This was our third contest of the season and considering that we have now had two top 10 finishes in two out of three, I'll take it!

Now we have more down time until mid-September. Myron is right - we don't cook enough!

Raytown To Now

2011-07-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since the last post. Work and other commitments have been keeping me busy. However, we are competing again on 7/29/11 in Blue Springs, MO at the Racin' For The BBQ event. Sounds like 35 teams will be participating. Hopefully this 100 degree weather will break a little bit for the weekend.

We did cook the Raytown, MO contest on 6/10/11. This was a second year cooking this and it lived up to it's nickname - "Raintown." Fortunately this year it rained late Friday night until about 3am Saturday morning and didn't bother our cook.

There were 48 teams this year and we ended up 13th overall. We finished 7th in Chicken and 7th in Sausage. Ribs were 15th, Pork 21st and Brisket 17th. We were disappointed that we didn't finish in the Top 10 overall. I thought our chicken and brisket came out very well. The pork was a little over cooked. The ribs came out like they always do. We either do well or they are just average. With a few tweaks of our process, I hope that we get closer to a more consistent product.

More to come.....

Rockin' Ribs Recap

2011-04-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

Finally! Our season kicked off in the center of Springfield, MO's universe. On the sprawling grounds of The Bass Pro Shop, 58 teams faced off in what turned out to be some of the worst cooking weather we had ever faced.

Now we all know Missouri is no Eden. It is more like the sweaty knee pit of some fat lady on the Tilt-A-Whirl at Silver Dollar City. Hot and sticky or cold, clammy and wet. Well, we ended up on the cold and wet part from the start. Throw in non-stop windy conditions and it was miserable. I was layered up more than that kid from "A Christmas Story" and still could not keep warm! It was a test of fire and temperature management for us.

The wind created problems with our set-up. Normally, we like to put our 2 Easy-Ups together and use our sides to give us a nice block from the wind. Luckily, we were supplied with a 10x10 tent from the event organizer that was anchored in the asphalt. We anchored our Easy-Up to that tent. The gusting wind made it almost impossible to put it up but with some persistence we were able to make it work. The sides were another story. The wind blew so hard that the velcro straps would not hold. We had to find a way to block the wind and rain or we were in big trouble. Plan B kicked in. I bought 2 tarps at the Pro Shop and we zip tied them to the anchored tent creating a much needed wind/rain block. The downside was that we had every piece of equipment crammed under the tent which severely hampered our work space. Yet another challenge to work around.

The cook itself went better than I had thought it would. The brisket and pork finished on time. The ribs followed the always predictable timeline we have. The chicken was stubborn. For some reason, about half of the pieces were not done. I am still not sure why? We followed our same exact recipe and cooking timeline and have never had this issue before.

In the end, the chicken proved to be a disappointment. We were only able to select from a limited amount of pieces and it handcuffed us when it came time to put the box together. The chicken looked good but it did not taste very well (too tough in my opinion). The ribs also disappointed me. They had a great flavor but did not look good in the box. We tried a different brand of rib that was supposed to be of better quality but it did not deliver for us. On the bright side, I thought our pork and brisket tasted great (this usually signals doom at judging time).

Overall, we were "caned" by Quau as they took the Grand. We finished 8th out of 58 teams. In chicken, we finished in 16th place and 19th place in ribs. Pork was our first call in 8th place and brisket finished in 10th place. Considering the crappy conditions, I was pleased with our finish.

Now we have a few weeks of downtime as my personal schedule and competition schedule are not seeing eye to eye. We are looking at the Raytown, MO contest for our next event. I hope that my schedule will allow for another in between but it is not too promising right now.

See ya' down the trail and beware of the "Missourah" fat lady!

Kookers Kare Banquet 2011

2011-02-20T20:17:00.000-08:00

Well it's been awhile. Sorry it has been so long. We are still in winter's grip and not much has been happening. A new job for me has created less time to concentrate on barbecue. As we have had two days here in the last week that have hit 70 degrees, I know it is just Mother Nature thumbing her nose at me and more cold weather is right around the corner!

My wife and I attended the Kookers Kare banquet on February 19th. It was a sold out event with 300 people in attendance. This is my first time attending and was anxious to see what it was all about.

I never realized the amount of food that Kookers Kare donates to local food pantries in the Kansas City area. The amount was staggering. For example, they provided over 460 turkeys this past Thanksgiving. It really shows what a great service they provide!

There was a lot of great food for all. If you went hungry, then there was something wrong with you. The amount of door prizes and contest entries that were donated to be raffled off was a terrific draw for them. I purchased $50 worth of tickets in hopes of winning a contest entry. I came up short and did not win anything but that did not matter. I never have luck at raffles and my streak continued. Regardless of the outcome, I still had a very nice time.

Kudos to all the folks at Kookers Kare for putting on such a great event! I encourage all cook teams to support them as best they can.

More to come............

Turn Out The Lights........

2010-10-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

Yep, the party's over for this year. With the American Royal in the rear view mirror, I now can look back on our 2010 barbecue season. There were some great finishes and some not so hot ones. It was a season where our results let me fly high and roll in the dumpster at the same time. A dove in the hands of judges that could be set free or crushed.

Our 2010 preseason was terrific. The team was very excited for the upcoming season after coming off of our 3rd place Chicken finish at the 2009 American Royal Open. In early January, we appeared on episode 5 of the first season of "BBQ Pitmasters" on TLC. It was great to have our 2009 American Royal experience chronicled for us and to have the cameras there when we received our 3rd place call! It really got our juices flowing.

Our team met in January and planned out some initial competition dates for the first part of the 2010 season and also to lay out our cooking methods for each category. This enabled us to get some dates on the calendar, have more time to prepare for those events and to have a single methodology as to how we would cook each category. Now chicken, ribs, pork and brisket would be cooked one way so each member would know all the time lines and procedures to each category to follow.

Everyone was now on the same page with our cooking process. To insure everyone was comfortable with the cooking methods, we conducted a practice cook in February that followed a contest timeline. Prepping and cooking all four categories, as well as, working out the presentation bugs. It was something we had never done before and was a great tool for us. Armed with all this knowledge, we were ready for the competition season to start!

The decision had been made to start our season in March at the Smoke On The Water contest in North Little Rock, AR. It was not an easy decision to come to. It was the first time that we had argued over something as a team but we worked it out and came to an agreement. The entry fee was steep but the prize money was high. It was the first time we had traveled out of the Kansas City metro area to compete so there would be higher travel costs for us as well. It was also an opportunity for us to get out there with the big boys and show them that we could hang with them. The contest mood was very serious amongst the teams. No partying or carrying on late into the night. With all the top teams there from across the country, this was no ordinary contest but rather an elite invitational. That gnawing pit in my stomach was telling me that we would have to be perfect in order to have a good showing. The cook itself went well. None of the meat gave us any trouble. However, for the first time, some tempers flared up and hung like a dark shadow over the cook. We worked through it and thought all 4 categories had come out well. When the awards ceremony started the rain came with it. It was an ominous foreshadow for what was coming for us. Getting a call in chicken for 12th place gave us hope for good things to come but we sat through the rest of the categories and we were not called again. After waiting for seemed like an hour to get the judging sheets, my heart sank when I saw that we finished 155th out of 225 teams. Dejected, we piled into our vehicles for the long drive home and had our finish to think about each torturous mile. What the hell happened?! On top of this, as the weather on the way home severely deteriorated from rain to sleet to a full blown snow storm, so did our team along with it. The BBQ gods were laying down a severe punishment on us! Why? What had become excitement before the event turned sour after. "What a waste of money!" " It wasn't worth our time!" Looking back, all I can say is hindsight is always an unforgiving bitch! It is so easy to second guess yourself. What I took away from this experience was sometimes you have to get hit in the face to realize who you are and to bring you back to reality (television be damned!) It was a valuable lesson learned, and as it turns out, it wasn't going to be the last time we get KO'd in 2010.

