Pigs in the Pit was a new contest in Alton, VA hosted at the Virginia International Raceway. ?The entire event and area in southern Virginia were greatly affected by the remnants of Hurricane Michael. ?Power issues in surrounding areas, highways that were flooded out, and thousands of down trees blocking many highways made it a challenge just to get to the venue. ?In fact, power was restored to the venue just hours before most teams arrived. ?Parts of the track were flooded so all events including racing and an Oktoberfest beer festival were cancelled. ?The only event that went on as planned the entire weekend was the barbecue contest…we’re a resilient bunch!
The organizers did a great job for a first year contest and every one of our needs were met the entire weekend. ?Perhaps the other events being cancelled was a blessing in disguise because it gave this first year contest a chance to get a KCBS event under their belt before adding many other events on top of it.
When the dust settled and the awards were handed out, it was Wolf’s Revenge taking grand champion. ?Congratulations to 3n1 Q on reserve!
Comments Off on Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off Duel Concord, NC
The BBQ universe focused itself onto Concord, NC on Veteran’s Day for the first ever duel turn in contest in MABA-land. Teams from all over the country came to town to try and chase points in this one-of-a-kind format, including Boomerang BBQ from Texas and the Smoking Hills from Kansas.
It was raining (of course it was) for much of Friday, but that didn’t stop teams from enjoying a pizza party on Friday night hosted by Luke Darnell and the Food Network’s Jerry Stephenson. No trout were harmed during the cooking of the pizza.
On Saturday, the clouds broke and it was go time for the teams.
Congrats to the winners!
Duel A – Rooters n Tooters TN GC, Old Colony Smokehouse RGC
Duel B – The Algood Bar-B-Q Pit Crew GC, Contagious Q RGC
Word is this might be a traditional double next year…so stay tuned!
Another great event in Delaware on the coast! This year, Sandy Fulton’s Boo B Que brought over 70 teams to the Delaware shore for Boo B Que!
The weather was decent this year, and a lot of fun was had by all with the annual Friday night Halloween celebration. A lot of the teams decorated which made for a fantasticly festive atmosphere.
The winds blew in on Saturday morning making for a challenging cooking environment. But that sure didn’t slow down 3Eyz BBQ who won Grand Champion honors, with Aporkalypse now taking RGC.
Also, a huge congratulations to the Gunter Wilhelm DE MABA Cup Champion Hog Street Bullies. Great job Brian Reamer! We look forward to seeing you at BBQ Gives Back in March!
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Thanksgiving time! Turkey day is almost here and Gunter Wilhelm and MABA wanna make sure you’re ready! Enter to win a beautiful 8” carving set AND a 12” slicer set from Gunter Wilhelm!
Rules for Entry:
1) FOLLOW @Gunter Wilhelm and @Mid Atlantic BBQ Association on Facebook.
2) Share your favorite way to prep a turkey! Tag it with #MABA #GunterWilhelm.
The winners will be selected and contacted on Thursday night, November 22 at 8 p.m.
This year’s annual Que N Cruz did not fail to impress. We need to get more teams to this fantastic contest in 2019.
Held at Small Country Campground, Bill Small and his family annually put on a great contest. Almost all of the sites are in a wooded area and close to turn ins, creating a great atmosphere for the cooks to get together and celebrate barbecue.
Although there were only 25 teams, the competition was fierce, with some of the top cooks on the East Coast squaring off for honors.
Congrats to Old Colony Smokehouse for Grand Champion, and Grate Smoke for Reserve Grand.
This year’s Que n Cruz also marked the end of an era in MABA-land, with it being the final contest for KCBS representative John Bush. Good luck with retirement John! Enjoy the travel!
Instead of the usual great segment PITS, Amy Overbey and her Team Meat Coma teammates grab Josh and Brant from Piggin’ Whiskey and take an epic journey around a barbecue competition in search of drinking buddies and barbecue secrets!
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By Brian Walrath, MABA BOD and Pitmaster for Brown Liquor BBQ
Congratulations on your recent victory on Chopped! You sure made the Mid-Atlantic proud and represented the great state of North Carolina well.
Thank you! Being part of Chopped! was a great experience and I appreciate you asking me to share a little about it.
How did you prepare for the show?
