Lawdawg BBQ

"What is good barbecue?"

2012-02-21T11:30:00.000-08:00

As a competition barbecue pitmaster and co-owner of Lawdawg BBQ, I am often asked “what is good barbecue”? The next question that usually comes up is “where can I get good barbecue”? There is as much of a debate about what barbecue is as there is on how to cook it and how it should be served.

Many people believe that barbecue derived from “barbacoa”, a West Indian term which denotes a method of slow-cooking meat over hot coals. The Oxford English dictionary traces the word back to Haiti, and others claim (somewhat implausibly) that “barbecue” actually comes from the French phrase “barbe a queue”, meaning from head to tail. Proponents of this theory point to the whole hog cooking method used by some barbecue pitmasters. The most convincing explanation is that the method of roasting meat over powdery coals was picked up from indigenous peoples in the colonial period, and that “barbacoa” became “barbecue”.

In the northern United States, barbecue is a verb, because barbecue is cooked at a higher temperature on a grill. It is a method known in barbecue as “hot and fast”. In the south, however, barbecue is most definitely a noun. The meat is cooked at a lower temperature and for a longer period of time, a method that is called “low and slow”. Cooking your meat “low and slow” allows the protein in the meat to break down, resulting in tremendous tenderness and taste.

So, as you can see, there is a difference of opinion on the origins of barbecue, how it is cooked, and even how it is spelled. Often times you will find it spelled “barbecue, barbeque, bar-b-que and even shorter versions of ‘cue, ‘que, and bbq”. Barbecue, throughout history has always been known as a non class-specific food, one that could be enjoyed by the rich or the poor.

It is often said that barbecue originated in the old southern slave plantations and that plantation owners regularly held pig pickin’s for the slaves. They have also been featured at church picnics, private parties, and political rallies.

In the south, barbecue is pork. In Kentucky, it can mean beef or mutton. If you are in Texas, it will be beef. One thing is for sure, barbecue is a southern cultural icon. Few people can argue that in the south. For those in the north, they seem content on grilling hamburgers and hotdogs. The preparation of barbecue is time consuming and relatively inexpensive, but it is a classic southern staple. Whether it is served pulled, chopped, or sliced and if it is served plain or with vinegar, mustard or tomato based sauce, there will always be a long running debate on what is barbecue. One thing all critics can agree on, it is delicious.

So, what is the secret of good barbecue? Most people will disagree over how it is prepared, or how it is cooked. One thing that remains consistent is that most pitmasters will not reveal all of their secrets. Some cook it with dry rubs and serve it with sauce, some without sauce. Some cook it over mesquite, oak, hickory, or any of the fruit woods. What can I tell you about how I prepare my barbecue? It is given a generous dry rub of spices and allowed to sit at room temperature to allow the spices to begin permeating the meat. The spices begin to break down the protein of the meat, which allows the meat to absorb the spices. I then fire up my pit to an optimum temperature of two hundred and twenty five degrees. I use a combination of charcoal and a fruit wood, usually either peach or apple, which will produce a sweet, smoky flavor in the meat. I then place the meat on the smoker and begin cooking for anywhere from three to twelve hours depending on which cut of meat I am cooking.

We have covered the debated history of the origins of barbecue, and how it is prepared. But, to answer the question of what is good barbecue, well, that is a question that will be debated as far and wide as the history. With barbecue, you have different regions that bring different things. You have Memphis, TN that claims to be the barbecue king. Then, you have Kansas City, MO that claims to be the barbecue king. You will get different answers about good barbecue in both locations.

The best answer that I can provide you about what is good barbecue. Find any restaurant across the country that dots the map. You are guaranteed to find out a lot about Americana and the tradition of the “joint”, the history of the pitmaster or family that started that particular restaurant. As a certified Kansas City Barbecue Society judge, I can tell you this: no one can tell you what good barbecue is. That is up to the taste of each individual person. But, I can tell you that this topic has been one of great debate for many years.

National Barbecue Association 20th Annual Conference Part 2

2011-04-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

One thing about these posts, I will not reveal the contents of the seminars. 1. I do not have the permission of the NBBQA. 2. I do not have the permission of the seminar presenter. 3. I along with other attendees paid good money and took time away from our jobs, businesses, and families, to attend.