April brought us Spring and also the second stop on our barbecue tour at the Springfield, MO Rockin' Rib Fest. Our team was now a man light and we adjusted accordingly. This was also the second contest we cooked outside of the Kansas City area. Fifty-nine teams showed up to do battle on the grounds of the iconic Bass Pro Shop. This was a great event. We met so many nice folks there who wanted to talk barbecue. Our cook went excellent. It was the most productive and efficient cook we had ever had. Everything went perfect. Our presentation boxes went together so effortlessly and looked terrific. We felt great after the last turn-in and for the first time that great feeling translated into great results. We ended up 6th overall! It was the polar opposite of Little Rock. What a great feeling! However, these results were dampened with the announcement by our 3rd teammate that he would be leaving the team for personal reasons after this contest. It was bittersweet for me. Everyone on the team brings a unique set of abilities that combines to create who we are. Those abilities would be missed as the 2 of us work to fill in the those missing gaps. We would learn that at our next cook.

Deciding to strike while the iron was hot. We chose Belton, MO as stop 3 on our tour. This put us back in the Kansas City metro area to compete for the first time this season. Thirty-three teams showed up to participate that first weekend in May. We felt our chances of having another top 10 finish were very strong. We were now a team of 2 having to adjust to doing the work of a team of 4. For the most part, we were able to do this. The cook was normal with no issues. We felt good about the turn-ins but things were not as smooth as the last contest in Springfield. Our bubble was burst as we received no calls and a 16th overall finish. I was left scratching my head at what happened? How can what was the same tasting product do so well in Springfield but just be average here? As we would find out, this theme would pop up again later in the season. We survived and suffered a TKO for our efforts. It helped prepare us for the next contest in Raytown, MO.

Tour stop 4, Raytown, MO, took place in early June and it was considerably hotter and humid that weekend. After our TKO at Belton, we were eager to prove that we were better than those results. We learned a few things at Belton and didn't want to repeat them. The tone for us was a far more serious one with the emphasis of keeping our focus on the cook. Things went very well until 10:30 am on Saturday morning. A severe thunderstorm ripped through the area. It dumped a tremendous amount of rain for 1.5 hours along with strong winds, hale and lighting. It was all we could do to hold onto the Ez-ups to keep them from blowing away. Some how we made it through and miraculously the ribs and chicken we were cooking made it through too! We were wet and miserable when we showed up for the award ceremony but it had all paid off. We ended up 7th out of 65 teams overall with a call in Ribs and Brisket. What a great feeling that was! Everything had come together nicely and we had survived the fight.

We sat out the hot part of the summer, or so we thought, and picked up again in mid August at the Sertoma contest in Springfield, MO. This was our 2nd contest here and it was the hottest one too! After setting up on Friday, the temperature was at a cool 111 degrees in the shade. I was already spent and we had not even started prepping yet! Fortunately, we had pre-trimmed the meat before arriving so that helped ease the amount of work we had to do on site. Thirty-two teams were there to battle the heat and eventual rain that rolled in Saturday morning. Once again we had to battle mother nature! Our cook went well except for the brisket. It just would not finish like we wanted it to. By the time it was ready to turn in, it was done but it just didn't have the wow factor we wanted it to have. When the awards ceremony started we felt like we had delivered good product and thought we should hear our name called. Boy did we ever! We were 1st in Chicken, 6th in Ribs and 7th in Pork. It was going to come down to the brisket if we were going to win this thing! Sadly, it let us down and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. We did finish with 5th overall and it was our 3rd top ten finish this season. Had the worm finally turned for us? We were going to find out at the American Royal.

The 6th, and more than likely last stop this season, was last weekend at the American Royal. In a way, it was the closing of this barbecue odyssey circle we have been on this past year. A lot of things have changed in that year's time. We had gone from being a team no one had really heard of to one that got a little publicity from the Pitmasters program. It was a humbling experience and we are thankful for the publicity generated by the show. It has allowed us to meet a lot of great folks this year while competing. It also is an experience that changed us. In a way, it made us turn up the fire to be more serious about competing and wanting to win. Did it take some of the fun away? To me, the answer is no because part of the fun I get out of competing is winning.

Our experience this year was a much quieter one as there were no cameras filming our every move and also that there were only 2 of us instead of 4. The cook went flawlessly. We even entered in the sausage category for the first time. Our boxes looked great and we both thought everything tasted excellent. We were very excited for the award ceremony. When the awards started I had that nervous/excited feeling come over me. As the top 20 was announced by the emcee in each category, I hung on every word waiting to hear our name called. When he called us for 6th in Sausage, I was elated! Our first time out with that category and we make the top 10! I thought that was a good omen as to what was coming. Once again, I was wrong! The ceremony went by without our name being called. We looked at each other and said maybe we were just outside the top 20 on each category. When we got the overall results and finally found our team name at 212th place overall, I was disappointed. What happened? Were we that bad? What were the judges thinking or not thinking? Myron Mixon was right when he said that this event is a total "crap shoot!" Our Chicken entry was spot on and was no different than last years 3rd place entry but this year it was a paltry 285th! What a dagger to the heart. I know our product is better than what it was scored at! Just like at the beginning of the season, we are KO'd at the end too! I'm off the canvas and I'm ready for next year!

Will The Real Pitmasters Please Stand Up

2010-08-27T12:29:00.000-07:00

Well, we are now 3 episodes into the newly formatted "BBQ Pitmasters" on TLC. I guess the best way to describe what I have seen so far is part game show, part "American Idol" and part "Chopped". It is reminiscent of past barbecue competition series in its format and style but with some new twists.

Gone is the public access to what happens to teams on the competition circuit and in is what happens to these teams in a controlled contest environment. The show reaches beyond a typical barbecue contest by asking cooks to prepare more than just brisket, chicken, ribs and pork butt. By adding a wildcard meat category and side category, the show tries to extend the range of each cook. Thus turning the competition into something that should be called America's Best BBQ Caterer.

I am not a big fan of the new format. I know "chopping" someone after their first turn-in helps build drama but it detracts from the show overall. If I was sent home for what was judged as inferior alligator, without tasting my pork butt entry, I would be hot! Just like Kyle Laval of TheSlabs did regarding his seafood turn-in. In addition, the sides also seem to be getting in the way of the judging too. All of these cooks can produce an excellent barbecue product and the final meat turn-in should determine the winner and not whether someone dislikes mayo in their coleslaw.

Speaking of mayo in the coleslaw, the judges have not been what I expected either. As I thought he would be, Myron Mixon is the best of the three and realizes it is a meat contest and not a sauce contest. Without him there, I really feel the direction of this show would really lose its way. No disrespect to Warren Sapp or Art Smith, but those guys get caught up too much in the sauces and side dishes. I realize this is not a KCBS contest and that the judging process has to be changed in order to account for Sapp's and Smith's lack of barbecue competition knowledge. The whole process seems to come down to who can prepare the best outdoor picnic.

