Well, after failing to move on in the Dutch Oven Championships, Saffron and I moved on to cook some competition barbecue.
Originally, Saffron and I were going to cook together, dividing up the meats. After arriving, and seeing the lay of the land, Saffron and I decided to cook independently – her in the “pro” four-meat event, and me (who had only one smoker, and very little other equipment) in the “backyard” two-meat event.
Sure, I’d have to get up in the morning to run out for some chicken and ribs. And I’d have to cobble together some rubs for the meats. But I had packed basic seasonings and sauces, so I felt good to go.
It is amazing what you can do with some seasoning salt, sugar, and paprika…
I got my sleeping bag, and sacked out for a decent night’s sleep in the back of Saffron’s truck.
Saturday morning, after a few miscues trying to find a grocery store, I got myself stocked up on the essentials for the day: baby back ribs, a whole chicken, charcoal, and hot coffee. The good news is that with a 2:30 and a 3:00 turn-in, I had plenty of time to get ready. The bad news is that with a 2:30 and a 3:00 turn-in, I had a lot of time sitting around waiting to fire up the smoker.
Cooking went, I feel, pretty well. The ribs were tasty, though a bit underdone. The chicken came out nearly perfect, though I think the sauce got a bit thick – I should have thinned it out some more. This particular competition was a no-garnish event, meaning I didn’t have to muck around decorating the boxes with lettuce and/or parsley. It also meant I had plenty of room for my whole chicken. Here’s the turn-in box:
It’s not quite as pretty as normal, but still I couldn’t complain too much.
Unfortunately, I forgot to snap a photo of the rib box, which was a much nicer turn-in. You’ll just have to use your imagination to picture the box of shiny, glazed baby backs. See? I knew you could do it…
After having plenty of time to clean and pack up all the equipment, the judge team finished their score tabulations. I ended up placing second in both chicken and ribs, and thereby grabbing the Reserve Grand Champion spot. Absolutely a good time, and a nice chance to bang some of the rust and dust off of my competition skills to get ready for the Pacific Northwest season.
Raven’s Fyre will gear up for the season cooking chili one weekend, and following that up with a Saturday chili competition and a Sunday one-day barbecue competition. Check the calendar for the dates, and if you’re local, come say “Hi!”
Raven's Fyre BBQ 