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.
Comments Off on Interview With the Champs – Danny Thomas, Drilling & Grilling
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!
Comments Off on Interview With the Champs – Scott Adams, Sauced! BBQ
by Brian Walrath, MABA Board Member and Pitmaster for Brown Liquor BBQ
The Sauced! BBQ team is a family team that’s been competing since 2009 and steadily have been getting better and better every year. With a dozen grand championships to this name, pitmaster Scott Adams and his crew are starting to become one of the elite teams in not only the Mid-Atlantic, finishing fourth overall in 2016, but the entire country with a ninth place finish in all of KCBS! Scott was gracious enough to answer some questions about his team and offer up some nuggets of wisdom that has helped him along the way.
Question: For folks who may not be familiar with Sauced! BBQ Team, tell us a little about your team, set up, equipment.
Scott Adams, Sauced! BBQ: Sauced! BBQ consists of myself, my wife Joline, and my 2 kids, Zoe and Zane. We started out on an offset stick burner that I heavily modified before adding a Backwoods Party I bought on the cheap from another team. We replaced the stick burner with a Stumps Elite 4 in 2013 and then went all Backwoods adding a G2 Competitor to go along with a Party. We’ve been using that setup since 2015.
Q: You’re already off to a great start in 2017, but let’s talk about 2016. You cooked nearly 40 contest last year! You had a great run including 5 GCs, 8 RGCs, impressive showings in the Sam’s Club National BBQ Series, and in Kansas City in the Open and Invitational. Tell us about last year.
SA, S!BBQ:
Last year was definitely a banner year for Sauced! BBQ. We started out well at the beginning of the year and just kept adding events, cooking anywhere and everywhere we could. We cooked in 13 states, taking home a GC in 5 of them and logging just under 20k miles travelling the BBQ circuit. We hit many new states for us including Indiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Kansas and California. Several bucket list items were checked off including the Sam’s Final in Arkansas, receiving an invite to the King of the Smoker in California and finishing in the top 25 of all 5 KCBS standings including 9th Overall. The one bucket list item we didn’t get to check off was The Jack. It felt good that we had 5 bungs in 4 different states but still didn’t get the draw. We are hoping the luck is with us in 2017 and we can get that magical invite!
Q: You came out of the shoot strong this year already with a GC your first time out in Lakeland, FL and followed that up with an RGC in Young Harris, GA. To what can you attribute your early season success?
SA, S!BBQ:
The biggest part of our success is we didn’t really have much time off so we never had a chance to get rusty. We cooked in to December last year and then we started our 2017 at the Sonny’s Invitational in mid-January so we really only had a month off. That allowed us to keep that routine and flow we’ve built over the last few years with a cooking process that is pretty much second nature to us at this point.
Q: What are your goals for the 2017 campaign?
SA, S!BBQ:
We hope to continue our success in to 2017. Our main goal is to get that Jack invite and hopefully be in the mix for team of the year when its all said and done. We’ve been 9th and 10th the last 2 years so I am hoping we can close in on the top this time around. Also, it would be nice to take home the Old North State Series (NC events) title. We’ve been 2nd two of the last three years so we’ll see if we can get over the hump this year.
Q: Let’s go back a few years…tell us how you got into competition barbecue and what drives your passion to compete so much.
SA, S!BBQ:
We cooked BBQ at home for a year or so and started to get the ‘you should do a competition’ comments from the friends we invited over to eat regularly. We started competing in 2009 at an event in Lincolnton, NC. By the end of the comp we had won People’s Choice and had a 6th place Chicken call. That was all she wrote. We did 5 comps that first year and gradually increased it year by year as we got better and ended up doing 40 in 2016. The main driver is the fun and camaraderie of the competition BBQ. Cooking competition’s week in and week out is hard work so if it wasn’t for the great people we meet and see week to week I don’t think we would do as many as we do. It also helps to have an awesome understanding wife who also enjoys BBQ and that lets us turn it in to a family event. The kids love going to BBQ and seeing new places and old faces.
Q: What makes Sauced! BBQ Team different or unique?
SA, S!BBQ:
I think we are different/unique in that we are able to travel basically all over the country and have success at BBQ. We have recipes that travel well and we aren’t afraid to take them on the road to faraway places. We cooked against the best at competitions all over the country and were able to stand toe to toe with them and have success. We are very proud of that. Also, we are unique in the ‘Cousin Eddie’ beat up RV we roll up to a contest in. We certainly don’t look the part of a competition BBQ team. Lol
Q: You’re in the southernmost state for MABA down in North Carolina…do you get up to the heart of MABA-land much or have plans to this year?
SA, S!BBQ:
We’ll do the most events we’ve ever done in MABA country this year. We’ll be in West Virgina, Virginia a few times as well as Delaware and possibly Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Q: Lexington style or Eastern NC style? Duke or Carolina? Beaches or mountains?