The best part of the show are the teams and they are reason why I am watching. The teams they selected have been terrific. It is a great that my fellow competitors are getting the exposure they deserve. When all is said and done, the winner of this competition will go home with $100K and some major bragging rights on the competition circuit!

I hope that there will be a season three of "Pimasters." It would be nice to see it take place back on the circuit again and to throw in some of the elements of season two with it. Maybe they could sponsor an up and coming team through the competition season and chronicle their quest toward their first grand championship? I know a team that would volunteer for that! When it comes down to it, whatever incarnation TLC chooses, I am just thankful there is a show on television about BBQ!

Springfield, MO Redux - Man v. Heat

2010-08-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

It's already mid-August and the summer of 2010 is almost over. It always go by so fast. The posts have been sparse this summer as our activity has slowed down as the heat picked up. However, we have not been totally idle this summer. We have had a few things going on to keep our hands in the smoke.

In July, we were invited to cook at the home of Larry and Donna Reed in Grand Lake, OK. They had a large party for their family and friends in their backyard which offers a spectacular view of the lake. We cooked chicken, spare ribs, boston butt and brisket. It was a very relaxing cook as we set up our smokers with the lake in the backdrop. Watching the smoke rise out of them with the water in the background made for a relaxing day. We all had a great time!

This past weekend we participated in the Cattleman's Ozark BBQ Challenge in Springfield, MO. The event was held at the Ramada Inn Oasis Convention Center on the northeast side of town. Thirty-two teams showed up to do battle. The weather was sweltering with the temperature gauge on our clock reading a cool 111 degrees in the shade! I have never perspired so much. The organizers did a terrific job insuring we had plenty of ice, water and power. We also had access to the air conditioned convention center which was a polar paradise!

The cook itself went well. The rain moved in around 1am and lasted until 430am helping to cool things off for a few hours. The WSM does not like getting wet. I was worried we might run into some trouble trying to maintain our temps but we were able to keep the cookers underneath the ez-up and out of harms way. We did have trouble trying to get our brisket to finish. I can not remember having to struggle so much with one piece of meat. It refused to cooperate and took much longer than normal to finish. Everything else was very cooperative. Once turn-in time arrived, everything went into the boxes very well. I felt all of our presentations were top notch. We did change our pork box presentation. Both of us really liked the new look and hoped that the judges did too.

As the award ceremony started, we both felt that everything came out well but we were a little worried about the troublesome brisket. We were hoping for at least one call on something. The chicken category started off with a bang as we took 1st overall! Wow, what a shot in the arm that was! We heard our names again for ribs in the 6th position followed up with a 7th place call in pork. Well, we are sitting on the edge of our seats now. I was afraid to say anything as to jinx us in brisket. I knew we had a shot at winning but it would take a call in brisket to get it. So we sat as the brisket top 10 was announced and we were not called. It was a little deflating. I thought we still might have an outside shot at winning but ended hearing our names called for 5th place overall. We were still very pleased with the results as we are just that much closer to winning our first contest!

Right now we have one more contest scheduled and that is the American Royal Open. Hopefully with our lessons learned this summer, we can make a good run at it there.

Weighing In On BBQ Pitmasters Season 2

2010-06-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

Recently there was a press release regarding the second season of BBQ Pitmasters on the TLC network that left the BBQ world scratching our collective heads. A change in format from season one has everyone wondering what will happen to "our" show? The release talked about celebrity judges and a format that is reminiscent of the cook-off show that appeared a few years back (the one Mike Davis won) on the Versus network.

I have to admit at first I was a little disappointed at the news. After hearing John Markus on Greg Rempe's BBQ Central Radio Show, I have a better understanding why the change was made. Bottom line - it is a business. The ratings for season one were decent but not great. Football and the break out success of "Jersey Shore" made it an uphill climb. According to John, the network could not understand why the teams were not winning every week (Hey, welcome to the world of bbq!) and that the show was not good enough to support another season like the first. A compromise was made resulting in the change of the format.

Filming for season 2 started in Los Angeles yesterday. Four different teams will compete in 5 episodes with the winners competing against each other in the final episode. The celebrity judges are Myron Mixon, Southern Chef Art Smith and ex-NFL star Warren Sapp. The show's host will be Kevin Roberts (the French's mustard shooter) who has been described as a high enery ring-master. The teams that were selected will represent the the entire picture of competition barbecue. They were chosen for their TV appeal, energy and bbq competency (apparently our audition tape missed the mark or we wore out our welcome on season one, either way we needed some shtick and didn't have it.) John said we will see familiar faces and some that should have been on previous barbecue shows but were not.

Season 2 is scheduled to debut this August. Myron Mixon will be one of the remaining straws we can hold on to from the previous season. I am sure he will not disappoint us with his candid opinions, southern colloquialisms and colorful language. Unless someone turns in something completely awful, he should be a strong defender of the cooks to the other judges. That interaction will be fun to watch.

Regardless of what you think of the new format, the impact of season one has been very apparent as it has brought more new teams to the competition circuit this year than ever before. Though we may never see a series dedicated to competition barbecue like season one was, anything on television about barbecue is always good thing!

Good luck to all of the teams competing on season 2!

Belton v. Raytown

2010-06-15T06:59:00.000-07:00

Roe v. Wade, Cain v. Abel or Lakers v. Celtics - we all have our battles. For us, it was Belton v. Raytown. Two contests where we followed the same road but ended up at different destinations.

At Belton, fresh off of our Springfield success, we thought we were cruising down the barbecue road in a Cadillac. The barbecue world is a cruel mistress and our Cadillac ended up being a broken down Pinto as we limped to our destination. Upon arrival, we were rear ended and our Pinto, along with our dreams of a top 10 finish, went up in a ball of flames! Thirty four teams did battle and we finish in the middle at 17th. No top ten calls for us that weekend. We tuck our tail between our legs, take our smokers and go home. Gone too is the swagger of Springfield and what we are left with is the second guessing of our skills, processes and presentations. It was a weekend to forget.

Enter the dragon that is Raytown. We backed off competing for over a month before deciding to do Raytown. Humbled by our last experience , we needed to take a more serious approach to what we were doing. The weather was hot with a chance of showers. We hope we can get the cook in without any rain. At 10:15am on Saturday morning, a torrential downpour rolls in. Wind, rain and lightning roll through the contest area. The timing couldn't have been worse. Our chicken goes on at 10:30am and all I can think about is trying to keep the cooker at the temperature we need while a river of water rolls through our prep area. Brant and I our holding on to the ez-ups with thoughts of disaster racing through my head. This is the first time we have ever faced such a ferocious storm while competing. When it's all over, sixty-five teams go into the water and 10 come out on top. The barbecue sharks get the rest. We finish 7th out of the 65 teams overall with a 2nd place rib call and a 4th place brisket call. We did exactly what we set out to do. Finish in the top 10 overall and have at least one call. Mission accomplished! We have the Cadillac back but now we need to remember to respect the road.

Now we reach our down time. We have an event to cook for in July down in Grand Lake, OK and probably won't compete again until mid August in Springfield, MO. Then another break and finish the season at the American Royal in early October. Hopefully, we can continue our winning ways. It would be nice to cook more events to help us be more consistent but the current financial status just won't allow it. So I'll sit back, wait and watch from afar.

A Tale Of Two Contests

2010-04-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

Well, where to start? Our 2010 competition season has started and we now have 2 contests under our belt with some interesting results.

