2015 Gordonsville Chicken Festival

Here is yours truly hosting the Central Virginia Public Access Television's special about the 2015 Gordonsville, Virginia Fried Chicken Festival.



For over 100 years before the Colonel introduced the country to his chicken, some resourceful and energetic African American women in Gordonsville, Virginia were nationally known for their delicious fried chicken. Learn more of their story here.

Old Virginia Barbecue Coming Soon to a TV Near You

Here I am spritzing the barbecue while being recorded by Charles Thomas of CVTV

It was a hot July day as filming (actually digital video, no film required) commenced of the first episode of a TV show featuring yours truly demonstrating how to cook Virginia barbecue as well as discussing its history and traditions.

In this episode, I demonstrated how to barbecue tri-tip, pork tenderloin, and baby back ribs using typical backyard grills such as a Weber kettle, a Chargriller Outlaw, and a home made barrel cooker. I shared a couple of Virginia barbecue recipes and also one or two tips and tricks for cooking top notch, high quality barbecue in your backyard.

The show will air on the Central Virginia TV station and may also be shown in other areas and states.

Great Tip For Removing the Membrane From Ribs

In this video, Greg Rempe of the BBQ Central Radio Show demonstrates how to easily remove the membrane from the back of baby back ribs. It's a great tip and I LOVE the background music!

Obsessive Compulsive Barbecue Featured on The BBQ Central Radio Show

July 23, 2013 BBQ Central Radio Show

Yours truly was a guest on the July 23, 2013 BBQ Central Radio Show. We discussed a little bit of barbecue history, how to become a KCBS BBQ judge, and music that celebrates BBQ. There were also some great guests including Diva Q's Danielle Dimovski. Watch as she discusses her new TV show on the Travel Channel BBQ Crawl. You can watch or listen at this link - July 23, 2013 BBQ Central Radio Episode.

BBQ Pitmaster Music Video

Obsessive Compulsive Barbecue's latest music video is posted! Pitmaster!

The Barbecue Trees

Harper's Weekly, July 27, 1861 (Illustration courtesy of harpersweekly.com)

Can you spot the barbecue trees in the above illustration? In the early 19th century, during the administration of president Andrew Jackson, two groves of trees were planted on the Capitol Grounds for barbecues. After lots of research and a labor of love, I can now tell their story. You can read about them in this month's issue of Smoke Signals Magazine beginning on page 4. Here is the link - Smoke Signals Magazine Issue 11.

Intervention!

Slow Smoked Meat!

Here is the official theme song and video for Obsessive Compulsive Barbecue and its competition cook team Man vs. Pig.

Melissa Cookston's Barbecued Baby Back Ribs Recipe

Melissa Cookston - Three Time World BBQ Champion

So, have you been wanting to learn how to cook barbecue like Melissa Cookston? Who wouldn't? She is a three time world champion barbecue cook. Fortunately for us, she has also shown the world a glimpse into how she cooks baby back ribs. Here is what she has generously shared about her process and my comments.

Here is Melissa's Quick and Easy rub recipe she shared at this link - Click Here.

1 cup granulated raw sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp granulated garlic
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp black pepper (coarse ground if available)
2 tsp ground mustard
4 tbsp light chili powder
4 tbsp paprika

In the How to BBQ like a World Champion interview, Cookston explains the process.

“We’re going to show you exactly what we do to our ribs for competition to make your ribs world champion ribs too,” Cookston begins.

First, you want to remove the membrane that is on the back of the ribs. “You can’t chew through that. So we want to remove that, so that all of our flavors can get in the back of the rib as well as the top of the rib, and it’ll make it much more tender.  You just slide your fingers underneath the membrane, pull up, and bam it’s gone.”

After that, liberally coat both sides of your ribs with rub, and be sure to rub it all in so the meat gets lots of good flavor.

Then spread on a coat of secret ingredient #1, mustard.

“The mustard acts as a sealant on top of the rub, which will help force that rub down into the pores; as well as it contains Vinegar, so it will help these ribs tenderize,” she explains. “You will never taste the mustard in these ribs, I promise.”


"Now your ribs are ready for the smoker at 225 degrees for two hours."