SA, S!BBQ:
Ha, let me see. Lexington style. I need some ketchup in my bbq sauce. Neither. I am a Florida State grad so if both duke and unc can lose every game I’m all for it. Beaches. I prefer the heat over the cold anytime. We really hit our BBQ stride in the August, the dog days of summer!
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?
SA, S!BBQ:
Simplicity and repetition. Overly complicated processes are very hard to replicate week in and week out and especially so at a BBQ contest where you are sleep deprived and distracted. Repetition is key. Once you find a process, flavor combo or method that works you can take out as many by doing the same things the same way every single time you do them. I am the worst person to talk to when it comes to those convo’s at BBQ events about ‘have you seen this or tried that?” I don’t change anything so I am not up on all the new rubs, sauces and injections. I found stuff that works for me and I use it and do it the same way every single week.
Q: Any parting shots, things we missed or anything to promote?
SA, S!BBQ: I want to give a shout out to the Q Pine Nation, a group of our buddies who compete and travel with us. They are quite a diverse group who can do about anything you need and are certainly some of the most fun people and best cooks you’ll ever meet. Not to mention the mad skills they possess from rv repairs to property management to cable making to cigar smoking!
Comments Off on Jerry Stephenson, Pitmaster of Redneck Scientific Opens The Redneck BBQ Lab
by Brian Walrath, Pitmaster of Brown Liquor BBQ and MABA Board Member
Time to eat!
I know we’ve all dreamed about it…or to some had nightmares. What is “it?” Taking that plunge from competition barbecue and/or barbecue catering to opening your very own barbecue joint! Well, Jerry Stephenson of Redneck Scientific fame (yeah, the team that finished fourth overall in KCBS in 2016!), took the plunge in January! Jerry opened The Redneck BBQ Lab in Benson, North Carolina.
An impressive line-up of trophies for sure!
I happened to be not-too-far away from Jerry’s restaurant the first week he opened visiting some friends to attend a Tarheel/Syracuse basketball game and we decided to stop in for lunch the day after the game. The Redneck BBQ Lab is nestled in next to a gas station in a busy intersection on highway 210, just off of interstate 40.
You can’t miss the The Redneck BBQ Lab!
The first thing you notice pulling in is the big painted logo on the side of the building. The rumor is that this impressive visual landmark was hand crafted by the Sean Manley, aka, “The Guv,” Jerry’s brother-in-law and husband of Roxanne Manley, Jerry’s secret weapon on the barbecue trail! The front of the joint is equally impressive with a bold series of words that make you want to see what’s inside…PROVEN. WINNING. COMPETITION. BBQ! The interior has a homey look with wood grain throughout and a country feel as local, historic pictures and signs with country slogans adorn the walls on your way to the counter. The other thing you can’t help but notice is the trophy shelf that sits right above the windows to the food service line where your order is plated. This trophy case is flat out impressive and I couldn’t help but look up and wonder about the times I’ve competed against Jerry and Roxanne and think of all the times they whipped my ass!
Lucky to grab a snapshot of Jerry while he was still relatively still!
After a handshake and some pleasantries with Jerry, he was off to run an errand as busy restauranteurs often do. My buddies and I decided to get a sampling of several barbecue meats that included smoked spare ribs, pulled pork, and brisket burnts ends and slices. The Redneck Barbecue Lab only sells burnt ends on certain days, and we were glad we hit the right one! Our sides included local collards and the jalapeno mac ‘n cheese. As a competition barbecue cook, sometimes our opinions are flawed when it comes to restaurant barbecue. But I can tell you confidently, Jerry is doing it right! The brisket was perfectly smoked and tender as a mother’s love. The pulled pork was true to this region and succulent with great mouth feel. The burnt ends literally melted in your mouth. The spare ribs were done just right…not overcooked and falling off the bone, but just the right doneness to give you a great bite and chew. The impressiveness didn’t stop there. The collards and mac were among the best I’ve dug in to as well.
Brisket, ribs, pork, mac, and collards were the order of the day!
Perhaps what’s most impressive about The Redneck BBQ Lab however, is the people. Our service was quick, friendly, and with the southern charm that always makes me come back to these parts! The joint is just that…a joint. It’s not a big place and if you want to be sure to get some tasty ‘que, you better get there early. As with all of the best BBQ hotspots I’ve found, they sell a finite amount and when they’re sold out, that’s it!
All in all, it was a great experience and the food was killer. It’s right off 40 and not too far off of 95. If you get a chance, go, you won’t be disappointed. Jerry and his team are doing it right. I will be back for sure the first chance I get!
Have you eaten great barbecue at a Mid-Atlantic barbecue joint lately? Tell us about it and we’ll feature other restaurants in the newsletter and the MABA website. Just email your review/story to me at brnwlr@aol.com.
Comments Off on Get To Know Eric Forrester, The Ironman KCBS Competition, and Mason Dixon BBQ Supply
Eric Forrester, owner of Mason Dixon BBQ Supply in both Frederick, MD and the flagship store in Greencastle, PA has been in the barbecue game for well over a decade and has one of the most unique contests in the nation. He’s a wealth of knowledge of competition barbecue in the Mid-Atlantic and has always been a big supporter of MABA and a business member of the association for a long time. We wanted to get-to-know Eric a little better and find out more about his start in barbecue, his businesses, but mostly his KCBS competition, the Ironman. He was kind enough to answer all of our questions and I think you’ll agree, it was quite interesting and as Eric is, quite entertaining!