On Thursday, March 24th, we had lunch with Kell and Janet Phelps of Douglas, Ga. For those who might be scratching their heads thinking, "I know that name", let me help you out on the brain strain. Kell is the publisher of Barbecue News (http://www.barbecuenews.com/), is also the President of the NBBQA (http://www.nbbqa.org/) and with the other members of his family and an army of volunteers, they are the organizers of the National Barbecue Festival (http://www.nationalbbqfestival.com/). We were joined by Marc Hash from Marion, Va. and Mike and Mary Lou O'Rouke of Suwanee, Ga.

We had Dave Anderson of Famous Dave's as the keynote speaker. Dave spoke about how he started his bbq business, and how he went from rags to riches. Famous Dave has a energy about him and the way he related the story of how he took a backyard hobby and turned it into a $500 million dollar empire. Say what? That's right, $500 million dollar bbq empire. Holy smokes, that's a lot of ribs and pork and people served.

Famous Dave spoke about being broke, filing bankruptcy and how he managed to turn that all around. Now, I have to ask you, how many people would tell you the failures so that you would appreciate the successes? Not very many. Most want to tell you how great they are and the things that they did right. If you would like to see for yourself, most of Famous Dave's speech was filmed by BBQ Superstars (http://www.bbqsuperstars.com/) and is on their website. Stop by and see Daryl Mast at the BBQ Superstars website. And, be sure to tell him that the Lawdawg sent you.

"Startin The Fire"

2011-04-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

While browsing through my copy of the National Barbecue News (http://www.barbecuenews.com/) I have come across a monthly column written by George Hensler of "Who Are Those Guys" BBQ Competition Team (http://www.watgbbq.com/). In one of the monthly columns, George wrote about starting a competition team. Well, for the one or two of you who may have read the blog post that I wrote on "How to Start A Competition Team on a Shoestring Budget", I decided that I would read George's article about his book that he has written, "Startin The Fire".

While at the NBBQA Conference in Greenville, SC, I met George. George and I share three common bonds, we both love bbq, we have both started our own bbq competition teams, and George is a retired law enforcement officer and I am still active. Anyway, I got a copy of "Startin The Fire" and I really took the time to sit down and read it from cover to cover. Now, let me stop here and tell you that other than law enforcement books and training related material, I cannot remember the time that I sat down with a soft copy book and read it from cover to cover. But, I really wanted to hear what George had to say about his experience and how I could relate to it. I was surprised to find that we had a lot of the same experiences.

So, what am I telling you? If you are serious about starting your own bbq competition team and you want to know what it is like, then grab yourself a copy of George's book and read it. And when you are through reading it, send him an e-mail and tell him that the Lawdawg told you about the book.

National Barbecue Association 20th Annual Conference Part 1

2011-04-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, March 23rd, Kerry and I left Brunswick and headed to Greenville, SC to attend the National Barbecue Association (NBBQA) 20th Annual Conference and Trade Show. If you are passionate about bbq, then I suggest that you attend this event. Kerry and I were first time attendees and were really excited about attending. We sat down with the list of seminars and went through and carefully selected the ones that we felt suited our needs, and would provide us the opportunity to learn. And learn we did.

We were able to meet a lot of great folks, some of whom are legends in the bbq industry. Many of these great folks were already "friends" of ours on facebook. So, we were able to put a face with the name. There were so many, I will not even attempt to start naming names, primarily because I am subject to forget someone and then they might get mad at me. Outgoing President Joe Oaster of Porky's Place of York, PA, opened the convention on Thursday morning's general session and brought up Roy Slicker of Slick's Que Company out of Sisters, OR. After Roy gave a brief synopsis of his story (one of the previous ones I had seen on YouTube) he introduced Patrick Murty of Company 7 from Dayton, OH. Patrick's story was similiar to Roy's. They both recalled having attended previous conventions and starting their own restaurants, Roy's two (2) months after the conference, and Patrick's was approximately nine (9) months later.

After exiting the general session, we attended the seminar "Starting Your BBQ Business". Holy smokes, I could take sessions 101, 201, 301 and 401 in that. I later attended "BBQ Business Management" taught by the Legend Mike Mills and his daughter, Amy Mills of 17th Street Bar and Grill and Memphis Championship Barbecue. They actually have another business "OnCue Hospitality". I guess if I want to learn the business aspect of the bbq industry, I will just have to retain their services.

Kerry attended "Food Presentations: From Competition to Catering" and "Using the Internet to Promote Your Business". I will have her come along and do posts telling you about these sessions and the other things that she learned.