OCBBQ NOTE - I seriously doubt that she cooks ribs at 225 degrees. Bump your smoker temperature up to 275 degrees F and you will be closer to the actual cooking temperature.

“After two hours, these ribs will be a nice, red color and they almost look like they’re done.  But guess what?  They’re still tough.  So what I’m going to do is, I’m going to wrap this up in some foil,” she says.

While appearing on BBQ Pitmasters, Cookston added some further details -

Cookston described the color of her ribs before wrapping them in foil as a really dark red color on the ribs so that when she glazes them they will have a nice pretty mahogany shine.

"Wrapping your ribs in foil will help them tenderize and keep them from over-smoking. Before you wrap them up, shake some more rub on both sides and cover it with another thin layer of mustard.

Then comes secret ingredient #2, apple juice. Add a cup or two of apple juice to your foil-wrapped ribs to ensure your ribs are cooking with moist heat and not a dry-heat.  The juice will also keep your ribs tender, and add a little bit of sweetness."

OCBBQ NOTE - I think that is too much AJ. Too much liquid in the foil can cause the ribs to lose flavor. At the link with the rub recipe (above) she specified 1 tablespoon of apple or orange juice. And if you watch the video of her at the How to BBQ like a World Champion link you can see that she used a very little bit of apple juice. Looked like about 2 tablespoons to me.

"Before you wrap them up, shake some more rub on both sides and cover it with another thin layer of mustard."

"Make sure the ribs are wrapped tightly, and put them back in the smoker for another two hours.

When your ribs are done cooking is when you add your barbecue sauce, not earlier."

OCBBQ NOTE - Start checking baby back ribs after about 1.5 hours of cook time after being wrapped. They are done when you can easily twist the bones or when they bend at a 90 degree angle when being picked up from the middle with a pair of tongs.

“BBQ sauces all contain some sort of sugars which will caramelize and actually burn through the cooking process, so you only want to put the sauce on at the very end of the cooking process,” Cookston says.

After you've sauced your ribs you’ll add the final touch of Cookston’s last secret ingredient, honey.

“It’ll give your ribs a great shine, and it’ll give them just that sweet taste, which is really good if you like sweet BBQ.”  Plus, “If it looks good, it tastes good.  So shiny ribs are better than dull ribs.”

"Put your ribs back in the smoker for 10-15 minutes to let the barbecue sauce soak in, and then your ribs are ready to enjoy."

OCBBQ NOTE - If your sauce has a lot of sugar in it, 10 minutes is the maximum time that you will need, especially at 275 degrees.

Now, if you want to make even more authentic Cookston style baby back ribs, order some of her barbecue sauce and rub from her online store. Click here for the link.

Season Four of BBQ Pitmasters Premiers December 16, 2012

The all new fourth season of BBQ Pitmasters is set to premier on the Destination America channel December 16, 2012!

Read more here.

BBQ Pitmasters Season 4 is Accepting Applications for Competitors until Aug 22, 2012

Destination America’s hit show ”BBQ Pitmasters” is back for another Season! We’re looking for the best and brightest Pitmasters who’ve got the drive to compete and personalities that trump the competition!

Now Casting BBQ Pitmaster Teams of Two who cook, eat and breathe BBQ and are ready to showcase their abilities and prove they’re the BEST!

*Interested applications must live in the State being showcased and cook that specific style of BBQ.
- Texas
- Tennessee - Memphis-Style BBQ
- North Carolina
- Missouri – Kansas City-Style BBQ
- Kentucky
- Georgia

*DEADLINE FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS IS AUGUST 22nd, 2012

Interested applications should send the following information to BBQPitmasters@OriginalMedia.com and/or JRCasting24@gmail.com

Please make sure to include your team name and region in the subject of your email.
- Names (Must be an existing team of two)
- Contact Info – email, cell phone and address
- Your BBQ Style/Region
- Recent Photos of the team and your food
- Bios – What do you do for a living? How did you get into BBQ? How long have you been competing? What is your pit? What do you cook with? What’re your specialties? Have you won any other competitions in the past? (Please list achievements and dates won)
- Why should your team be chosen to represent your region and compete?
- Any links to your website and/or video footage you have of your team

*Interested applicants are urged to put together a 3-5 minute YouTube video submission for review. Please showcase your personality, your desire to win and your incredible skills in the video.