MABA:
Tell us a little about your history in barbecue and how you came to be the owner of two barbecue businesses in the Mid-Atlantic.
Eric:
I was born at a young age and everything after that was blur until I got my glasses at age 7….(Ha, thanks Groucho Marx!) At 14, my first job was in the restaurant business and that continued through and after college. I was recruited by General Mills (they owned Red Lobster back then) to become part of a 5-person team to open new restaurants along the Eastern seaboard. I opened 12 restaurants in 3 years and closed and re-opened another 4 stores.
When the GM stopped opening stores, I was assigned to the Red Lobster in Hagerstown, MD and I decided to go back to school for my masters degree and “escape” the restaurant lifestyle. I catered for a couple of years and after getting my masters, I got into manufacturing and eventually owned a part of a company that made construction equipment. I sold my share in 2001 and became the COO of Blue Ridge Mountain Cookery – BRMC made high-end catering grills for the military, restaurants, rental, and universities. My “foodie” side kicked in and I started getting into competition barbecue on custom smokers that we built and a Jedmaster Smoker. We competed in 10 competitions from 2004-2006 under the name Smoked Encounters of the 3rd Swine. Primarily in MIM (MBN) comps; our best finish was RGC at the National Capital BBQ Comp in DC. In 2007, I left BRMC and started my own company – CELF Services, LLC., doing sub-contract metal finishing work for military applications.
In 2009, things were moving along pretty wall and I was looking for more to do and to maybe get back in the food business. I had decided to purchase a bar/restaurant in Shippensburg, PA; so after my wife stepped on my head (in a good way), I decided not to go into the bar business, but to open a BBQ Supply Store instead – she was good with this! I was friends with the guys at Meadow Creek and was selling their units to the military through a GSA Contract already, so I modeled my store after their store in New Holland. That was it – Mason-Dixon BBQ Supply was born! I still have/kept CELF Services and thought Mason-Dixon would be a write off for me for a few years, but we have done well and it has never worked out that way!
After getting beat up by Maryland customers for a few years, I opened the store in Frederick in 2014 and have considered opening a 3rd location in Winchester, VA…we’ll see.
MABA:
When was the first Ironman event here at Mason Dixon?
Eric:
The first official event we did was in 2012 – The Go Naked BBQ Show(down) – a ribs & chicken Backyard Event that forbade the use of any electronics to prep, cook, or finish with. No pellet cookers, no Guru controls, no electric knives, no stay-in thermos, etc. We kept it as Go Naked for 2 years and then added THE IRONMAN component and turned it into a 4 meat competition in 2013.
Eventually I wanted to grow this into a full-blown KCBS Comp. I had run several other competitions – Smoketoberfest (3 yrs) and the Memorial Day Pignic – and wanted to get sanctioning, but ran into issues with KCBS. Our format was fun, hard, and the teams seemed to like the challenge, but KCBS said we couldn’t force teams to limit their meat…that’s when I had an epiphany (or stroke, who knows) that we could be KCBS sanctioned if the teams voluntarily agreed to the limitations. So that’s what we did and went KCBS in 2014. This is officially our 4th year as a KCBS competition as THE IRONMAN.
MABA:
Talk about the special rules association with the Ironman format?
Eric:
1. No electric devices to be used in the prep, cooking, or presenting of competition meats – no Guru/Stoker/Flame Boss controls, no Pellet Cookers, no electric rotisseries, no electric knives, no stay-in thermometers. Just you, your pit, and meat. (Maverick/Thermopen/stick-in thermos are OK – food safety!).
2. Limited meats! If you call yourself a Pitmaster, you should be able to cook! In most comps you can cook as much meat as you want…but at THE IRONMAN, you can only cook (1) brisket, (1) pork butt, (1) rack o’ ribs, (7) pieces of chicken (1 to taste). There is even a “challenge group” now that puts all (7) pieces of chicken in! (Editor’s note – I have it on good authority that the winning chicken box in 2016 contained all 7 pieces!)
MABA:
What made you decide to do a contest in this non-traditional way?
Eric: As with all good ideas, this was hatched in a bar and drinks were involved. Some of you might remember Tim McMaster (Porter Mac’s Rockin’ Q) and Dave Nash (Pot Belly BBQ)…well, we were all drinking (not sure how that happened) and started talking about the Pitmaster TV show and how one of the competitors on there couldn’t operate the Egg without the Guru…some of you might remember that…ugh. See, I still feel the same way about it. Don’t get me wrong, electronic controls are marvels of science, but you should know how to operate your Pit without one – especially if you call yourself a Pitmaster on national TV. Anyway, one thing led to another and Go Naked BBQ was born.