When I got confirmation that I was going to be on the show, I binge watched every Chopped! episode I could find, mainly just to get a feel for how to handle the mystery ingredients. I put myself in the shoes of the competitors and paused the TV after each round’s ingredients were revealed and I’d try to think of as many dishes as possible to make with those ingredients. I think that exercise really got my brain working in the right direction. I also paid attention to the available pantry ingredients and the personal tastes of the judges. Looking back I’m not sure if any of that preparation helped me. Once you open the basket and the clock starts ticking, you have to act on instinct. There’s not enough time to make well thought out decisions.
What were you expecting? Was it anything like you anticipated?
I didn’t really know what to expect but I can say that I was surprised by the amount of production that goes into a single episode. Competitors show up before 6AM and if you’re lucky enough to make it through all 3 rounds, you don’t get out of there until around 11PM. That’s a 17 hour day of filming a show that only airs for an hour, with only an hour and 20 minutes of actual cooking. I had no idea it would be that involved.
I also didn’t expect the high level of security and secrecy about the show. When you walk in, they make you empty your pockets and take everything away from you except the clothes you’re wearing. You don’t get it back until it’s time to go home. There are security guards at every door and the competitors are escorted everywhere, even to the bathroom, throughout the day.
But the set, the judges, sequester rooms, and the clock are just like you see on TV. Walking into the Chopped! kitchen for the first time was a really cool feeling.
Who did you think was your biggest competition in the NC pitmaster show? Were you surprised by any of the results?
I knew that I would be competing against 3 other North Carolina cooks in the first episode. While I didn’t know who they would be, I had some ideas of who the producers might have chosen to represent our state. So, I was not at all surprised to see Jerry Stephenson of Redneck Scientific and Christopher Prieto of Prime Barbecue at the studio. They are 2 of the most well-known NC BBQ guys out there. I didn’t know Melanie Dunia from The Pit in Raleigh, but anyone who watched the show saw very quickly that she has some serious skills. With that caliber of competition, I really felt like I was the underdog of the group and honestly I was surprised each round that I wasn’t the one who got chopped.
How did it feel to win the NC show?
To win the NC episode was an amazing feeling and something that I really had not even considered a possibility. It really elevated my pride having world renowned chefs giving such positive feedback on what I consider everyday NC dishes. Having success using dishes that were inspired by my family and my childhood made it that much better.
What was your expectation and plan going into the finals?
I had no idea who I would be up against in the finals. Based on my experience and the judges’ comments in the North Carolina episode, my primary goal was to work faster and manage the clock better so that I would have enough time to focus more on the presentation of my dishes. In the first episode, I simply ran out of time and felt like I left a little something on the table in each round so I really wanted to make sure that didn’t happen in the finals.
What are you most proud of having done this experience?
I’m extremely proud that I was able to showcase some of my heritage and give a look into my family who has been a major influence on my love of food and cooking. When people from other states think of North Carolina, they usually think of the big cities like Raleigh and Charlotte. But most of North Carolina is made up of small town people who are poor in economy and rich in heritage. Being one of those people, I was really proud to bring small town NC to a national stage.
What one thing would you change if you could looking back at either episode?
If you watched the finale, then you know I got chopped because I served some undercooked turnips in my entree. I used the greens from the turnips in my chimichurri sauce, so technically, I would’ve been fine not using the rest of the turnip. With that in mind, if I could go back and do it again, I would just stick with the greens and not screw around with the rest of the turnip.
Would you do it again?
100% without question I would do it again. The whole experience was a lot of fun and I’m grateful to have been a part of it. I would really like to do a true grilling competition that takes place outside using charcoal, wood, and fire. Maybe they’ll bring back that format and give us all another shot.
What was the hardest part of the experience?
There were a lot things that were challenging: working in a kitchen you’ve never been in before, having limited ingredients, not knowing what’s in the pantry and where things are, not knowing what utensils you have to work with, etc. But I didn’t realize the hardest part until the morning of the finale. Filming Chopped! is physically and mentally exhausting. As I mentioned earlier, the episodes start filming really early in the morning and it’s not over until late at night. We filmed the NC episode on a Wednesday, I spent a little over 12 hours on Thursday filming promos and other things, and was back at it for the finale on Friday morning bright and early. Factor in the periodic adrenaline rushes followed by sitting around waiting for producers throughout the day and you get exhausted. Having to find a way to push through the exhaustion was without a doubt the hardest part.
What was the best part of the experience?
So many good things have come out of this experience, but the best has been the support shown by my BBQ friends and family. The nights of the episode airings I really thought my phone was going to melt because of so many calls, texts, and messages. The BBQ community is awesome in so many ways and this is just one of them.
