Friday, June 11, 2021

Love is in the air ... no wait that is BBQ - Nevermind.

 To all the Masters of the Grill, Chiefs of the Charcoal, King of the Pit, Boss of the BBQ - also known as the dude in the apron.

We all know about Murphy’s Law: anything that can go wrong will go wrong. But have you heard of Cole’s Law? It’s thinly sliced cabbage. 

I enjoyed Aaron Franklin's series BTW - especially on competition BBQ. I also laughed my ass off - when he said - if you want to get into competition BBQ - just throw $200 in the trash. It is so true.

My wife, God Bless her, hates the BBQ scene. She likes BBQ and insists upon it for her summer social calendar, but she hates working the BBQ world. The Left Over Lasagna pans. The Greasy sink. The Greasy anything. The Trash. I am leaving her at home this competition. I don't want to - but she does not have to deal with the BBQ Crap. It Should be fun.


My 14 year old daughter and I are going to the Montana Cook Off.

Anabell is such an amazing teenager - not just because she is my lil girl - but because she really asks the questions that need to be asked - like "Why is Alabama Sauce White...or Ivory?" Sauces will be discussed this episode.

Alabama White Sauce entered my thought process after the 2019 Bozeman Pitmaster Classic. I scored 9s and 10s with every judge on my Pulled Pork - with the exception of ONE judge. They scored me as a 3. They said my pork tasted like Apple cider vinegar and red chili flakes. If they were going to judge me on the flavor profile I was shooting for - why not give them a reach - a flavor profile that was WAY OUT THERE: Alabama Chicken. Alabama White Sauce is a BBQ sauce created by Big Bob Gibson in the 1930s or something like that. I have seen plenty of recipes for it - most focus on Mayo, Horseradish Sauce and Apple Cider vinegar. While I have not been a favorite - I decided this year - I was going to introduce my chicken to Montana via Alabama.

I have often tinkered with regional bbq and their flavor profiles. North Carolina was my least favorite for 20 years - but by the time I left Virginia - I understood the NC Vinegar Concept - it cuts the fat. KC - Sweet - thick (molasses). Memphis - Thin - sweet and spicy. Texas - no thank you. Actually I have found many that are great - interestingly enough most include "Anchovies" in the sauce.

Where is Montana on this list - probably close to KC or Texas - sweet with a bit of spicy. Me - I ask for my BBQ without sauce. Or Sauce on the side. I want to know what it tastes like without the big business. I also do not create my own sauce, but I hope to soon.

So how do you go for Montana Style? - Shoot for a Texas/KC/Memphis approach with a NC feel (as long as they don't hate vinegar). Maybe after this weekend Mayo, Apple Cider Vinegar and Horseradish will have a home in Montana. Probably not - but I am tickled to see the comments on the Judge Cards.

In Montana - the competitions generally have food served the night before the competition. BBQ providers can make a few $ by selling some goods. Last time I sold Steak on a Stick for $5 and Cowboy Beans for $5. I think we pocketed $200 after our donation to theur fund. This year we are focusing on New Orleans. I will be making Jambalaya for about 100 people. The problem is - sales begin at 1 PM. That is 30 minutes before Brisket turn in. We will see how Anabell and I do with this incredibly obnoxious schedule.

Our summer plans include - attempting to do farmers market BBQ with our trailer.

What should I expect tomorrow? Well - It is weird being that the tournament is in a small town in Montana. All of my past comps were in towns of a million people, 200,000 people and Bozeman - 50,000 people. I am excited to see what life is like.

I very much miss my best friend and BBQ partner Ryan. I hope we can compete soon. Until then - I can offer you pictures and your comments. Enjoy this blog - short and report


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