Two years later we were trying to make it even more challenging and Mark Flanigan suggested limiting the meat. I thought this was a great idea, so we did it and THE IRONMAN was born – incorporating the “no electric” clause as well! We have toyed with the idea of having teams bring their meat in and putting it in coolers, then having a blind draw where the teams “draw” for meat coolers, but I think this will put KCBS over the top and will threaten our sanctioning. This would, however, make the field more level when it comes to meats being cooked, i.e. – one team can afford the expensive Wagyu brisket and another team can’t…but again, I don’t think we can get this through KCBS.
MABA:
This has been a very popular contest over the years, why do you think so many teams like it so much?
Eric:
Well…like any good comp, it has a lot to do with the organizer…ha! We’ve traditionally been the first cook of the season for many of the Mid-Atlantic teams and we are an “inexpensive” contest to start with. A lot of teams really like the different format as well. It’s a challenge and makes you really tend to your pit and your food – one mistake can cost you, there’s no “fallback” entry!
THE IRONMAN now sells out each year and we attract teams from 7 different states and Canada. We are also what I call a “cooks competition” in that, while this is in conjunction with the Mason-Dixon BBQ Open House, we don’t attract 10,000 spectators, so the atmosphere is much more relaxed and the public doesn’t get in the way. The cooks can socialize and have some fun without any concern for the public interfering with their cook…or their fun.
THE IRONMAN has also introduced 22 new teams to BBQ competition over the past few years. This year we’ll have 4 teams that have never competed before. At $200 it’s inexpensive and you don’t have all of that meat cost normally associated with a competition. Also, because it is low-key, these newbies can really talk with other teams and get a leg up.
MABA:
Let’s talk about the weather shall we? Your contest has always been at the beginning of the typical “BBQ season” in the Mid-Atlantic and sometimes the weather can be, I’ll say…interesting in Pennsylvania in late March, early April. Can you comment on that and also give us your annual promise for weather conditions for this year’s contest?
Eric:
As I explain to everyone, weather is a state of mind. Do you see birds whining when it’s cold? No, they just freeze to death and fall off the line! But they don’t feel sorry for themselves at any point! So, while weather at THE IRONMAN has been temperamental at times, it’s still fantastic if you have the right mind-set! And if you freeze to death, we’ll give you a nice send-off!! That’s how we roll!
We’ve had cold, windy nights (I think the record for lost canopies is only at 9!), nice nights, rainy days (maybe a little sleet), and one beautiful day!! So THE IRONMAN, like me, is well-rounded.
Last year, we had a great weekend with temps in the mid 50’s, partly sunny, and no 50mph winds until after 3pm on Saturday. Despite rumors that I had sold my soul to the devil for good weather, that’s completely untru…there might have been some dancing and sacrificing of chickens, but that’s voodoo and not the same thing! This year I’ve sent a letter to Donald Trump asking for an Executive Order for tree-e-e-mendously good weather! I think I’m in!!! But just in case, bring a long sleeved shirt.
MABA:
What else about your contest makes this event special?
Eric:
As with all my events, we do some fun stuff for the teams…on Friday evening we have a pizza party – free pizzas for all teams and team members – after all, who wants to eat BBQ?! I always think we get enough and it’s like a wave of vultures when we bring them – and I never get a piece – but I digress. In an effort to stem the pizza purge we also offer free “Boat Drinks” to all of-age competitors! A fruity concoction of rum and juices to make everyone happy! It’s a grand effort to have everyone relax and visit….because, if nothing else, the BBQ family is great and it’s a lot of fun to visit with everyone.
All of my events also involve charity…gotta give back. This year we are raising money through The Wing Thing – a People’s Choice Wing Competition! All the teams cook 10lbs of wings that are sold to, and voted on by, the dreaded public. This year we are raising money for the Greencastle Relay4Life. They are a good crew and because we work with the local branch, the money stays here and they do great things for the local community. I am a big believer in giving back.
We also invite other charities to come and set up displays at THE IRONMAN. Better Days Animal Shelter will be here, Make-A-Wish is coming, etc. Also, instead of paying Mason-Dixon BBQ, all food vendors and craft vendors have to donate their vending fee to the charity…which is also pretty cool!
LAST, but not least, it is FREE for the public to get into THE IRONMAN. We don’t charge a parking fee or a gate fee. This is a great family event that revolves around the love of BBQ. We don’t run THE IRONMAN to make a profit for Mason-Dixon BBQ. All proceeds from the event go to supporting local charities, team pay-outs, and the coveted IRONMAN trophies!
MABA:
Ok, here’s your chance to plug the business(es)! Anything special going on during the contest weekend for customers, teams, enthusiasts?
Eric:
As I mentioned before, we do THE IRONMAN as a part of the Spring Open House at Mason-Dixon BBQ – Greencastle. In addition to the Competition, we have sampling and demonstrations all day long – I think last year we gave away 400lbs of food! There is also live music, door prizes, etc.