Prove to us that you have a shot at being and beating the best of the best in your area! Be creative and sell us on why you and your team should be on the show. Email video links and answers to the questions above to BBQPitmasters@originalmedia.com

(Don’t worry – we’re not expecting videos of Hollywood production quality, but comedy helps! More than anything – the cooks’ personalities are what matters.)

http://www.tbazone.com/pitmaster/pitmasters.htm

A New Look at Old Time Barbecue

Staunton Spectator and Vindicator, January 18, 1901

My new article A New Look at Old Time Barbecue is published in the latest issue of Smoke Signals Magazine. The online magazine can be accessed at this URL - http://www.smokesignalsmagazine.com/SSM/Issue9/index .

Smoke Signals Issue 9

In the article, I point out some important details that I believe historians have left out of the barbecue history narrative. For example, I have found records of antebellum barbecue recipes that include ingredients such as sugar, molasses, honey, peach syrup, and even currant jelly. That's a far cry from the claim that early American barbecue was seasoned only with vinegar, salt, black pepper, and hot peppers.

I also bring to light references to 19th century barbecue cooks boiling meat before placing it over the coals to be barbecued. So, anyone who thinks that "real southern barbecue" was never par-boiled needs to re-think that theory.

I even wrote a paragraph or two on the practice of wrapping meat as it barbecues and a few other interesting tid bits.


So, point your browser at Smoke Signals magazine, pull up page 18 and start reading!

This issue also has some other great articles including one featuring Ray Lampe Dr BBQ himself!

BBQ Pitmasters Season 3 - The Judging Process

BBQ Pitmasters season 3 ended with a finale where the contestants had to cook whole pork shoulder and pork cheeks. Congratulations to the 2012 BBQ Pitmaster Champion Johnny Trigg! The season was way too short! They need to make more episodes with, perhaps, several shows that are cook offs for elimination rounds.

With this season over, I thought that I would write my thoughts on the judging process used in the show. This isn't a criticism. It's just a comparison of how the judges on this season's BBQ Pitmasters judged BBQ and how KCBS judges do it.

The rules the judges used for the show were loosely based on KCBS judging rules. Like the judges on the show, KCBS judges rate entries based on appearance, taste, and texture. And all entries are judged blind meaning that the judges have no idea whose barbecue they are judging. While the BBQ Pitmasters judges were apparently looking for the standards of appearance, taste, and tenderness that KCBS requires, that's about where the similarity ended.

For example, the BBQ Pitmasters judges had a preconceived idea of what each of the cooks should have in the box. When they were judging brisket, they wanted to see a smoke ring, slices of flat, and burnt ends. If any of those things didn't exist, they took points away from the entry's score.

It doesn't work that way in a KCBS competition. A KCBS BBQ judge judges the meat in the box as it is presented. There is no requirement for burnt ends, slices of flat, or even a smoke ring. The entry just has to be enough beef brisket meat separated or sliced for six judges. The KCBS judge scores what's in the box. It is against the judging rules to take away points if there are no burnt ends or no smoke ring.

One big difference between how a KCBS judge judges entries and how the BBQ Pitmasters judges judged was illustrated in the episode where one competitor turned in a whole chicken in one piece and left it to the judges to separate into three pieces. If a KCBS competitor turns in entries that have not been pre-cut for six judges, it is against the rules for the judges to separate the entry into more pieces so that every judge receives an entry to score. For example, if a competitor turns in six ribs but two of the ribs have not been completely cut apart resulting in a judge picking up a rib with another one still attached because they weren't properly cut through, the judge cannot shake or pull the other rib off. They have to take both of ribs if they come out of the box as one piece. This results on one or more judges not getting an entry to judge and that will be negatively reflected in the scoring of the entry.

Also, the judges on BBQ Pitmasters at times seemed to be engaged in comparative judging. In other words, they were judging each entry compared to the others. Again, KCBS judges do not engage in comparative judging. KCBS judges compare each entry to the KCBS standard for tenderness, flavor, and appearance. Some of those are more subjective than others, but there is still a standard. Each entry is judged and the scores are recorded before the judge moves on to judge the next competitor's entry.

