Tag Archive: Drilling & Grilling

  1. Interstate BBQ Festival Hagerstown, MD

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    by Mark Gibbs, Pitmaster of The Checkered Flag 500 BBQ

    The second annual Interstate BBQ Festival is in the books for 2017.  This competition has quickly become one of the “must-do” contests on the Mid-Atlantic schedule.  In two short years, Rob Immer and his team have put together a well-organized, top flight contest that hosted 57 teams and Chamber of Commerce weather all weekend!

    The contest hosted Dessert, Burger, Kid’s Que and People’s Choice categories as well this year.  Dessert and Kid’s Que was brought home by We Rib U Long Time.  Top scoring Burgers by Brother-Uncle BBQ and People’s Choice was brought home by the Sauce This!  BBQ team.  I am sure they put some addictive chemical in their people’s choice because they have people drooling every week!

    Perhaps the most impressive presentation of the weekend was the MABA good luck shot hosted by Life is Good But BBQ is Better.  Or more accurately, the good luck shot, bloody Mary bar, and food spread. Many folks pitched in and Don and Sandy Wallace played host to what will be hard to beat for future good luck shot hosts…but they’re sure encouraged to try!  Check out videos here of the spread and actual toast given by LIGBBIB pitmaster Don Wallace!

    This contest included a lot of vendors, bands and activities for everyone.  Good Smoke BBQ from New York brought home KCBS Grand Championship.  MABA’s own Drilling and Grilling from Glen Rock, PA brought home the Reserve Grand Championship.  They are on a nice little roll here in the beginning of the season.  Keep it up guys!

    The Chicken category was won by 2 Rhodies BBQ and 2nd was Rhode Hog BBQ (I see a pattern here).  Rib honors were brought home by Piggin’ Whiskey BBQ.  These guys are starting to hit their stride in competition BBQ.  Remember that team name folks!   Drilling and Grilling brought home 1st Place honors in Pork and Bill Gillespie’s Smokin Hoggz MA brought home the big Brisket plank!  Great job to all of the teams that were called and we hope to be back for year three of this great event!

    Individual meat winners:

    Chicken – 2 Rhodies BBQ
    Ribs – Piggin’ Whiskey
    Pork –Drilling & Grilling
    Brisket – Smokin Hoggz BBQ – MA

    Congrats to Good Smoke BBQ for winning grand champion!

    Grand Champion – Good Smoke BBQ
    Reserve – Drilling & Grilling

    Full results can be found here.

  2. The Ironman Greencastle, PA

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    The Ironman competition in Greencastle, PA has always sort of been the “unofficial open to barbecue season” in the Mid-Atlantic.  Recently some other comps have moved in and held their event earlier in March, but to me, Eric Forrester from Mason Dixon BBQ Supply gets our season started with the most unique contest in some of the most “unique” weather!  As many know, the Ironman rules dictate you can’t use any electronics to control your pits and the meat you can bring to cook is limited to seven pieces of chicken, one rack of ribs, one pork butt, and one brisket.  The weather was again something teams had to battle, but if you’ve cooked this contest before, you know to be prepared for any conditions from sunshine, rain, wind, all the way to snow!  This year would be no different…Friday was rainy early and chilly late.  Saturday was improved but still a bit chilly!

    Friday night at the cook’s meeting teams were hosted to a pizza party and boat drink affair by Eric and his awesome crew.  The pizza was good and drinks were cold and set the tone for the night.  Soon after this soiree was a paella contest with a handful of teams trying their luck at cooking this special rice based Spanish dish!  Congratulations to Terry West of 270 Smokers for winning the paella challenge again!

    Once the festivities concluded, the night settled in and teams started to focus on the cook.  Overnight conditions were cold, but the wind and rain held off for the most part and the night was relatively uneventful for most part with exception of a lack of sleep for some who rely on electronics for their pits to stay stable.

    Saturday brought with it some warmer temps and reenergized the teams as the Mason Dixon Open House crowds started to roll in and partake in the day’s events including a People’s Choice event that had each team cooking a generous portion of 10lbs of chicken wings.

    The winners on this day would be Drilling & Grilling winning grand champion and The BBQ Guru for taking reserve.  Here are the individual meat winners and link to the full listing of results.