We have a modified Eggfest with demonstrations, huge discounts, tastings, and 15% DISCOUNT ON BIG GREEN EGGS! In addition, if you purchase an Egg that day, we team you up with an Egghead and give you meat – that way you not only purchase an Egg, you cook on it too!
EVERYTHING IN THE STORE (with the exception of Backwoods and 270’s) IS 10-50% OFF. When you have decided on your purchases, you get to pull your discount at the register….and yes, there are 20%, 30%, 40%, and even 50% off discounts in the jar! So Weber, Meadow Creek, Uuni, and Bradley cookers are at least 10% off; as are all accessories – Mavericks, Flame Boss, Spitjack, etc.; all rubs and sauces; and charcoal, pellets, etc. – you get the idea!
270 Smokers will be $100 off and we will waive the freight and crating fee off Backwoods, so they will sell at retail alone!
For teams, we will be offering these discounts on Friday after 2pm as well! We’ll also be offering financing (with pre-approval) for 6 Months same as cash purchases! (If interested in this, let us know at least a week prior!)
Discounts will only be available at the Greencastle store! We are looking to put together an Open House at the Frederick store sometime in May! Any ideas for something cool?
MABA:
Any parting words for our readers or folks on the fence about signing up for the Ironman?
Eric:
The IRONMAN is about 6 weeks away and we are full at 60 teams! Yeah, I know that’s a surprise…it’s a surprise to me too! Ugh. It’s like an addiction, I just can’t say no! But WE ARE NOW DEFINITELY FULL!!!
I’m looking forward to the warm Spring weather and seeing everyone!!!!
Comments Off on New Two-Tiered TOY Point System To Debut in 2017
MABA 2017 Team of the Year Rules
It is the Board’s pleasure to finally share with you the rules for the MABA 2017 Team of the Year. If you recall earlier last year, the Board conducted a membership survey and asked several team of the year questions. In the survey, it was evident that members by and large wanted to a.) get rid of the MABA Cup point multiplier, and b.) establish a tiered TOY system. Lots of work has gone into these changes. The major points include—
· The multiplier for the MABA Cup contests has been eliminated. All contests will use the same multiplier and points system.
· MABA TOY Division I will consist of teams that compete in 8 or more eligible competitions
· MABA TOY Division II will consist of teams that compete in 7 or less eligible competitions.
We think these changes to the system will be more inclusive and provide more competition for the membership as a whole.
This will help recognize more teams for their accomplishments through our awards program.
MABA 2017 Team of the Year (ToY) rules
I. MABA will break down cook teams into two divisions in 2017.
a. Division I will consist of teams that compete in 8 or more eligible competitions during the course of the competition season.
b. Division II will consist of teams that compete in 7 or less eligible competitions during the course of the competition season
c. A team DOES NOT have to declare what Division they wish to compete in during the season. This will be determined at year’s end automatically based on the number of eligible contests that are competed in.
II. Accumulating Points for Teams.
a. Team scores counted for Division I ToY shall be the EIGHT event tally of the sanctioning body point system for top EIGHT OR LESS finishes of MABA sanctioned contests and other sanctioning bodies as determined by the MABA Board of Directors within the Mid Atlantic BBQ Association States that include all of the primary 4 meat categories (Chicken, Pork Ribs, Pork & Beef Brisket)
b. Team scores for Division II shall be the tally of the sanctioning body point system for top FIVE OR LESS finishes of MABA sanctioned contests and other sanctioning bodies as determined by the MABA Board of Directors within the Mid Atlantic BBQ Association States that consist of the primary 4 meat categories (Chicken, Pork Ribs, Pork & Beef Brisket)
c. Competition Teams from Division II ARE eligible to win the Division I Team of the Year title if their combined points for the FIVE OR LESS contests competed in score enough points to make them eligible for Division I awards.
d. Only open meat contests will award MABA ToY points. Competitor series, and any other invitational or restricted entry events will not award ToY points regardless of their physical location with the exception of the Sam’s Club Tour LOCAL contests.
e. Only ONE team per Primary Membership is eligible to accumulate Team of the Year points in either division. That team MUST be designated BEFORE the beginning of the season. Points will not be scored or tracked for second or third or more teams on a membership.
f. Current Sanctioning bodies approved for MABA ToY for 2016:
• MABA
• KCBS
• SAMS Club Local Qualifiers ONLY – Regional’s and Finals are not included.
g. Points for Overall Event Rankings
1st place = 125 points
2nd place = 100 points
3rd place = 80 points
4th place = 70 points
5th place = 60 points
6th Place = 50 points
7th place = 45 points
8th place = 40 points
9th place = 35 points
10th place = 30 points
11th place = 25 points
12th place = 20 points
13th place = 15 points
14th place = 10 points
All other positions 15 and below = 5 Points.
Point bonus multiplier
Take the total number of teams at the event, divide is by 2 then express it as a percentage + 1
i.e. a 50 team event; 50 / 2 = 25 / 100 = .25 +1 = 1.25 or a 25% point bonus. Points will be carried out to 4 decimal places. (.0000)
MABA Cup events will NO LONGER CARRY BONUS POINTS! They will be scored the same as any other event.