In the finale, Tuffy mentioned that when he judges pork he is looking for several cuts in the box such as pulled, chopped, and the money muscle. He explained that a box filled with different cuts shows that  when the pitmaster puts in three or four different cuts off the shoulder they show their expertise. While that is true, it isn't a factor in a KCBS competition. KCBS judges are taught to judge what's in the box and not to take away points just because any particular part of the pork shoulder isn't in the box.

Another difference is that KCBS judges are taught not to discuss the entries while they are judging. In fact, KCBS judges are taught to keep a "poker face" when judging. It's all part of the effort to eliminate the chance of influencing other judges. There are several times when the BBQ Pitmasters judges were making faces and looking at each during the judging. That is against the rules when judging a KCBS competition.

Another thing that the BBQ Pitmasters judges were taking into account was how precisely the meat was placed in the box and the arrangement of the pieces. Again, KCBS judges should judge the meat not the box. KCBS judges should not be judging the box of meat like it's a picture window. The KCBS judge should focus on the meat regardless of how it's arranged or even whether or not there is garnish in the box. All of that should have no bearing on judging how appetizing the meat itself looks.

So, in summary, unlike the BBQ Pitmasters judges, KCBS judges do not engage in comparative judging. They judge the meat as it is presented without any preconceived ideas of what should be in the box as long as it is within KCBS rules. They don't discuss the entries with each other while they are judging, and, as long as the cook entered cuts of meat according to the rules (meaning chicken, ribs, pork butt, and brisket), the KCBS judge does not take away points if all possible cuts of the particular entry (burnt ends, money muscle, dark and white meat, etc.) are not in the box.

BBQ Pitmasters 2012 - Thoughts on Round 3

The new season of Barbecue Pitmasters is a lot of fun to watch. You can catch new episodes Sunday nights at 9/8c on the new Destination America channel. In each episode three barbecue cooks go head to head cooking barbecue to be judged by Myron Mixon, Tuffy Stone, and Aaron Franklin. In the third episode, round 3, Johnny Trigg of the Smokin' Triggers team went against Charles Wilson of C-Dubs Corruption BBQ Crew, and Chris Hart of the Wicked Good Barbecue team. They each had to barbecue turkey and bone in pork belly (pork belly with spare ribs still on). Spare ribs are cut from the pork belly which is the cut of meat on the hog where we get bacon.


SPOILER ALERT! - If you haven't seen this episode and don't want to know the outcome, don't read further until after you watch the episode.


Chris Hart and Charles Wilson both recognized the ribs still attached to the pork belly. However, Johnny Trigg at first thought the pork belly was a slab of beef ribs. Being from Texas, he doesn't cook a lot of pork and certainly not a pork belly. His wife finally recognized the pork belly as bacon and Trigg was then "back in the game" as he put it.


All three contestants cooked the pork belly and the spare ribs in a very similar way. They removed the ribs from the belly and cooked them just as they always cook spare ribs. The pork belly was pretty much cooked just like the ribs. After hearing Trigg brag about how good his pork belly smelled and how good it looked, his reaction to tasting it was pretty funny. He reached down and grabbed a delicious, juicy looking chunk, put it in his mouth and immediately declared "It tastes like $*@#!" So, out came the barbecue sauce. Later he called it "ungodly." Clearly, he doesn't like pork belly.


Each contestant had their own unique way of cooking the turkey. They had to turn in both white and dark meat. Trigg spatchcocked (Trigg called it butterflying) the turkey he cooked. Chris Hart separated the legs and thighs from the breast so that he could cook it all for different amounts of time because the breast is likely to dry out while waiting for the dark meat to get done. He also turned in part of his turkey with a Kansas City style seasoning and another part with a North Carolina style seasoning. Charles Wilson cooked his turkey whole.


Trigg rubbed his turkey with squeeze Parkay and his barbecue rub. Chris Hart injected his turkey with phosphates (they help the meat retain moisture) and rubbed it down with barbecue rub. Charles Wilson brined his turkey and then rubbed it and put it in the smoker.