    GC winners Drilling & Grilling

    Chicken – 4:20 Q
    Ribs – 3 Eyz BBQ
    Pork – Dr. Pearls Medicinal Smoke BBQ Team
    Brisket – Hellbent BBQ

    Grand Champions – Drilling & Grilling
    Reserve – The BBQ Guru

    Full results here

  3. Interview With the Champs – Danny Thomas, Drilling & Grilling

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    by Brian Walrath, MABA Board Member and Pitmaster for Brown Liquor BBQ


    An emerging team on the scene in the Mid-Atlantic right now you better watch out for is Drilling & Grilling, out of Glen Rock, PA.  Pitmaster Danny Thomas leads this team that has been competing since 2009 and have started 2017 on a tear…right where they left off in 2016, winning Boo-B-Que in late October.  Drilling & Grilling took grand champion honors at the recent Ironman competition in Greencastle, PA in a field of 59 strong teams and followed that up last weekend with a reserve grand champion finish at Interstate in Hagerstown, MD just down the road.  To say they’ve got it dialed in right now would be an understatement.

    But if you know Danny and have spent much time with the Drilling & Grilling guys, you know they they’re just some great humble fellas dawning their signature cammo who ain’t afraid to have a little fun!  I caught up with Danny at Interstate and asked if he’d answer some questions for this month’s edition of IWTC, and he graciously agreed!

    Question:
    Congratulations on your recent win in Greencastle, PA at the Ironman competition.  How did it feel to go home with the Grand Championship?

    Danny Thomas, Drilling & Grilling:
    It always feels good to win any contest, but this one is special to us because we have competed in all of the Ironman competitions and won GC the last year it was just chicken and ribs before they went full KCBS.

    Q:
    How did your cook go…did you feel confident heading to awards?

    DT, D&G:
    We had a solid cook with no issues.  We thought our pork was maybe a little dry but felt maybe a Top 10 finish was realistic.  (Editor’s note…that “dry” pork finished 7th!)

    Q:
    Tell us a little about your team and teammates, where you’re from, how long you’ve been cooking, etc…

    DT, D&G:
    There are normally three of us…myself, my cousin Dan, and nephew John that compete.  We all live in southern Pennsylvania and we started cooking in the Fall of 2009.

    Q:
    What kind of equipment do you have?

    DT, D&G:
    We cook mainly on a Meadow Creek PR 60.  I am know for changing cookers weekly, lol, but always go back to the PR!

    Q:
    Tell our readers about the name Drilling & Grilling.

    DT, D&G:
    I own a Drilling company and back when we started I asked several employees what should the team name be…and Drilling & Grilling is what they came up with and it fits!

    Q:
    How many GCs is this for Drilling & Grilling?

    DT, D&G:
    Ironman is our fourth GC.

    Q:
    How many competitions are on the schedule this year for you guys?

    DT, D&G:
    We plan on 13 or 14 this year.

    Q:
    Are there any goals in barbecue you have yet to accomplish that you hope you check off your list this year?

    DT, D&G:
    We competed in the “The Jack” in 2013 and 2014 and did not get a call…we’d love to go back and hear our name called.

    Q:
    What makes Drilling & Grilling different or unique?

    DT, D&G:
    I feel you’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with.  That being your wife or barbecue teammates and we have a good team that works together.  Each has their place.

    Q:
    This win makes you eligible for the Royal Invitational and a possible Jack draw…will you go out to Kansas City or Lynchburg if your bung is pulled?

    DT, D&G:
    I’ve never had a desire to go to “The Royal,” but my goal in competing is to go back to “The Jack.”

    Q:
    I like to ask in this segment, what tip(s) do you have for competition teams to go from good to great and get that GC call?

    DT, D&G:
    This may sound cheesy but it’s just a piece of meat.  It should taste like and look like meat…and if cooked properly, any rub or sauce should compliment it and not offend anyone is the key.

    Q:
    Any parting shots or comments?

    DT, D&G:
    We should make sure we stop and take a moment to thank our Lord and our military for keeping us safe allowing us to live in this great land.  

    Well put Danny.  Good luck to you and Drilling & Grilling the rest of the year and beyond!