We did participate at Smoke On The Water in Little Rock, AR. This was the first time we traveled out of the Kansas City metro area to cook. It was very eye opening. The contest itself attracted some of the top teams in the country and we knew we would have to work hard to get a call in any category. The atmosphere was very different from most contests. There was no partying or loud music late into the night. It was very down to business. The game faces were on early Friday and did not come off until the last turn-in. We did meet some new teams and we were able to get an audience with Myron Mixon. Also caught up with Rod Gray of Pellet Envy (The Grand Champion of the event) and Harry Soo and his partner Mark of Slap Yo' Daddy when all was said and done.

Overall, we finished 155th and received a 12th place call in Chicken. We were very pleased with our Chicken call considering the level of cooks we were against. We felt our brisket was the best we had ever cooked but unfortunately the judges thought differently. That's one thing I can always count on, if our team likes it, the judges will not! The contest outcome and the bad weather made it a long drive home.

Now we flash forward to this past weekend at the Rockin' Rib Fest in Springfield, MO. There were 59 teams competing on the grounds of the giant Bass Pro Shop. The contest atmosphere reminded me of a mini American Royal. There were many barbecue/Pitmaster fans who showed up both Friday night and on Saturday. We met and talked to a lot of great folks!

This contest also required that we cook for and serve the public on Saturday after our last turn-in. We had not done this before but found out that 6 pork butts and 2 briskets didn't last very long with the hungry crowd. We did not win any People's Choice Awards but still enjoyed the experience.

As far as the cook process, we felt like it was one of the smoothest we had every had. Everything finished within our normal time range and the presentation boxes went together like clock work (big props to Darrin and Brant.) At the awards ceremony, we were rewarded for our hard work. We placed 10th in chicken, 7th in pork and 2nd in brisket for a 6th place overall finish! The damn ribs did us in this time with a 23rd place! We did receive a nice etched plate from the 417 Magazine for being the 1st place brisket champion in their contest. All in all, a very pleasing result for our second cook of the season!

Next up.....Belton, MO Heritage BBQ Contest on April 30th. Let the good times roll!

Smoke on the Water - T Minus 2 days and Counting

2010-03-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

Just a few days now until one of the most anticipated events of the young 2010 barbecue competition season! I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for Friday to get here. Of course, I still have a lot of things left on my to do list before heading out in the wee hours Friday morning.

This winter has seemed extremely longer and colder than past years. I suppose part of that is because of I have been waiting for March 19th to get here just like a kid waiting for Christmas day to arrive. The cold, overcast gloom is finally going to give way to the start of our barbecue season. Surely sunny, warm days are on the horizon?

This contest will mark the furthest we have traveled to compete. That being said, I need to narrow down what I can take to only the essentials. In the past, I have found myself loading items I never touch at a contest (for my first contest I took three barbecue cookbooks - which I never touched!). I will say over the past year I have worked to reduce what I haul to a contest quite a bit. I've found that cluttering up your work area with non-essential items just doesn't make sense. I got so tired of tripping over plastic containers full of things I never touch but thought necessary. Experience is a great teacher and we're all working a little smarter these days.

My goal is to have everything loaded early Thursday evening. Leave Kansas City very early Friday morning and meet up with Darrin and Corey on the highway around Harrisonville, MO. We are shooting for an arrival time around 11 a.m. at the contest site. That will give us time to get set-up and have a little down time before we start our prep work. Brant and his entourage are flying in from Florida so we expect him on site about 5:30 p.m.

There will 228 teams competing for $100k in prize money. The list of teams is like a who's who on the bbq circuit. A good finish here would say a lot about our team. We will really need to be on top of our game to have a shot at a top 40 finish in any category. Regardless of the outcome, it is still very valuable experience for us and another learning opportunity as we "rub" elbows with some of the elite cooks in the country.

Eric Clapton

2010-03-06T12:19:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate enough the other night to see Eric Clapton perform at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. This was the first time that I had the chance to see him perform after missing out on opportunities to see him in the 80's and 90's. I liken the whole experience to being in church as you sit and wonder in awe at his guitar playing. Age has not diminished his guitar or vocal skills. Watching him close his eyes and become completely immersed in his playing was truly magical.

He played 15 songs in all. His is set ranged from the blues song "Going Down Slow" to rock standards like "I Shot the Sheriff." Acoustic versions of "Layla" and "Driftin' Blues" were a big hit with the audience. Of course, "Wonderful Tonight" and "Cocaine" closed out the set. He then came back out and played "Crossroads" for the encore which capped a great show.

There were a couple the things I enjoyed about the show. One of which was that EC came out and played through the first 14 songs with no breaks. Also there was no patronizing the audience or preaching from the stage.

Roger Daltrey opened the show and proved he still has the energy and voice to perform. Windmilling the microphone like from days of old, he sang several Who hits and deferred to Pete Townsend's brother Simon to sing "Goin' Mobile." He told the audience the last time he had opened for someone was back in the early 1960's for The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

The amount of rock and roll history and talent displayed on stage that night was amazing!

BACK TO BBQ: We are getting geared up for Smoke On The Water down in Little Rock on March 19th. More updates to follow......

Countdown To Little Rock!

2010-02-28T19:15:00.000-08:00

It's the last day of February. That means March and its eventual warmth are here. The Olympics are in the book and the opening ceremonies for Holla-N-Swalla's barbecue season start on March 19th in Little Rock, AR. No huge fanfare or parades. Just we four with our ez-up and equipment hoping to strike gold, or should I say green, against some of the countries top competition. It will be challenging but it will also be fun! I can't wait to get started!

Last weekend all four of us were able to gather at Darrin's house in Louisburg, KS to have a practice run through of all four KCBS categories (but sadly no cider or doughnuts). A big thanks to Darrin for not only suggesting this but hosting as well! This was the first time we had done this and I am not sure why we never thought about it before?

We have been very fortunate that we all can come to an agreement about how we cook each category. Chicken and ribs have been solid categories. Brisket varies for us -some contests it is great and some not so great and pork has been all over the map. We were looking to incorporate some new procedures in brisket and pork I learned about in the off season. This get together enabled us to successfully work through these new processess. I feel very confident in what we are doing and I'm looking forward to getting things kicked off!

Now we just need the calendar to speed up and the weather to warm up!

Big T's Bar-B-Q

2010-02-16T13:52:00.001-08:00

February is the time of year I find most difficult. So close to the warming days of March but yet still locked in winter's death grip. On these gray, cold days, I look for any kind of respite or release from nature's injustice.

My release today was venturing over to Big T's Bar-B-Q on Blue Parkway to meet my buddy Larry for lunch. To be honest, I had not heard of Big T's until about a month ago. We have a gluttony of riches when it comes to barbecue restaurants here in Kansas City and I am guilty for overlooking many of these places. Today, I wanted to extend my barbecue dining experience yet again.

We met at 1pm to avoid the lunch rush. Parking was not an issue and service was friendly and quick. The place itself was clean and appealing. I would describe Big T's as a "BBQ Joint." When you walk in you are immediately hit with the familiar smell of french fries cooking inter-mingled with the aroma of meat smoking. A nice jolt to the senses on such a blah day. The walls were ordained with pictures of past Kansas City sports teams. Black and white pictures of the NBA's long gone Kansas City Kings, a picture of the 1946 Negro Leagues All-Star Game, and a 1998 team picture of the Kansas City Chiefs to name a few. A napkin dispenser, bottle of Heinz ketchup and salt and pepper shakers adorned the tables. Extra barbecue sauce was available if you asked for it at the service counter.