None of the judges had a lot of good things to say about any of the pork belly that was turned in. But, they loved Trigg's turkey. Charles Wilson only turned in white meat because the dark meat he cooked was still raw. That cost him points. It also seemed that all of the rib entries were a little too tough. In the end, Johnny Trigg won. The judges commented on the turkey and the appearance of his pork belly/ribs box. So, congrats, Johnny Trigg! Trigg stated that he believed he won because he kept things simple. Hmmm, sounds like a familiar post right here.


There have been some who, after watching this episode, felt that the show was scripted. They claimed that the dialog was scripted, the way that all three contestants stepped forward when Mixon asked who turned in entry number 3 was scripted, and they even felt that the outcome was preordained. But, I don't get that impression at all. While there are some things that are "scripted" I don't believe that the outcome or the banter between the cooks is scripted at all. The people who run the show may encourage banter, but I don't think they give the contestants a script.


The only parts of the show that are clearly scripted include the times when the judges are judging the entries. One of them always announces, in a way that sounds as though they are reading cue cards, what the next step in the process is. Also, every time a judge mentions the number assigned to the entry they are judging, the contestant whose entry was assigned that number always says something like "That's me!" Clearly, the people running the show instruct the judges and contestants to do those things.

Some claimed that when all three contestants stepped forward after judging when Myron asked who turned in entry number three, that it was scripted. There is no way they all could have done that without pre-planning. However, according to one of the contestants, the three contestants discussed doing this with each other during a break in filming. It wasn't something anyone who runs the show told them to do.

Another thing that I have been reading about is the problem some are having with Johnny Trigg calling squeeze Parkay "butter." First of all, yes, Parkay is margarine not butter. I think everyone knows that, even Johnny Trigg. But, I think, there are two things that some people are forgetting. There are many people in the older generations, like Johnny Trigg's, who call margarine butter. That's just what they do. They know it's not butter but they do it anyway. Secondly, there are probably restrictions on what products the contestants can mention. If you will notice, the only brands mentioned on the show, that I have seen anyway, are Kingsford and Snake River Farms (it's not spoken but the logo is all over the packaging the meat is in that they provide the contestants). So, speaking of "scripts," I bet that Johnny Trigg was specifically told to not mention the brand name of his squeeze "butter."

And, in response to those who are crowing in blog posts and online "news" sites about how that margarine and phosphates have no place in backyard barbecue, all I can say is "Who are you to tell anyone what belongs in their backyard barbecue?" Where did you get your backyard barbecue cop badge?

Seriously, there are no rules for how you have to cook barbecue in your own backyard in spite of what the backyard barbecue police may say. Don't let some online blowhard intimidate you or make you think you are doing something wrong. The fact is, if you like how your barbecue turns out, it's the right thing to do. Cook what you like. Tell the barbecue cops to take a hike. Heck, I may just go out and buy some Parkay and some phosphates to cook some barbecue in my own backyard and email the pics and recipe to those people just to have some fun with them. I'll even taunt them and ask them if they are going to call me names and arrest me! Ah, good times!

Look, Barbecue Pitmasters is about fun and it's about celebrating the art of cooking barbecue. So, lighten up there, people!

BBQ Pitmasters Episode 1 - After Action Report

SPOILER ALERT - If you haven't yet watched the episode, don't read the "Judging" section at the end.

I love BBQ Pitmasters! I was hooked in the first season and was thrilled when I heard that they were coming back for a third season. This past Sunday, the season premier episode came on the new Destination America channel. What more fitting channel for a BBQ show that features world class BBQ cooks? BBQ is, in the words of Robert F. Moss, an American Institution, after all.

The first episode of the season pitted (no pun intended, ha ha) three BBQ cooks against each other in "round 2." The first round was a sneak peak episode. Melissa Cookston (3 time Memphis in May world champion), Moe Cason, and Donny Bray went head to head in a no holds barred BBQ throwdown in episode one in Memphis, Tennessee. They each had to cook the best barbecued pork butt and baby back ribs of their lives in order to win.

The judges were Tuffy Stone, Myron Mixon, and Aaron Franklin. I've met all three of those guys and have even cooked against Tuffy. And, I can tell you, these guys know barbecue. If you present your barbecue to those three for evaluation, expect to be schooled. The judges judged the competitors' entries on taste, tenderness, and appearance. And, they let their thoughts be known without any hesitation. Tuffy pointed out that pork butts and ribs are the first things that a barbecue cook learns to cook.  Aaron pointed out that baby backs are very lean and are hard to cook without drying them out. Myron said that if he doesn't get his socks blown off by the ribs, somebody is going to be watching the finale from their living room chair.