You’re also having a great year on the KCBS circuit with your most recent GC at Crisfield, MD at Smokin on the Dock of the Bay. Tell our readers a little about that day.
2018 is shaping up to be a pretty good season for OCS. We’ve fallen short for one reason or another several times this year but we’ve been blessed with some good luck too. The Crisfield contest was one where luck just went our way, I think the margin between GC and RGC was around .03 points. We turned in 3 solid boxes and 1 not so solid and the points just fell in our favor. The venue for the Crisfield contest was awesome. We were lucky enough to get a spot in the grass right up against the bay. Anybody who did not participate in that event this year should definitely give it a look for 2019.
You’ve been competing a lot more this year. What contests do you have left on your calendar for 2018 and what are your goals moving forward?
We have. The contest count in 2018 has gotten out of hand quickly. We were initially thinking of competing in 17-20 this year but we’re at 21 now with a few more on the schedule to finish out the season including 2 great contests that are less than an hour from home: the Eastern Carolina BBQ Throwdown in Rocky Mount, NC and the Currituck Heritage Festival in Powell’s Point, NC. The goal for the rest of the year is to stay consistent. We’re close, but not quite there. Hopefully we’ll figure out the secret to consistency and finish the year strong.
Anything you’d like to add?
I’d like to thank everyone for their support throughout the whole Chopped! process. As I mentioned before, that was by far the best part of the experience. I’d also like to put in a plug for the Currituck Heritage Festival. I’m sure everyone has seen that this event has been rescheduled for the first weekend in November of this year. They have an amazing venue with RV hookups, indoor showers, and first class hospitality. Anybody interested in adding one more contest to their schedule this year should really check this one out.
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By Amy Overbey of Team Meat Coma
WHO IS ON THE TEAM AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
Bone to Bark BBQ is comprised of myself (Todd), and my beautiful wife (Donna). We occasionally enlist the help of a friend, Jim Schoeller, who many of you know as the pitmaster for 11/30 Smoke. He brings big personality to the team!
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN COMPETING?
We started in 2012 cooking chicken and ribs at the GoNaked competition at Mason-Dixon BBQ. That was before the infamous “Ironman” addition, and it was a two meat comp, sanctioned by MABA only. After that, we were hooked and competed at the Swinetastic BBQ Festival in Frederick, MD as a backyard rib entry. One month later in July of 2012, we took the dive into the pros and entered our first competition, “The BBQ Skirmish” at Gettysburg.
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH YOUR TEAM NAME/LOGO
Before we even started competing, I had smoked a pork butt to take to work. One of my co-workers tasted some and said, “Man, this has great flavor from the bone to the bark….hey, you could use that if you ever started a team”. So we did!
WHAT SMOKER(S) DO YOU COOK ON?
We normally cook on Backwoods Smokers. We use a G2 Party for the big meats and an Extended Party for ribs and chicken. We also have a Standard 270 that we’ve added to the mix in past seasons, several Weber kettles and a GMG pellet smoker.
IF YOU COULD ADD A 5TH CATEGORY, AND IT CAN BE ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
Seafood. Who doesn’t love some Oysters Rockefeller or some perfectly prepared shrimp or scallops.
WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO COOK (CAN BE A FAVORITE COMP, BUT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE, CAN BE ANYWHERE)?
My favorite place to cook is Pennsylvania. We’ve usually scored well at PA comps in the past, but our first GC happened in Gettysburg back in May, so that kind of sealed the deal!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BEVERAGE AT A COMPETITION?
Gotta love the Orange Crush.
ANY COMPETITION SUPERSTITIONS OR SOMETHING YOU CANNOT DO WITHOUT AT A COMPETITION?
I’m not very superstitious at all , but there is one thing that I always have to bring along. I refer to it as my “West Virginia briefcase”, (no offense intended to anyone). It’s realy nothing more than a small Igloo cooler that I keep a bunch of my stuff in, i.e., glass case, vitamin bottle, coozies, etc.
WHAT IS YOUR GO TO FOOD AFTER A COMPETITION?
Pasta or a salad is the preference, although we don’t usually do that. After leaving a comp, we’re not always the cleanest or freshest feeling, so a lot of time it’s a quick stop for fast food.
IF YOU WEREN’T COMPETING ALL WEEKEND, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING INSTEAD?
That could be anything from working around the house, to babysitting grandkids or just running around doing errands, but usually includes finding a good place to eat!
ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOU OR YOUR TEAM? Probably not, we’re not that deep!