The order process here is quite familiar. Place your order at the counter and they call your number when it's ready. I ordered the brisket on a bun , fries and a small ice tea. The total was $7.81. The brisket was thinly sliced and served with sauce on it (I need to start asking for sauce on the side). The meat itself had a slight hickory smoked flavor while the sauce was sweet and thin. I felt the sauce detracted from some of the flavor of the meat. Also I prefer my brisket to be sliced a little thicker than what I received today. The fries were greasy and were your average fare. Larry ordered the burnt end plate and said that the ends were tender and had a good smokey flavor.

I guess a good sign if you don't like something is to leave it on your plate. Both of our plates were empty so we must have liked it. Is Big T's my favorite barbecue place? No, but I would visit again to try out more of their menu.

Silver Dollar City Festivals 2010: Bluegrass & BBQ

2010-02-07T13:54:00.000-08:00

Sweet sounds and sweet sauce will prevail during Bluegrass & BBQ at Silver Dollar City, May 13 through May 31. The top names in bluegrass will perform while experts cook up the ribs and burnt ends. The House of BBQ will serve Memphis dry rubs, sweet and tangy Carolina vinegars, smoky Texas-style and Kansas City-style barbeque that will make your nose twitch and your mouth water.

Silver Dollar City has earned its reputation as one of the nation’s premier amusement parks with events such as Bluegrass & BBQ. Located in Branson, Missouri, within walking distance of the well-known Lodges at Table Rock, Silver Dollar City offers a 1800s-themed environment complete with arts, crafts, cooking lessons, period displays, rides and much more. Bluegrass & BBQ is only one of a number of extended events held throughout the year.

For 19 days, Bluegrass & BBQ will serve up electrifying performances by rising stars and veteran favorites in bluegrass music. They come from all over the country to the place bluegrass belongs, the Ozark Mountains.

Some of the acts you can expect to see and hear include:

Nothin’ Fancy-Formed in 1994 to compete in the East Coast Bluegrass Championship in Crimora, Virginia, Nothin’ Fancy has since released eight albums and one CD single. The group has played the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee; Lincoln Center in New York; and the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia. The band has also hosted its own festival in Buena Vista, Virginia, and won The SPBGMA Entertaining Group of the Year award in 2008 and 2009.

Red Head Express-This group has it all — a variety of musical styles, dancing, comedy, you name it. And they all get along, even though they’re family: Mom, Dad, four daughters and three sons. They’ve played throughout the Midwest and South in performing arts centers, at festivals and in theaters and opry houses, and they’ve had two seasons playing in Branson.

Hunt Family Bluegrass-Born in Orlando, Oklahoma, in 2004, Hunt Family Bluegrass has become known for its hard-driving style. The family includes Terry, the dad, who plays guitar; Leanne, the mom, who plays bass; 17-year-old Andrew on mandolin and fiddle; and 15-year-old Jonathan, who plays banjo.

In all, about 40 bluegrass bands will perform during Bluegrass & BBQ, and the barbeque will be available the whole time. Whatever your taste in music or food, this event is sure to satisfy.

While you’re in Branson and visiting Silver Dollar City, you should consider staying at The Lodges At Table Rock. Among lodges in Branson, it has a reputation for family-friendly excellence. Many people think of it as the Silver Dollar City lodge because it’s so close to the park, or the Table Rock lodge because of its proximity to Table Rock Lake. It’s also one of the most popular Branson lodges for people who are visiting the area to enjoy the lakes and Branson attractions other than Silver Dollar City.

So, when you’re looking for lodging near Silver Dollar City, be sure to visit www.LodgesAtTableRock.com where you can learn more and make your Table Rock Lodge reservations. You’ll enjoy the convenience as you take in Bluegrass & BBQ.

Say Good Night Gracie

2010-02-04T11:08:00.000-08:00

Tonight season one of Pitmasters rides off into the sunset. I find myself running after it and calling its name like Brandon De Wilde chasing after Alan Ladd. "Shane" didn't come back but hopefully TLC will heed the calls and "BBQ Pitmasters" will return for a second season.

This series was eagerly anticipated by the barbecue world. Sure the Travel Channel or Food Network would occasionally throw us barbecue cooks a bone but I was always left with wanting more - enter Pitmasters. What the competitive barbecue world received was not only a show for us but also a show to help enlighten non-Q'ers on what competing is all about. Like a zombie drawn to a mall, I was drawn to the show.

From my experience, the show has opened up the barbecue competition world to more people. I have talked to many people who have no real interest in barbecue but have watched the show and enjoyed what they saw. In fact, the question I have to answer most is regarding Myron and "What's he really like?" It's good to see the interest generated about barbecue.

I will not be surprised if we see a second season of Pitmasters. If TLC wants no part of it, I am sure some other network would. The show has clearly marked out its territory on the reality show map. It will be interesting to see the impact the show will have on the competitive trail this season. Will there be an increase in rookie teams? More contests? More barbecue groupies? I can't wait for our competition season to start so I can find out. In the meantime, I'll head back to the farm and see if Shane shows up!

Happy Trails!

Looking Ahead

2010-01-24T09:31:00.000-08:00

First, I wanted to thank Greg Rempe for having me on his BBQ Central Radio Show last Tuesday (1/19). We discussed our teams' experience with being on "BBQ Pitmasters," our teams' background and feelings about Myron Mixon . I enjoyed giving the amateur team perspective on things. Thanks again Greg!

All the snow has melted in the Kansas City area. It has taken a month to get rid of it but it's gone! Hopefully for good! Temperatures have rebounded from highs around 0 degrees to what feels like tropical highs in the 30's! The warm-up in the weather really gets the competition juices flowing.

Darrin, Brant and myself met at Darrin's house to have our preseason game plan discussion last weekend (Corey was busy cooking and couldn't attend. We'll forgive him as it was bbq related.) This is a good strategy session for us as we can lay out our competition schedule for 2010, address any cooking related issues or adjustments we want to make, discuss marketing/sponsorship items and hash out any issues from the previous year.

Contest selection is what drives the bus for us and it is important that we choose wisely. We decided to kick off the cook season with the Smoke on the Water contest in Little Rock, AR. The total prize package is a staggering $100k and they are paying out 1st through 40th place in each category. It is a great opportunity to compete with many of the top teams from across the country early on in the BBQ season and to capitalize on our success at the American Royal. This will be the first time that we step out of the Kansas City area to compete.

In addition to Little Rock, we are looking at the Springfield, MO contest in mid April, Great American in May and the American Royal in October. We will also look at adding an additional 2 to 4 contests dispersed across late April through September. I'm really looking forward to the 2010 season. Hurry up and get here March!

Darrin also is organizing a practice cook at his house in February. After I attended the JOS cook school this past November, we decided that we need to incorporate the brisket and pork butt techniques into our cook process. This will give everyone a chance to work through these techniques together after having practiced them separately. Also another area we will explore will be our rib process. We've been happy with our ribs but want to give the JOS process a try as well. It is nice to know that we have 2 solid rib techniques to utilize. For now, the chicken process will remain the same but I feel we can make 2 minor changes and still attain the same solid finished product.

I'm ready to cook!

Pitmasters Episode 5 - Attack of Holla-N-Swalla

2010-01-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

Well, where to begin? We had no idea what to expect other than we were to appear on the show. There was a lot of video shot Saturday night into Sunday. The show's producers did a great job getting what was shot condensed down into a nice concise program.