The competitors had 10 hours to cook the barbecue. Melissa Cookston cooked on a vertical, indirect water cooker and a dry cooker for setting bark and used peach and apple wood for smoke. Moe Cason cooked on a stainless steel water cooker and used pecan for smoke. Donny Bray cooked on an offset stick burner and used only hickory for smoke.

Moe Cason focused on the fat marbling in the meat. He likes to see nice strips of fat flowing through the meat. Melissa Cookston wasn't happy with only pork butts. She would have preferred to have whole shoulders.

All of the competitors injected their pork butts except Melissa Cookston. Donnie Bray used an injection that included pork broth, water and salt. He injected to maintain moisture in the meat. Donnie pointed out that if he could cook the money muscle well, he would win. Tuffy interjected that the difficult part of cooking a pork butt is being able to place it in the smoker so the backside becomes tender without over cooking the money muscle. Myron retorted in jest that he would like to put Tuffy's butt on a pit. Tuffy replied that he would like to put Myron's butt on a pit but he hasn't found a pit big enough for that. Good one, Tuffy! Moe Cason injected his pork butt with a mixture of cola, jerk seasoning, and ham base. He lets the pork butt sit for about an hour after injecting before he puts it in the pit.

Moe Cason talked about how he seasons pork. He said it's all about being able to taste the meat. He uses a two stage rub; first one is more of salt, pepper, and paprika, the second one is more for savory flavors like coriander, garlic powder, etc. He likes to use cola and jerk seasoning in his injection. Donnie Bray used a commercial rub that he adds a few things to it. He likes to stay traditional in the flavor arena and just focuses on "good barbecue."

Melissa Cookston removed the money muscle from the pork butt. She wanted to get bark all around the money muscle. It's interesting that I just posted a similar technique on my blog about a week earlier. Great minds, you know. Melissa trimmed off the fat from the butt and rubbed it with a dry rub, put mustard over it and then put turbinado sugar over all that.

Melissa Cookston put her pork butts on the smoker at 275 degrees F and cooked them for about 6 to 7 hours. Donnie Bray put his pork butts in the smoker at about 290 degrees F for four hours then wrapped them in foil and cooked them until they reached 195 degrees F internal temperature.

Moe Cason removed the membrane from his baby rack ribs. He said the membrane prevents seasonings and smoke from penetrating the meat. Donnie pointed out that cooking baby backs is different than cooking spare ribs because they don't take as long to cook and, therefore, proper timing is an issue for him.

Melissa Cookston's rub has a little heat, a little salt, and a little acidic flavor. It's a full flavored seasoning. Moe Cason always puts Worcestershire sauce on his ribs. His rub has a little lemon powder, paprika, cayenne powder, and jalapeno powder in it. Donnie Bray's rub has a sweet and salty, and heat flavor profile that enhances the natural flavor of pork.

Melissa Cookston cooked her baby back ribs at 275 degrees F for four hours. Donnie Bray cooked his ribs for 2 hours at 190 degrees F and then wrapped them in foil and cooked them for another 30 to 45 minutes. He was looking for a mahogany color on the ribs before foiling. Moe Cason wraps his ribs in foil after about 2 or 3 hours. He puts butter on top and pours a little cola in the bottom of the foil. Donnie Bray Spritzed his ribs with butter and apple juice. When the color was good, about 2 hours, he added some honey and squeeze Parkay and wrapped them in foil and let them cook for about another 45 minutes. Melissa Cookston put some honey, brown sugar, and rub on the ribs before wrapping in foil.

The judges commented on the smokers the competitors were using. They noticed that Melissa was using a pit with a computerized temperature controller. Aaron Franklin commented that there is something "a little creepy about computers and barbecue together. If you know how to work a fire, you don't need one."

The last hour of cooking is "crunch time" according to Melissa Cookston. She glazed her ribs looking for a nice mahogany color. All competitors were busy setting glaze on their ribs at this point. Moe Cason pointed out that you have to "wow" the judges with one bite barbecue but you can't use too much sauce.

