Tag Archive: chicken

  1. Smoke in the Valley, Greenlane, PA

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    By Megan Ferguson, MABA Board Member and Pitmaster of Finn’s Finest BBQ Team
    Screen Shot 2016-05-19 at 11.44.29 AMMud everywhere!

    Smoke in the Valley – Mud Fest

    There was no sugar coating it in Green Lane, PA this past weekend. There was cold, wet, sloshy, deep brown stuff everywhere. No, not poop…MUD! And it never went away.

    Let’s start with the smart teams. Ya know, those that pulled in Thursday before the rest of us got there and tore up the field. These guys pulled into the field, parked their rigs and unloaded, no problems! The rest of us learned quickly how lucky those smart Thursday arriving teams were. Thankfully, the Green Lane Fire Company volunteers had our backs and were ready with a tractor to pull all the teams with trailers in on Friday. Many of us didn’t even bother driving our trucks into the area. However, those that did might wish they hadn’t as we saw several of them being pulled out Saturday evening.
    Screen Shot 2016-05-19 at 11.44.12 AMDeep mud tracks!

    Nasty weather can be expected at a BBQ competition, but I don’t think anyone was really prepared for the amount of mud that the valley would produce. When I say we were up to our ears in mud, I’m really not that far off. If you didn’t bring a good pair of boots with you, you were in a bad spot for the entire weekend. Many times throughout the weekend, you would catch some of the kids swimming through the trenches or engaging in a good old fashioned mud ball fight. It certainly helped lighten the mood watching them parade around, covered head to foot in thick, brown, sloppy wet stuff. They were having the time of their lives.

    The mud didn’t stop anything. On Friday, meats got inspected as teams rolled in. The volunteers were very visible throughout the contest, riding around on four wheelers, delivering straw to each site to soak up as much of the wet stuff as possible, dropping off ice, and picking up trash. If anyone needed anything, they didn’t have to wait long for a volunteer to round the corner. There were a variety of food vendors, just in case you didn’t plan your dinner. Unfortunately, the huge Friday bonfire was postponed due to the pile being pretty much soaked.
    Screen Shot 2016-05-19 at 11.44.48 AMThe kiddos enjoying the mud!
    Screen Shot 2016-05-19 at 11.45.45 AMTractors were needed to pull trailers in and out of the competition

    Saturday morning, we were greeted with even more rain. But a hot breakfast including scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, French toast, and all the fixins’ was served in the firehouse. They even had pitchers of Bloody Mary’s ready at the firehouse bar. Well prepared indeed!

    Turn-ins went as planned and all teams made it to the table in all four categories without incident. The rain finally let up early afternoon and a few rays of sunshine started to beam through the clouds. Fire company volunteers went right to work pulling teams out of the valley as soon as they were ready. Awards were held in the pavilion at 4:45 with Shawn Tucker getting down to business on calling out the winners. Big shout out to Shawn and his team of volunteers for all of their hard work and efforts during this contest!
    Screen Shot 2016-05-19 at 11.45.20 AMFinn’s Finest BBQ takes GC in Green Lane!

    First Place Winners:
    Chicken – Lo’-N’Slo’ BBQ
    Ribs – Feeding Friendz
    Pork – Ribs Within
    Brisket – Smokin’ Foolz BBQ

    Grand Champion – Finn’s Finest BBQ
    Reserve Grand Champion – The BBQ Guru

    Check out the full competition results here.

  2. Jiggy With the Piggy, Kannapolis, North Carolina

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    by Jerry Stephenson, MABA Board Member and Pitmaster of Redneck Scientific
    jiggy5Jerry Stephenson from Redneck Scientific

    Stop number two on the Old North State Series brought everyone to Kannapolis, NC and the fourth annual Jiggy with the Piggy competition.

    Set in the middle of The North Carolina Research Campus, Jiggy is one of North Carolina’s best contests. Loading in and out is a breeze and there is plenty of space for large teams and their setups. The cooks area is a large, well-mowed field.

    Eddie Smith, his staff and the town of Kannapolis go above and beyond to take care of each and every team.

    The weather was cool on Friday night, but the Anything Butt dessert contest and People’s Choice wings got things heated up. After turn ins, the people of Kannapolis joined the teams and their families for an outdoor movie on the lawn. This annual event at Jiggy always pulls in a crowd. After the movie, fireworks lit the sky, as teams started to light their smokers and turn in for the night.
    jiggy3
    First place, Anything Butt for appearance
    jiggy4
    First place, Anything Butt for taste

    After a breezy, chilly start on Friday night, Saturday morphed into beautiful skies and 70-degree temperatures. The weather was perfect for the 77 KCBS BBQ teams that turned out.

    Saturday morning dawned crisp and clear with Cook’s Church led by Tommy Houston (Checkered Pig) and Kevin Gary (K&D Smokers). And if anyone is looking for a reason to attend Cook’s Church, the 2016 Jiggy’s GC and RGC attended. After the devotional, teams got a full pancake breakfast hosted by the Kannapolis YMCA.

    As thousands of people began funneling into the event just before noon, teams began their KCBS turn ins. After KCBS turn ins ended, the People’s Choice Pork event began and lastly the team awards.

    As anyone has ever been to Jiggy with the Piggy knows, Eddie Smith doesn’t mess around calling out team awards.

    In individual categories, Checkered Pig won chicken (with a Perfect 180 score), Lady of Q in ribs, and Prime in pork and brisket.

    Overall, the Reserve Grand Champion went to The Smokehouse Mafia and Grand Champion went to Sauced! BBQ. Not only did Sauced! BBQ Team earn a GC, they did it with 702 points, and only two other top ten calls.

    Well done fellows and congrats to all who heard their name called!
    jiggy2Grand Champions, Scott and Jolene Adams from Sauced! BBQ Team
    jiggy1Andrew Rasmussen and David Williams of The Smokehouse Mafia take RGC!

    First place winners:
    Chicken – Checkered Pig (with a perfect 180!)
    Ribs – Lady of Q (with a perfect 180!)
    Pork – PRIME
    Brisket – PRIME (with a perfect 180!)

    Grand Champion – Sauced! BBQ Team
    Reserve Grand Champion – The Smokehouse Mafia

    Check out the full competition results here.