To be honest, when the episode started I was a little nervous where it might go. Would we be portrayed as "partiers," clueless cooks or something out of leftfield? As the show progressed, I was very relieved as they worked the amateurs getting help from the pro angle.

When we were initially approached on that Saturday of the Royal by John Markus, he said they were looking for an amateur team that one of the Pitmasters (Myron) could mentor. Myron had put in a good word for us and John asked if we would like to participate. We would have access to Myron to ask questions and see behind the wizard's curtain during the morning of the open. Who could say no to something like that?

As Sunday morning unfolded, Brant, Darrin, Corey and myself tried to take advantage of going over to Myron's tent to ask questions and to see some of his processes. Brant and I talked to Myron about chicken and we mentioned to him that we had some legs to cook with our thighs. We normally cook thighs and 6 to 10 legs at a contest. If we have room in our box, we try to get at least 2 legs in there as well. Myron said if we had legs to make sure we get them in the box as the judges like a "handle" to hold onto while they eat. Fortunately, we were able to get 6 thighs and 2 legs into our blind box at the Royal. We hit the right judging table and the rest is history.

The Myron Mixon you see in this episode is the real Myron I know. He is helpful, friendly and gracious. Is Myron cocky and self assured in what he does? Hell yes! He's a champion and has earned that right. I think some folks may be reading a little too much into the persona they see on the show. If you meet him and talk to him, you will come away feeling positive about him. I hope that we get the opportunity to cook next to Myron and his wife Faye again.

All four of us really enjoyed the episode. A big "Thank You" to the "Pitmasters" producers for letting us appear and to Myron for his kind words about our team. We had a great time and would love to do it again!

We can't wait to get the 2010 season going!

Pitmasters Tonight

2010-01-14T14:37:00.000-08:00

Tonight's the night to see if we made the cut. Not sure what to expect?

BBQ Pitmasters

2009-12-15T11:20:00.000-08:00

On December 3rd, the "BBQ Pitmasters" show kicked off on the TLC network. This reality based show follows designated BBQ competition teams as they participate in various sanctioned contests across the country.

I have watched the first 2 episodes of the show and have enjoyed it. I know that on various BBQ forums there has been a great deal of support for the show but also some concern as well. Like BBQ itself, everyone has a different flavor preference.

I think the BBQ world is very lucky to have an advocate like John Markus who can help promote our sport. He is providing a window into the competition world that many would never look through. I look for the show to bring more people into the competitive BBQ field. In fact, I was hooked several years ago by that first competitve BBQ show that Chris Lilly hosted on OLN.

I have also taken particular delight in watching Myron Mixon tease the audience with some of his techniques (especially the cupcake chicken.) Having recently attended his cook school at his house, it's been fun to see all the cooks on the forums trying to backwards engineer his chicken process as if they were some sort of Cold War era Soviet scientist.

The show conveys that BBQ is something everyone can do but not everyone can win. Working through your processes, techniques and flavor profiles to come up with a winning combination is difficult. Then couple that with the subjectivity of the judges, well, things get interesting and that means anything can or will happen at a contest. This is a lesson that Pablo Diablo found out in the first episode.

L.C.'s BBQ

2009-12-10T13:13:00.001-08:00

I ventured out today into the cold today to meet some friends for lunch. My friend suggested L.C.'s BBQ at 5800 Blue Parkway in Kansas City, MO (it's just a couple of miles west of the Truman Sports Complex). I had heard a lot about L.C.'s but never had made the trip over until today.

Luckily, arriving at 1:15pm meant that the lunch crowd had cleared out and there was plenty of seats to choose from. The place is not very big so I can see where seating could become a premium during the busy lunch hour.

The order process here varied slightly from any other local BBQ joint. You place your order and pay at the counter. When your order is ready they call your number and you pick it back up at the counter.

The menu offered beef, pork, turkey, ribs, chicken, rib tips and burnt ends. Sides include baked beans, fries, slaw and onion rings. I ordered the 2 meat combo sandwich (beef and turkey) which came with fries. I also ordered a side of baked beans and a drink. The total was $16.43.

I sat down at a table and gave the place a quick glance. There was ESPN on the TV in one corner, a self serve soda fountain in the other and Mr. L.C. was sitting at a table pouring through paperwork while conversing with patrons. At the center of my table, there were a couple of rolls of paper towels, a bottle of ketchup and a bottle of L.C.'s BBQ sauce.

The wait for my meal was short. Probably about 4 minutes in all. The sandwich was served on white bread with a slice in the middle to seperate the turkey from the beef. The meat was served sauced which I was not aware of. Had I known, I would have asked for it plain so I could sample the meats on their own merit.

I enjoy turkey and it's hit or miss on whether the local joints carry it. I found the turkey today to be very tasty and had a good smoke flavor. The brisket mirrored the turkey and had a good smoke flavor as well. It was sliced thin which definitely helps make it that much more tender.

As for the sides, the fries were thick cut and very tasty. Just the right amount with the sandwich. The beans were thick with a touch of a sweet/smokey bold flavor and contained pieces of burnt ends. It was a good choice.

The barbecue sauce is tomato based and has a sweet, tangy flavor. It has a similar flavor profile to Gate's sauce but without the peppery taste. It complimented the meat well and was also great for dipping fries into!

I enjoyed my meal today. The portions are large and I was not able to finish my order of beans. You will not go away hungry here! I need to make sure I come hungry on my next visit.

Oklahoma Joes - A Brief Review

2009-11-30T13:38:00.000-08:00

I had to stop by the KC BBQ store today in Olathe, KS and fortunately it's attached to one of my favorite BBQ joints here in Kansas City-Oklahoma Joes. I don't think I have ever eaten anything bad there. It is always consistently good.

I arrived today at 11:30am and to my surprise walked right up to the register (this is a rarity at lunch) to place my order. I moved to my right and received my order in about 3 minutes. It was nice not having to wait. They really have their process down.

I ordered the sliced brisket sandwich and a side of Cole slaw. The brisket was thinly sliced and had a nice but not overpowering smoke flavor to it. I normally don't order Cole slaw here because they're french fries are the best in town! For whatever reason, I went with the slaw today. It was good but I wished I had ordered the spicy version instead. I prefer that over the regular slaw. My total cost was $9.61 for the sandwich, slaw and drink.

The regular Cowtown sauce and the hotter, Night of the Living Cow, sauce were on the table. I've always been a fan of their regular sauce. It's sweet but has that peppery kick to it. It compliments all of their meats and is great to dip your fries into! I also used some of the Hot Sauce and enjoyed it as well. Its spice hits the front of your tongue first and then goes to your throat but it's minimal.

All in all, I enjoyed my meal today. That is why Oklahoma Joes is always one of my can't miss choices for BBQ in Kansas City.

Jack Daniels Invitational 2009

2009-10-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the prestigious Jack Daniels Invitational BBQ Competition. Eighty teams from across the world qualified to cook this contest. A big congratulations to our friend Myron Mixon of Jack's Old South for his Reserve Grand Championship there! Also congratulations to all of the participants and those who walked! What a honor to be able to cook there.

Here are the top 10 finishers overall:

Grand Champion: I Que
Reserve Champion: Jack's Old South
Overall:
1 I Que
2 Jack's Old South
3 Bub-Ba-Q
4 Tee Wayne's Smoking Lipp
5 Parrothead Smokers
6 Spitfire
7 Lakeside Smokers
8 Cool Smoke
9 Mr. Bobo's Traveling BBQ
10 Dizzy Pig

American Royal Weekend 2009

2009-10-05T11:06:00.000-07:00

What A Weekend!