So, what does this have to do with you? If you have never attended the conference and you are serious about barbecue, then you are missing out. Want to join the NBBQA? Go to http://www.nbbqa.org/. You can sign up as an enthusiast for free. BUT, to really get the most out of your membership, go ahead and pay the $50 to be an enthusiast and you will see the benefits. Thinking about attending the 2012 Conference in San Diego, CA. and you have never attended? I will include a "First Time Attendee Guide" in one of my future posts.

Time to Update

2011-04-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been some time since I last updated our blog, so I figured now was as good of a time as any. To update you on the Lawdawg bunch: We made it through the holidays. When we last left you here on the blog, we were talking about hosting your own competition. I will continue that blog in another post recently attended the National Barbecue Association annual conference in Greenville, SC. I will add another post on that, as well. One of my previous blogs I talked about "Starting a BBQ Competition Team on a Shoe String Budget". Well, another post you will find out about "Startin The Fire". It is everything you always wanted to know about starting your own bbq competition team, except the recipes. It is a well written book by George Hensler. Anyway, stay tuned as I post more blogs and don't forget to follow us here on the blog and sign up at our website at http://www.lawdawgbbq.com/ to follow us. We are also on Facebook, so if we are not friends, be sure and follow us there also.

How To Organize A BBQ Competition- Part 1

2010-11-20T14:06:00.000-08:00

Dear Prospective BBQ Festival Director,

This document will provide you with a lot of the information that you will find necessary in order for you to plan and organize a successful event. This information was compiled from a variety of sources and from “lessons learned” from event organizers and from the competition teams themselves. While this list is not all inclusive, it will provide information that you may find helpful. Please bear in mind that this list is not inclusive to one sanctioning body. You may need to refer specific questions to the particular sanctioning body for clarification.

When people inquire about hosting a barbeque contest, the first question is always "Why do you want to have a contest?" If it is to make buckets of money the first year, you may be doomed to failure. Chances are much better for a successful contest, if it is to promote community awareness, or for a charity. This is not a one-shot or a one-person deal. Start slowly, keep it simple, and give yourself plenty of lead time. Think of it as a growing process, and you'll be on the right track. Surround yourself with capable and dedicated volunteers that share your passion for the event, delegate, and let them do their job. Is the contest in conjunction with an existing event? It is an attractive addition to a community/charitable festival with other activities. It is also a great main attraction with supporting activities (such as music, arts/crafts, car shows, and/or children's activities). Food, family, friends, and fun make a great combination. Giving the public a chance to sample world-class barbeque via competitor/vendors or tasting kits can be a great draw. (Be sure to co-ordinate with your local health department.)

A Sanctioned Barbecue Contest is a gathering of cook teams that are preparing specific categories of meat, to be submitted for judging at an assigned time, and to be judged by persons certified by the sanctioning body to use a predetermined set of criteria to rank the product presented to them. Or in plain English, a bunch of folks who get together, pay some money, cook some food, and hope the judges like it so they can win back the money they've spent to do this in the first place. Sounds a little weird? Well, it is; but it's weird in a really fun way. A sanctioned barbecue contest has its moments of absolute panic, intensive concentration, and calculated deliberations, but it also has a party atmosphere that will take you back to frat house keg parties and weekend family barbecues. Despite the seriousness of the hours between ten in the morning and two o'clock in the afternoon, when the cooks are loading their turn-in boxes and praying to the gods of smoke, rub, and sauce, most sanctioned barbecue contests are more fun than a family reunion.

To sanction or not to sanction? The benefits of having a sanctioned BBQ contest are numerous. A sanctioned contest offers the organizer:

(1) Integrity,
(2) Experience,
(3) A built in base of cookers and judges, and
(4) A support system of other organizers and members.

For the teams, it offers the assurance that a contest will be conducted in a professional manner, the prize monies will be awarded as advertised, and that the rules will be followed. Some events start off non-sanctioned and work toward sanction. Generally, if you start off as a sanctioned event, your contest will run smoother, have more trust from the teams, and have a higher success rate. A non-sanctioned event is not highly regarded, nor supported by teams if they are not aligned with a proven entity. However sanctioning alone cannot guarantee the number of teams competing or the success of your event.

So, what do I need to do?

· Choosing a Contest Site

A sanctioned contest requires an adequate site (park, fairgrounds, private property, RV park, etc.) to house 25‐30 (or more) competition cook teams on 20ʹ x 30ʹ sites each (minimum, some teams will require 20’ x 40’ (or more) for their cook rigs and cook site set‐ups). Each site must have power and water (which is why RV parks work well). There also needs to be a central building or space for at least a 30ʹ x 40ʹ tent, or larger, to seat judges and judge the contest. The best scenario for judging is a building with air conditioning, especially in the warmer months of the year.