III. MABA ToY points will be awarded in the following categories:
• Overall
• Chicken
• Pork Ribs
• Pork
• Beef Brisket
IV. A competition year is defined as a calendar year from January 1st through December 31st.
V. Recognition of TOY standings will be by team names attached to a chief cook and not by individual member’s names. MABA team names must be affiliated with designated chief cook in the MABA current membership database. The database is created from information listed on membership applications and/or annual renewals. The Chief Cook DOES NOT have to be present at an event in order for their team to accrue TOY points.
VI. TOY points are only awarded to teams with current chief cook MABA member in good standing. A team must apply for membership AND pay for membership by 9:00am of the day turn ins are judged to accrue TOY points from that event. Teams cannot accrue points during any lapsed membership period. Teams can start to accrue TOY points again upon renewal of membership status.
a. All teams are responsible for insuring their team name matches exactly between the MABA Membership roster and that of the KCBS Membership roster as well as at the event with the Contest Reps. Failure to do so will result in a team failing to receive points earned at a contest. The ToY Coordinator is not responsible for correcting a team’s failure to insure their team info is correct in both systems. Teams have until May 15 of that year to compare and insure their team name matches exactly.
b. If one or more teammates are current MABA members but there is no team affiliation documented in the membership database, then their team cannot accrue points no matter how well they have competed. This will not be adjusted retroactively.
c. MABA members may cook on more than one team throughout the course of a season. It is the responsibility of a noted team that places in the TOY standings to determine their teammates when representing MABA in any national competition, demonstration or exposition.
d. Only valid teams that have earned the top TOY standings will be officially recognized in writing by the MABA board of Directors for representing MABA in any national events or promotions. Any recognition declared or made without the written consent of the MABA Board of Directors will result in that team’s name, and any MABA member documented to be affiliated with that team, shall be banned from any MABA TOY standings for one year.
VII. Teams may not accrue TOY points for multiple events on the same contest date. A Contest date is determined by the first day that turns in are judged. If it is determined that a team has accrued points from multiple events on the same contest date all points accrued on those dates shall be forfeit and a penalty of 50 (fifty) ToY points overall and across all categories or the team’s total points accrued (whichever is less) shall be assessed. A second violation of this rule within the same competition year will result in a 2 year suspension from MABA ToY of the team, chief cook.
VIII. Tie Breaker: In the event of a tie the following tie breaking procedure will be used:
a. 1st tie breaker – The team with the greater number of 1st place finishes in that category
b. 2nd tie breaker – The team with the greater number of 2nd place finishes in that category
c. 3rd tie breaker – The team with the greater number of 3rd place finishes in that category
d. If no resolution after the above tie breakers a coin flip will determine the outcome.
By Bill Jones, MABA Board Member and KCBS Master Judge, Table Captain, & Life Member
My wife and I have this discussion every so often and it goes like this – “Do you want Mexican or Chinese food for supper?”
“Sure” I say. And off to our favorite location we go. The owners greet us and will sometime make the comment “You’re back again for dinner?”
My wife will ask “Did you come for lunch here?” Yes. “Then why did you not tell me that?”
I am quite okay having Mexican twice in one day. She just does not get it. So now I tell her – “Italians eat Italian three times a day, Mexicans eat Mexican three times a day, Chinese eat Chinese three times a day…so why can’t I do the same?” And the same goes for BBQ. I have eaten BBQ for lunch AND dinner many times!
Note – she also has this very strongly followed rule. She does eat Mexican or Chinese at a place unless someone we know has eaten there before us and survived! Seems a simple, yet weird little rule. Wish I had followed it at a contest in Westmont, IL this year. That was some awful Mexican food.
As a judge we have some time to sit and talk about the foods we like. Many judges crave ice cream after judging. I am not a major fan of ice cream, it’s just not something I seek out. I do want a Mt. Dew for the ride home and usually get some Chicken Lo Mein from my local favorite Chinese place. No idea why that’s what comes to mind.
Some cook teams also crave certain foods following a cook. I have yet to hear any wanting barbecue though. Not their own, nor anyone elses. I am in the same boat. Every fall we do what we call a Stew N’ Que at our home. About 75 – 100 people are invited and by the time I am done cooking a cast iron pot of Brunswick Stew and 80 pounds of barbecue, I seldom eat any of it. Oh I taste test along the way, so maybe I get filled up on that. But I usually find myself hungry later that evening for anything except barbecue or stew.
Many of our trips to far away lands like North Carolina or Maryland…okay just kidding about that…but when we do travel, we seek out local establishments of the best barbecue in town and then a Mom and Pop restaurant, non chain. We have found some great restaurants in our travels, and some not-so-great ones too. Just like barbecue boxes we judge, you get some great and then some-not-so great.