Melissa Cookson pointed out how important it is to not depend on thermometers and depend more on how your fingers and how the meat feels to determine tenderness. Donnie Bray pointed out that the first thing the judges will do is touch the meat so he likes to touch it to make sure it feels tender. Most of the competitors included a mixture of pulled, sliced, and chopped pork in the boxes turned in to the judges.

Moe Cason said he was going through the pork butts to find "that feel." His game plan was to give the judges "sliced, pulled, and chopped" pork butt. He likes to use a little of the pork fat that rendered out of the pork when cooking to season it. Melissa Cookston likes to slice the money muscle and mold the pulled pork so that it looks almost like it's in almost one piece. Then, she added her sliced meat with a few pieces of bark just for accent. Donnie Bray put a variety of pulled pork and money muscle in the box. Donnie decided that he would not put sauce on his pork entry.

Donnie Bray glazed his baby back ribs. He was very pleased with them. Moe Cason was also very confident with his baby rack ribs turn in box. Melissa Cookston cut her ribs into splits of two bone ribs. She turned in wet (sauce added) and dry ribs.

Just before turn in, Donnie Bray felt that he should have sauced the pork because his turn in had turned gray. So, he hurriedly applied sauce to his pork in the turn in box.

JUDGING!

On the line is the title of "BBQ Pitmaster Memphis" and a shot at the winner take all $50,000.00 finale and the title of BBQ Pitmaster Grand Champion!

Aaron Franklin was looking for a delicious mahogany color on the ribs that was "kinda" sticky looking and really moist. Tuffy said he likes to see the meat come cleanly from the bone where he bites. And he also wants some smoke but he doesn't want the smoke to override the natural flavor of the pork.

Donnie Bray won appearance for ribs. But, Myron said that Moe Cason's ribs were a "home run!" The judges really liked Melissa Cookston's pork and were a bit perplexed over Donnie Bray's because his pork was gray and dry looking. He didn't do a good job of saucing his pork. Myron called it "half a**ed BBQ." Melissa Cookston's pork box was beautiful. All the judges loved how it looked. The judges loved Moe Cason's pork entry too.

Donnie Bray came in 3rd place. Between Moe Cason and Melissa Cookston, Melissa Cookston came in first place! Only 6 tenths of a point separated 1st and 2nd place.

To be honest, I was rooting for Moe Cason of Ponderosa BBQ. But, in the end, Melissa COOKston showed why she is a three time world champion. Congrats, Melissa! I'm looking forward to seeing you in the finale!

The South's Best Barbecue Pitmasters

World Food Championships - Adam Richman, Host

Update - There will be a TV show (or a series of shows) made of the World Food Championships event! So, if you can't make it out to Las Vegas for the event, you can at least watch it on TV. More details as they emerge.


Adam Richman, host of the Travel Channel’s Man v. Food: Nation, and the upcoming Adam Richman’s Best Sandwich in America, and Trybe Targeting, America’s premiere food enthusiast marketing agency representing over 700 food competitions, have teamed up to produce the inaugural World Food Championships in Las Vegas, the culinary and entertainment capital of the world.

“Every major professional sport features a world title competition to declare the best of the best,” stated Mike McCloud, President of Trybe Targeting.  “This culinary showdown in Las Vegas will settle once and for all who is the best among amateur and professional chefs and cooks who compete each year in thousands of food competitions and contests across America.”

The World Food Championships will be held November 1 through November 4, 2012, at several major casino properties on the world-famous Las Vegas Boulevard.  The four-day festival and competition will feature culinary champions squaring off for food supremacy in several food categories. Using a hybrid of sanctioned, celebrity and customized judging processes, The World Food Championships will identify winners in seven key categories of divisional competition, culminating in a Final Table face-off with Richman and other food experts presiding as the chief judges.  Famous chefs, hometown cooks and professional competition teams, all armed with their best recipes, secret sauces and proprietary techniques, will battle until one champion in each food category is left standing. At stake are a world title and a prize purse of over $300,000.