The 30th Annual American Royal is in the books and it will be a memorable one!

We arrived at our spot in front of Kemper Arena on Friday morning and began staging our space. Our teammate Darrin is in charge of this and always does an excellent job. This job was complicated by the extremely windy conditions of the day and that we were hosting a party for all of our friends and family that night. Darrin got us dialed in for the weekend. The party was great and we appreciated everyone that came down to see us.

We also had the pleasure of meeting our neighbors, Myron and Faye Mixon, of Jack's Old South cooking team. Both are terrific people and made for an enjoyable weekend. We noticed Myron was drawing a lot of attention and had a film crew taping his every move that day. I later approached him and asked what all the fanfare was about. He explained to me that TLC was shooting a reality show entitled "Pit Masters" and that he was one of 8 teams they had been following on the competition circuit this season. I thought this was a great idea and who better to follow than Myron and Faye?

On Saturday, we had some down time before starting our prep for the Open contest the following day. We were approached by the director and producer of the reality show asking if we were interested in participating in the program. Myron had put in a good word for us and felt like we would be a good subject for a local angle. Also Corey dressed in his cousin Eddie attire didn't hurt in drawing the production peoples' interest.

The film crew came by around midnight to film us in our prep and cook process, as well as, interview us about our backgrounds, etc. This lasted about 30 minutes and with the brisket and pork on the smokers, we went to bed.

Sunday morning we were up at 5:30am. Bundled up to fight the cold weather and guzzling coffee to wake up. In between cooking duties that morning, we stopped by Myron's space several times and were allowed access to his private prep area to watch him and his wife do their magic. The film crew taped us as we asked him questions about his processes. We also discussed judging, presentations, cook times, meat selection, rubs and sauces just to mention a few. We were able to sample his rubs and sauces as well. Brant took the lead in the Q&A sessions as they were being filmed. He should hopefully get us a lot of face time on the show.

As we approached turn-in time, we were busy scrambling to make sure everything was completed on time. The film crew came by and filmed us as we put our boxes together and took them to the judging turn-in area. Darrin had some fun with the cameras spreading sauce on his face and making it look like he had been eating out of our turn in box while carrying it to the judging area.

We felt our chicken, ribs, pork and brisket all tasted well. It was different trying to put our boxes together knowing we were being taped. I tried my best to put it out of my mind. Our box presentation looked good and we thought we should hopefully have a respectable showing in the standings.

After our last turn-in, the film crew asked that we hang around so they could film some intro shots for their show. They also had reserved some seats for us at the award ceremony and asked that we all attend. Normally I stay for the award ceremonies after each contest we cook. The rest of the guys are usually pretty eager to get home. It was nice that everyone stayed.

We packed our vehicles and headed for the award ceremony at the requested time. The Royal ceremony is always fun because everyone gets a chance to relax and wind down from all of the weekend's work. It's also fun to see our other BBQ friends get calls during the ceremony. Everyone works so hard and puts their heart and soul into what they cook that they deserve some recognition. This ceremony is also a little longer as there are several side categories that are awarded out to first before the main categories are awarded.

Chicken was the first category to be awarded. The emcee began to read the winners names starting with 20th place. He began to call a lot of familiar names off of the winners list. Then he came to number 3 overall and called our team name! I was in shock. We all got up and took our place on the #3 spot on the stage holding our 3rd place ribbon high. The camera crew had been filming us the whole ceremony and captured our special moment. We were on cloud nine. I was glad that my wife and kids were there to share it with me too. We had no other calls but none of us cared.

We finished our post ceremony interview for the show and our thank you interview to Myron for all of his guidance. We headed back to our space and had a celebratory drink!

Our overall finish was 128th out of 486 teams. Ribs finished 59th, Brisket 152nd and Pork 433rd. Pork killed us! Not sure what went wrong because it was cooked the same way we did last year and that entry finished 48th. We could have cracked the top 75 overall thanks to the Pork.

It was a great time. Many thanks to my teammates for making this a special weekend! Without them none of this happens.

BBQ Review of Dickey's Barbecue Pit

2009-09-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

I had lunch today at the recently opened Dickey's Barbecue Pit located at the new Tiffany Springs shopping complex in Kansas City North. Dickey's is out of Dallas, TX and was founded in 1941. According to their website, they have been franchising out for the last 8 years and have doubled their size since then. There is another location in Overland Park, KS and one coming soon to Parkville, MO. As you can see by the photo, it's not a huge place and they probably have about 25 to 30 tables.

They offer 4 different sizes of barbecue sandwiches with your choice of pulled pork, sliced or chopped brisket, ham, turkey breast, chicken breast, polish sausage or hot links. Pork ribs are available as well. Prices range from $3.99 to $6.59 per sandwich. There are also meat plates available ranging from $4.25 to $7.50.

Sides are extra or can be purchased in a combo deal with your sandwich or plate. Sides offered are waffle fries, coleslaw, caesar salad, fried onion tanglers, grean beans, potato salad, bbq beans, jalapeno beans, fried okra, mac & cheese and baked potato casserole.

The restaurant is new and is decorated with your typical wood and metal decor. When you enter you line up, place your order and move down to pay and pick up your order. It is similar to the process at Oklahoma Joe's but was a little slower. It looked like they were still trying to work out their ordering kinks. I noticed all the meat was stored in a glass door warmer wrapped in plastic wrap. As you place your order, they remove the meat from the warmer and slice/chop to order. You then step to your right and order your sides. Then a final step to your right to choose your drink size and pay. This whole process took about 10 to 12 minutes from door to seat. I will say I was there in the heart of the lunch hour at 12:25pm.

I ordered the sliced brisket on bun, side of bbq beans and a large drink. The total was $7.85. After paying, I walked over to the condiment counter where they offered 3 different sauces (Hot & Spicy, Original and Sweet.) I took a sample of all 3 to try.

The brisket was tender and sliced fairly thin. It had a smoke flavor but I really didn't notice much of a smoke ring. There was not a lot of noticeable bark on the meat but that could be due to the thin slices and that there wasn't a lot of surface for the bark to adhere to once sliced.

The bbq beans were average. They were not sweet as most places sell them here. There was a hint of smoke flavor to them though.

All 3 sauces were thin and sweet. I think I like the Hot & Spicy the best. You can taste the sweet and tangy and then the bite of the heat hits you. I usually like my sauce just a little thicker than this but I still enjoyed it. As for the other two, the Original had the same sweet and tangy taste without the heat. I found the Sweet to be pretty similar to the Original. All 3 sauces were kept in warmers on the counter.

Overall, I thought the food was good and I will return to try the ribs and pulled pork before I make a final decision. The staff was friendly and the restaurant was very clean. The options of eating barbecue in the Northland are somewhat limited but I would place Dickey's in the upper part of my list.

BBQ at Kaufman Stadium

The Royal's had their employee picnic last night at the Stadium. I was expecting hotdogs but was surprised that we were served barbecue.

In the Outfield Experience, they sell barbecue which is actually smoked on the premises (I still need to verify this) by Aramark. I have been tempted a couple of times to go out there on my break and buy some. The high price has deterred me this season so far.