We see teams and judges doing similar, checking out local establishments. Newbie judges will sometimes ask how I pick the contests I go to. It really has little to do with the contest as much as it does with what’s nearby? Chesapeake, VA contest – County Grill and Smoke House on the ride there the night before and Harpoon Larrys on ride home. Note – I table captain this event because I want to eat at these two places. Tupeolo, MS – Kermets Outlaw Kitchen. BelAir MD – Box Hill Pizzeria crab cakes, yes crab cakes at a pizza joint. Lanexa – Walkers Dam Grill – how can a campground have such a great Italian place? Don’t get me wrong, the contest organizers or the reps also have a lot to do with where I pick to judge. But outside of the barbecue, the local food is what I also seek out. Something out of the way, different, unexpected.
Hope to see you out on the circuit in 2017 trying new places.
Comments Off on Tip From the Pros – Garnishing Your Competition Box
by Brian Walrath, MABA Board Member and Pitmaster for Brown Liquor BBQ
The old saying goes, there are more ways than one to skin a cat. The same holds true for garnishing your KCBS competition box. Now before I even get started, I want to remind all of our readers what the current KCBS rules state regarding garnish…ahh, ‘ole rule #12:
12) Garnish is optional. If used it is limited to chopped, sliced, shredded or whole leaves of fresh green lettuce, curly parsley, flat leaf parsley, curly green kale and/or cilantro. PROHIBITED GARNISHES ARE lettuce cores and other vegetation, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TOendive, red tipped lettuce. “PROHIBITED” garnish shall receive a penalty score of one (1) on Appearance.
Now, when our team first started doing competition barbecue, we did the standard curly parsley boxes you’ve probably seen many times. The drawback to these types of boxes are that they are a bit time consuming and finding consistent parsley can be a challenge at different times of the year. Also, we’ve heard feedback from the judge’s tent that sometimes the individual pieces of parsley stick to your barbecue and some will ding the taste if they get it in their bite. However, even with that said, a well done parsley box makes a nice presentation if you have the patience and like that overall look. Here’s a link to a great resource on making that pretty parsley box.
Another way to garnish your box became popular last year with the use of cutting discs of tightly rolled curly leaf lettuce. Pitmaster Jerry Stephenson of Redneck Scientific even created an awesome video on exactly how this technique is done. We started doing our boxes this way last year and found that it cut our time making boxes drastically and we could do all four in about 20 minutes or so. We liked that nice even, flat surface this method provides. We also liked that we could cut our discs to different heights to boost up the garnish so the meat would sit up on it and be the star of the show or cut them a bit narrower so we had more depth for chicken or stacking ribs. One word of caution if using this technique…make sure you remove all the Saran Wrap from the box or you could get disqualified for having a foreign object in your box. One tip is to use colored wrap which can be readily found in green or red during the holidays or can also be found on Amazon.
In 2016 kale became an approved garnish for KCBS boxes. Building a kale box is a bit similar to the curly parsley, but it’s much more dense and easier to work with. The bunches don’t seem to stick to meat entries, and building kale boxes is just as quick, if not quicker than building the lettuce disc boxes mentioned above. Here’s a great new video produced by BBQ Guru featuring BBQ Bob Trudnak, pitmaster of the competition team by the same name!
At the end of the day, there are dozens of ways and a handful of different greens you may use to garnish your competition boxes. This article highlights just a few that we’ve used and have had some success with. You’ve got to find what works for you and what you can do consistently to keep your appearance scores in that 8 to 9 range all the time. Garnishing your boxes is probably the easiest element of competition barbecue that you can control week in and week out. But, remember, it’s also the lowest weighted component of scoring, so don’t get too bogged down in turning in the perfect pretty box for the judges…first and foremost, cook the meat right!
Comments Off on Interview With the Champs – Redneck Scientific
by Brian Walrath, MABA Board Member and Pitmaster for Brown Liquor BBQ
In case you’ve been under a rock for the last two years, perhaps you haven’t noticed the incredible run that team Redneck Scientific is on. From Clayton, North Carolina and led by Pitmaster Jerry Stephenson, the pride of Johnston County has 10…yes, 10 grand championship in 2016 alone! Along with his usual sidekick, sister Roxanne, you’ll see Redneck Scientific not only high on the MABA TOY points standings, but they’re right up there in the KCBS TOY standings too. And if all this wasn’t enough, Jerry has a huge new project in the works soon to debut…check it all out in this month’s Interview With the Champs!
Question:
Wow, 10 GCs in 2016. Can you point to one or two things that have been the difference this year or is it a combination of things?
Jerry Stephenson, Redneck Scientific:
I think the key to this year’s successes has been we’ve kept it really simple which has led us to be more consistent and make less mistakes than others. Also, I think we’ve worked out a flavor profile that’s appealing to judges and not something generic that has been replicated, bartered or stolen by others.
But, the most compelling reason we are doing so well this season is I have a Roxanne. And no one else does.
Q:
You’re right there in the hunt for KCBS Team of the Year, currently in second place and within striking distance. Was chasing KCBS TOY one of the goals for this season?
JS, RS:
Third place actually as of today. And, no, chasing TOY was not a goal for us this year. We were gearing towards it in the future but this year is just kind of happened.