"In a day and age when there are so many culinary competitions — ranging from contests of taste to those of technique — The World Food Championships will be the ultimate food competition,” said Richman. "It will be the biggest stage in the cooking competition world, where every beloved food from around the globe and everyone from professionals to amateur enthusiasts can come to take their shot at the title and prove that they have what it takes to be the best.”

As the event host, Richman will guide event participants and a general audience through each level of the competitive action, with Trybe Targeting officials offering a variety of tasting opportunities on site for fans who want to sample the world’s best competition food.

Centered at the height of action in the entertainment universe – the Las Vegas Strip — The World Food Championships divisional showdowns will take place at three major casino properties, with the Final Table competition being produced on November 4 in an open-air VIP arena and shot for a TV special.

The 2012 categories will feature classic American cuisine: bbq, chili, burgers, sandwiches, side dishes, a Champions Challenge featuring winners of online recipe contests, and a World Chef Challenge open to some of the best chefs in America’s greatest food cities. Rules and qualifying processes for each division will be announced April 30, 2012 at www.worldfoodchampionships.com. The casino host and public/competition schedules will be announced at the same web site on May 15th, 2012.

“There’s never been a food competition of this breadth and magnitude,” commented McCloud. “With over 4,500 major food competitions and contests taking place across America each year, we know for a fact that food-centric challenges are one of our country’s fastest growing sports. This event will put champions on a world stage in a world-class setting. Someone – amateur or professional - will be leaving Vegas with a serious jackpot haul and the ultimate bragging rights as a World Food Champion!”

My Central Texas Barbecue Pilgrimage - Story in Smoke Signals Magazine

Smoke Signals Spring 2012 Issue

Check out the article I wrote about my central Texas barbecue tour entitled Central Texas Barbecue Pilgrimage starting on page 38. It's in the Spring 2012 issue of Smoke Signals Magazine.

Back in December of 2011 I had the privilege of visiting nine central Texas barbecue restaurants including Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Snow's BBQ in Lexington, and Black's Barbecue, Smitty's Market, and Kreuz Market in Lockhart. Click here to read.

By the way, check out the archived issues of Smoke Signals too. You will find informative and entertaining articles about the world of barbecue.

Barbecue Pitmasters Season 3

Barbecue Pitmasters season 3 is premiering on the Destination America channel on Memorial Day, 2012. The Destination America channel is the former Planet Green channel re-branded. Myron Mixon of Jack's Old South Barbecue, Tuffy Stone of Q Barbecue and the Cool Smoke Competition Barbecue Team, and Aaron Franklin, owner and pitmaster of Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas will be the three judges.

Sneak Peek on Wednesday, May 30 at 10 PM E/P
Regular Premieres Begin Sunday, June 3 at 9 PM E/P


We're going back to the pit for a brand new season of BBQ PITMASTERS, created just for Destination America! With the larger-than-life personalities of our contestants – and judges 
Myron Mixon, Tuffy Stone, and Aaron Franklin – steak isn't the only thing that's sizzling as these grill masters face off in the ultimate BBQ showdown for bragging rights and a cash prize. The competition travels to places like Memphis, Mobile, New Orleans, and Austin, as contestants grill dishes from St. Louis pork ribs, to Texas brisket and Carolina pulled pork and everything in between. Egos and reputations are on the line as familiar faces and new challengers wage barbeque battle to determine who truly is the best of the best.


http://www.wfsb.com/story/17331763/planet-green-becomes-destination-america-the-first-and-only-network-to-celebrate-the-stories-of-americas-past-present-and-future

Yeah!

BBQ Central Radio Interview

BBQ Central Radio Network

Yours truly was a guest on this past Tuesday's episode (February 28, 2012 ) of Greg Rempe's BBQ Central Radio program. We discussed why I became a KCBS certified BBQ judge, competition BBQ flavor profiles, my tour of the great Texas BBQ restaurants (more on that in later posts), and Virginia barbecue (more on that in later posts too).

You can download or stream the episode by clicking here and is also available on iTunes. My segment starts at about 38 minutes into the two-hour program. There were some technical difficulties but overall it was fun.

The BBQ Central Radio Show is the only live weekly show on ANY kind of radio that talks about the art and sport of barbecue and grilling. I recommend that you tune in at 9 PM EST on Tuesdays and also take advantage of the great episodes in the archives.