Before a rousing game of softball on the playing field, they served us ribs and chicken along with sides. The ribs were okay and were slathered in a sweet, mild sauce. The chicken had very little smoke or spice flavor. I was not impressed. Too bad Gates is no longer in the stadium. I guess I'll save my money and not buy any barbecue out there this year.

The Garnish Dilemma

2009-09-16T19:14:00.000-07:00

I received the below email today from KCBS regarding a garnish issue:

PARSLEY Temporary Rule Change Effective IMMEDIATELY
The following rule change is being put into effect because of the RECALL of PARSLEY in 10 states due to the risk of salmonella contamination and food poisoning. The states involved in the recall include Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.
As a result, the Board of Directors has issued the follow advisory and rule change for all KCBS-sanctioned contests held between September 16 and September 20, 2009.
The use of all types of parsley (including, but not limited to, curly, flat leaf, Italian or any other type) and cilantro is prohibited and shall constitute an illegal garnish and therefore be disqualified.
The decision to ban the use of parsley and cilantro is made out of abundant caution and concern for the protection of all participants, including cooks, judges and visitors, as well as the effect that the use of parsley could have on a judge who may be concerned the product he or she is judging could be contaminated. This decision is made in the interest of safety and fair competition.
This ban is only for the period stated and will not affect any other future competition unless the FDA or other authorities issue additional warnings.
Sincerely,The KCBS Office

I'm not a big fan of garnish and wish they would do away with it for turn-in boxes! We make parsley boxes and they are very time consuming. Things would be so much easier without all the salad in the way. It would leave more time for beer drinking!

September Is Heating Up!

2009-09-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

The month of September is a busy one on the KCBS circuit. There were 14 KCBS sanctioned contests the weekend of 9/11/09 across the country. Three of these were held in the Kansas City metro area. The Blue Springs Blaze Off, the Annual Charity BBQ in Leavenworth and the Cross Points BBQ Cookoff in Shawnee all took place this past weekend. Blue Springs is typically a big draw and was again this year with 80 teams competing. Congrats to the Plowboys for their Grand Championship win there! Likewise for the Crimson & Blue Crew outdueling 29 other teams in Leavenworth and Wild Blue BBQ 34 others in Shawnee to post their victories.

This coming weekend will see 11 more sanctioned events with 2 of those taking place in the KC metro area (Mission, KS and Kearney, MO.)

What the hell does this have to do with us?

Well, typically at this point in the season, we would be participating in one of these events to help get us tuned up for the Royal and shake off some of the rust. However, the economics of it have hit us hard this year and we have to skip the tuneup this year. There's always next year!

Our 9/11 Tribute

2009-09-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

Countdown to the American Royal!

2009-09-11T08:23:00.000-07:00

October 1-4, 2009

Kemper Arena

Kansas City, MO

The 30th Annual American Royal BBQ Contest is right around the corner. Once again, Holla-N-Swalla will be participating in the "Open" portion of this contest. This will mark our fourth year participating in this great event!

For those of you not familiar with the American Royal, it is the largest BBQ contest in the world and is sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society. There is an Invitational contest which takes place on Saturday (10/3) and involves approximately 100 teams vying for the top prize of ten thousand dollars. Since we do not meet the criteria to compete in the Invitational we will cook in the Open contest which takes place on Sunday. Typically, there are anywhere from 400 to 500 teams competing in the Open. The grand prize this year is $12,500 dollars and invitations to next years American Royal contest as well as the highly prized Jack Daniels invitational contest in Lynchburg, TN. There are also cash prizes, trophies and ribbons for finishing in the top 20 for each judged category.

With so many teams participating in the Open, you really have to be on your game to be lucky enough to have a Top 20 finish in any category. The subjectivity involved with judging , like most contests, makes this a real crapshoot. Often times, entries we think aren't very good tend to do well and the entries that we think rock are our worst scores. Take a look at last year's scores:

2008 Open Scores

Overall 135th out of 458

Chicken 322nd out of 458 (Ouch!)

Ribs 92nd out of 458

Pork 48th out of 458

Brisket 238th out of 458 (C'mon on judges!)

As you can see, Ribs and Pork weren't too bad but Brisket and especially Chicken killed us! The funny thing was our chicken had been our strongest finisher in all of our 2008 contests. Go figure?

We have really enjoyed cooking this event in the past and we are looking forward to this year. We will be in our same space, #756, this year as last year. Our space is located in front of Kemper Arena right by the Wyoming gate entrance. This year we also will have a very prestigious neighbor. Myron Mixon's team, Jack's Old South, who has won several world titles will be next to us. Hopefully some of their mojo will rub off on us!

If you are in the area that weekend, stop by and say hi. We love talking Q!

Brisket Cooking Tips

2009-09-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

In professional BBQ competitions, brisket separates the men from the boys. Every team has their own special ritual to prepare the beef primal cut known as brisket.

Brisket essentials:

long slow cooking over low heat
internal temp of 190 F
achieve temp gradually
rush it & it tastes like rubber

How long do I cook?

some teams cook up to 20 hours
plan on cooking at least 6 hours

The Holla-N-Swalla squad cooked the brisket pictured above in approximately 7 hours.

For extra flavor & tenderness mop the brisket with a vinegar-beer mop as it cooks.

Approximately four hours into cook, wrap brisket in aluminum foil and place back on smoker. This helps keep the brisket tender during cooking.

2009-09-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

Pulled Pork Tostadas
with Guacamole

Rub

1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp prepared chili powder

1 boneless pork shoulder roast {Boston Butt}, about 4 pounds

Guacamole

8 ripe avocados
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

2 cups good-quality spicy tomato salsa
1 large bag sturdy tortilla chips

1. To make the rub: In a small bowl, mix the rub ingredients with your fingers.
2. Coat the roast to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.
3. Grill the roast over Indirect medium heat until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees about 4 hours. Adjust the grill's temperature so it stays about 325. The meat should be so tender it pulls apart easily. Remove the roast from the grill, place it on a cutting board, and loosely cover with foil. Let rest for about 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the guacamole: Scoop the avocado flesh into a medium bowl. Add the lime juice and salt and, using the back of a fork, mash the guacamole together. Stir in the cilantro. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent browning.
5. Using two forks, pull the pork apart into shreds, discarding any pockets of fat. If desired, finely chop the pork with a knife. Place the shredded pork in a large saucepan over medium heat and moisten with the salsa.
6. To serve, place about one tablespoon of pork on each tortilla chip. Top with about half as much guacamole. Serve while the pork is warm.

Or you could....

Come to the Holla-N-Swalla space at the American Royal. If we have any extra pork butt, your welcome to take some home. Just add the guacamole & salsa to the chips, and your good to go!

I got this recipe from Weber's Real Grilling.

In The Beginning......

2009-07-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Blog! I wanted to document the journey of our little bbq team that could. We were bit by the bbq bug and started competing in 2006. We decided to cook the American Royal Open as our first contest! We had no idea what we were doing and finished 199th overall. If I recall right, our pork entry finished 35th overall. Thanks to the available bbq forums and the kind cooks who post on them, we at least didn't make total fools of overselves. We've learned alot since then and are still on the long journey to obtaining that elusive grand championship.

There are 4 of us on the team. That really helps defray some of the costs when you can divide it by four. Brant, Darrin, Corey and myself have been cooking together since 2007. Originally Brant and myself cooked that first contest in 2006 with another friend of ours. Thankfully we added Darrin and his brother Corey and have formed a very solid team. It really makes a difference when everyone gets along and has fun doing it!