Q:
Will you keep up the rigorous schedule to try to secure the TOY win?
JS, RS:
We plan on finishing out the NC contests, The Jack and both the American Royal Invitational/Open. After that, I think we just shut it down. We’re short on TOY points due to the local NC/SC/VA contests not being full of cook teams like they have in the past. I’m not inclined to go chasing contests all over the nation with 35 or more teams to try to get max points either. In the end, this is a money game played by folks with a lot more money and time than I have at this moment. Maybe in the future we will be able to afford it to make a dedicated run at the KCBS TOY title. But, not right now.
Q:
Congratulations on qualifying for “The Jack.” Will you also be heading to Kansas City this year for “The Royal?”
JS, RS:
Ironically, yes. The draw for the Jack was the factor in making our decision to go back to the Royal again this year. We’ve been the past 3 years and a good friend of mine was going there for his first time and wanted us to go with him. I told him the only way we would be going this year, because of all the stuff we have going on, is if we got the Jack draw. Which we finally did after 4 years of being eligible.
I really think he paid someone off to make that happen too!
Q:
Recently you released some big news…can you tell us more about it here?
JS, RS: Yep. We’re doing exactly what I’ve said I would never do and are opening up a BBQ restaurant in Johnston County NC off of Interstate 40 at exit 319. We will be using our Backwoods Smokers to cook the meat (first and only ones in NC) and will be putting out a daily limited supply of a competition style product not currently being done in our area. We will serve until we run out of food each day. The name of the restaurant will be “The Redneck BBQ Lab”.
Q:
You’re heavily involved in Operation Barbecue Relief. Can you tell us more about your involvement and how the rest of the barbecue community can help?
JS, RS: OBR’s mission statement (“provides compassion, offers hope and friendship to those whose lives have been affected by disasters across the United States.”) shares a core philosophy of mine that food is a critical means to convey caring to people whether they are in need or just feel like they want to give something back to someone.
All it takes to give is time and/or money. Both of which we all have a bit of. You can find out more about this at: https://operationbbqrelief.org/.
Q:
Tell our readers about your team name, set up, and teammates.
JS, RS: Redneck Scientific was formed in late 2011 as a smoker building company that ended up doing one KCBS competition that year. We’ve been competing now for 5 years. In that span of time, we have done 93 contests, won 18 Grand Championships, had 6 Reserve Grand Championships, had over 250 top ten calls, 3 MABA Cup wins in NC and 8 perfect 180 scores.
We cook out of a unique custom 20-foot trailer that was built out and designed by us. We cook on a Backwoods Smoker (Pro Junior). We are sponsored by Royal Oak charcoal, BBQ Guru, Mojobricks, Oakridge BBQ rubs and Q Company Backwoods Smokers.
Our team consists of my wife (Liz), Brother in Law (Sean Manley aka “The Guv”), my 2 daughters (Fiona & Elle), my sister (Roxanne) and myself.
Q:
Ok, I always ask our winning pitmasters this…what’s the one tip you have for those teams to help them break through and win their first GC or up their game in competition BBQ?
JS, RS: Treat this game like baseball. Concentrate on hitting 4 singles and you’ll become a better team in the Overall standings…where it matters the most.
Q:
Any other goals for the remainder of 2016 or looking forward?
JS, RS: Probably just finishing all of the things on my plate would be beyond comprehension to me right now! I’m doubting I can fit any other goals in unless we…
Q:
Anything else to add before we sign off?
JS, RS: Yes. I forgot to note that our winning percentage has gone up 300% since attending Cook’s Church at our BBQ contests. Could be a coincidence but why take a chance? Attend one if you get a chance!
There is no doubt that politics are in the forefront of the American media. It is a big time for decision making as we choose our nation’s next leader. One of the great things about our country is this ability to have our voice heard through our vote. Within that spectrum is also the ability to have varying degrees of interest of involvement either passive or aggressive and many levels in-between.
If you are reading this, you have a passion for competitive BBQ. Whether you compete just a few times a year or are highly invested and on the road over 20 times a season, we each rely on organizations and rule making bodies to set the boundaries for our “play”. As humans we crave structure. It lets us know what to expect, when to expect it, and defines success.
Success can be defined several different ways by many in our sport. For some it’s about a great weekend with friends/family and marked improvement in scoring. For others its top 5’s or calls for GC or RGC. Neither is wrong and is truly defined in the eye of the beholder. The success and health of our sport relies on all of us. Elected leaders who give time and energy back to competitive BBQ through organizations like MABA and KCBS are vital to that success.
With a current call for nominations for KCBS and the election beginning on January 2 we should all get involved. It is the time for our voice to be heard. The elected officials should represent what you feel is best for the organization. Officials within each organization that represent BBQ like KCBS and MABA are accessible. They want to hear your thoughts. The reason they are in these positions is to better the sport. Whatever your style, passive or aggressive, you can make a difference and continue the success of this great world of competitive BBQ.
