Big Boyz BBQ Bytes - A BBQ Blog

 

Time to prep for our 4th competition; discuss KCBS Master Series Team of the Year point chase, and BBQ USA on Food Network 

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.

If you have not read our two part summary of Sweet Home, OR (Icebox Cookoff) stop and go back to read them.   They were a nice recap of our family outing and Big Boyz BBQ third competition this year.  During our journey - we saw friends and family.  We met new BBQ teams and we continued our journey to improve.  

Back at the Cowtown Cookoff in Miles City, MT, Tanya Owens, of Owens BBQ introduced me to BBQ Data.  For a Fantasy Football nut and former high school football coach, reading competition data soon became addictive.  It wasn't until after the Icebox Cookoff - I discovered the KCBS Master's Series Team of the Year point chase. 

Don't get me wrong, Big Boyz BBQ is in no way in the hunt for the KCBS team of the year, but it was fun to see where we have climbed since our first comp in Absarokee, MT (not that far, but still.)  KCBS also qualifies teams based on how many comps you have competed.  For Example - I can compare my points from 3 comps against the points of Slaps BBQ from Kansas City.  They had 12 competitions before our first comp in Absarokee.  They have currently been in 22 competitions and all but 5 of them have seen Top 5 finishes.  Of those 5 only 2 were outside of Top 10.  Teams like Slaps have a great advantage.  There are BBQ competitions almost every week in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Arkansas, etc.  Don't get me wrong - they are good too, but as Luke Darnell of Old Virginia Smoke has said multiple times - compete 4 times or more in a row and you will see your scores improve.  Joe Pearce (Slaps BBQ) has been a dominate force in KCBS for almost a decade and that is why he is currently at #2 in the World in KCBS points.

As I said earlier, the point race qualifies teams - so you can see how Big Boyz BBQ compares to all 1395+ active teams in the US.  The categories are 5 competitions or less (1,163 total teams), 6-10 comps (158 total teams), 11-15 comps (48 total teams), and 16-20 comps (12 total teams).  You can see how the numbers drop off as the number of events get bigger.  BBQ is a very expensive sport/hobby.  While Big Boyz BBQ is ranked #570 compared to all KCBS teams, we are currently ranked #340 out of teams with 5 or less comps (we currently have three.)  We will hopefully see our scores rise during the next two weeks (our final comps of 2022.)  

I wasn't originally going to do the Wyoming Competition.  But after the Icebox Cookoff in Oregon, my wife and I decided to keep this train rolling.  She had fun and it gives the family a great opportunity to get out of town and meet new interesting people.  And because she is awesome.  So we signed up.  And the event soon filled with a number of great teams from that "point chase" I mentioned earlier.  Five Top 20 teams will be competing this weekend in Wyoming.  I also noticed five of the top 10 teams will be competing in Excelsior, MO this weekend, including the top three Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit, Slaps and Heavy Smoke.  This weekend should be a fun one for teams watching the points.

Like most of the BBQ world, I became a big fan of Food Network's BBQ USA.  Michael Symon did a great job traveling from competition to competition.  They included most of the great regions of BBQ, with its finale this past Monday - the episode was about Memphis in May.  Of course the first competition in Qlathe showcased what would become many of the leaders in the KCBS race.  

While I enjoyed all of the shows, I got a kick out of three episodes in particular.  I have mentioned in the past, that I enjoy listening to BBQ Podcasts during the long drives to KCBS events.  I have discussed Pitmaster - an Old Virginia Smoke Podcast ad nauseum (my principal and the former Latin teacher at the school I teach at would be so impressed.)   Luke Darnell introduces his listeners to a wide variety of greats in the BBQ world.  Some of the most enjoyable (and most informative) have been with people that all appeared this season on BBQ USA.  

Richard Fergola of Fergolicious BBQ was one of many people Michael Symon followed in Qlathe, KS.  This was one of the first Pitmaster episodes I listened to (when I knew this was going to be a valuable podcast of information) and it was fun getting to see him in action in Qlathe (and later).  I really found a connection when he talked about being a teacher and coach.   Next, I liked the visits to Cedar Fest in Texas where they introduced us to Rio Valley Meat BBQ - which I had first heard on my five hour drive to the Cowtown Cookoff in Miles City, Montana (our second comp of the season). The episode was hilarious (Brisket is a Wonderland) and again - filled with great information. And speaking of Old Virginia Smoke, you had to love their episode in New Jersey.  

While I had met Luke Darnell once or twice before, it was fun to see the voice that I had accustomed to enjoying on my many BBQ miles this summer.  I have appreciated so many episodes during this Summer of Q.  But one stands out the most.  Luke Darnell asks Matt Barber, of Hot Wauchula's BBQ if he remembers where they met.  His choices were the American Royal, the National Capital BBQ Battle, and one other option.  

Imagine if you will, I am driving with my family in rush hour traffic near Portland, Oregon.  My wife has drifted peacefully off into a nice driving slumber in the passenger seat, my son is playing some video game and my daughter, as always, has her headphones on and is oblivious to the world.  Just then Darnell says, "I think it was the Royal."  

I suddenly scream - "No it wasn't.  It was in the load in line on Independence Ave in Washington, DC - I offered them both beers."   Big Boyz BBQ (Ryan Lucks and myself) had just shared beers with half the teams in line, including Old Virginia Smoke and Hot Wauchula.  Most of these teams were big names.  They might not remember us for our BBQ, but we hoped they would remember us for our Virginia beer generosity.  There were a few big named Virginians in line with us that day - besides OVS.  A couple teams ahead of us was Tuffy Stone and his dad with their Cool Smoke Jambo.  Everyone was very cordial as we waited to load in.  The sun slowly disappeared and was replaced with 24 hours of torrential downpours.  It was the wettest BBQ I have ever been part of.  Matt Barber returns to the podcast and says, "actually I think it was the load in line in Washington, DC (National Capital BBQ Battle)."

 My wife and kids all screamed thinking they were about to die on some stretch of suburban Portland's I-5.  After several shoulder punches from my family, they calmed down again.  I felt like Bill Murray in Scrooged when he corrects his brother's incorrect answer in the Trivial Pursuit game ("What was the name of the ship that brought them all to Gilligan's Island?  The SS Minnow.  No points this round.")  

One other part of the interview with Barber I loved was his goals.  He said he would take his winnings and upgrade.  It started off with a second smoker and then he said he bought a utility trailer to haul his smokers.  That process ended up getting him the van he had in Washington, DC, that he jokingly called his "van down by the river."  I smile at that anecdote today - as I was just loading my Utility trailer with my two cheap, but trustworthy smokers, my two Cambro and my BBQ Supplies.   Thank you Pitmaster and BBQ USA for letting us get to know so many people.  I have definitely learned so much this season.  Hopefully we can come into our own during these final two comps.

I would like to thank you for reading my story.  They are mostly for friends and family that have been so generous to Big Boyz BBQ. As a reminder - you can still donate to our fund using an innovating new app:  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/BigBoyzBBQ

Our blog today was all over the place.  Today was prep day and I really did not want to babble on about how we loaded most of the trailer today or how "I trimmed the best brisket I have ever trimmed."  I did - see the picture.  Today was a good day to talk Pop Culture BBQ and I had a great time reminiscing.  

We did load most of the utility trailer.  We need to find a few things that have been missing since we returned from Oregon.  Tomorrow is our final day for packing and then we are off on Thursday.  I will post an update sometime this weekend to keep everyone up to date on the Wyoming BBQ and Bluegrass Festival.

To all of the teams competing this weekend - safe travels and best of luck.  I can't wait to see the KCBS point race after this weekend.