· Power

Power and water must be available at each site. The teams need lighting during night hours, and some will have refrigeration or boom boxes, so amperage is a minimum of 20 amps per team. If more amperage is available to teams, that’s great. Some teams also have portable water heaters they use for dishes. These heaters draw 12-15 amps, so knowing your power availability is important. If you have 20 amps only, please advise the teams well in advance and ask that they power up water heaters in the wee hours of the morning during the time of minimum draw so your circuits do not blow.

If the power source (plug-in) for each team is more than 25’ from sites, teams need to be notified in advance, so that they may bring additional extension cords. The teams will provide these cords, but should be instructed to provide a minimum of a 12-gauge extension cord for such purposes.

· Water

Water does not need to have any major pressure. Teams will bring their own garden hoses to attach. Again, if water connections require additional hose footage, please be certain to advise the teams in advance. The easy way to set up water for a BBQ contest:

1. Using ½" thick-wall PVC, run water lines down the backside of team sites.

2. Stem out every 20-30 feet.

3. Use a "Y" on the stem to accommodate two (2) teams. If you have teams back to back, use 2 stems and 2 "Y’s" at each junction. You may tap into any water source, i.e. fire hydrants; just make certain all water is potable.

· Vehicles

It is your choice as an organizer whether or not to permit teams to keep their vehicles at team sites during the contest. If your event insurance regulations prohibit doing so, or you chose not to permit such, please designate access times (i.e., times when the event is closed to the public) for the teams to bring vehicles to their site. Many teams sleep in their vehicles or may need to run for additional supplies. Some teams use RV’s as part of their cooksite set up. Again, it is your choice as to whether they are permitted this option. Many cases may need to be reviewed on an individual basis.

Team parking must be close to the event area for the reasons noted above. You may limit the number of vehicles per team to 3-5 for close parking areas. Some teams have additional members, but teams will make arrangements for transportation if given advance notice of conditions. Again, good communication is the key here.

Teams must be moved-in to assigned sites prior to the cooks meeting, usually conducted by the Contest Reps at 5 p.m. on Friday evening. Also, your event insurance may dictate that all vehicles be secured prior to the event opening.

2010/2011 Competition Schedule

2010-09-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

As of September 24, here are the tentative dates for Lawdawg BBQ.

October 1-2 Fall Line BBQ Festival
Gordon, Ga.

October 23-24 Georgia Florida Tailgate BBQ Cookoff
Jesup, Ga.

November 12-13 Richland Pig Fest
Richland, Ga.

March 18-19 Hasan Shrine Spring BBQ Festival
Albany, Ga.

April 15-16 Harness Festival Cookoff
Hawkinsville, Ga.

May 20-21 Hazlehurst BBQ Cookoff
Hazlehurst, Ga.

Stay tuned to our website, http://www.lawdawgbbq.com/ and join our mailing list on the home page for updates.

How To Start A BBQ Competition Team On A Shoestring Budget

2010-09-17T18:46:00.000-07:00

Well, when my wife and I moved to Brunswick, Ga. in August of 2008, we left behind the teammates that we had previously cooked with, Blueline BBQ. While we have remained friends with them, Kerry and I decided that we needed to establish an identity in Brunswick that was uniquely ours. The entire process took approximately 1 year. Here, I will attempt to relay as much about the process as I can, so that if you are interested in forming your own competition team, and finances play a big part of it, we will share the ideas that we used.

How we started
First, we decided to locate a name that was not already taken. After searching through many different sanctioning bodies lists of competition teams, and after choosing a name that would fit us, we settled on Lawdawg BBQ. The reason? I am a career law enforcement officer and a University of Georgia "Dawg" fan. So, I decided to combine both of my passions to create my third one, my bbq team. Then, I contacted Rick Enright at http://www.barbecuelogos.com/ and gave him the ideas that I would like to see in our logo. Rick was responsible for designing the logo for Blueline BBQ and did a wonderful job for us. After getting the logo in many different formats, I contacted the folks at http://www.buildasign.com/. They had previously done some logos for us while with Blueline BBQ. I decided to go back with them as I was pleased with the work that they do. I ordered several banners.

O.K. So, we had a name, a logo, and some banners. But, we didn't have a smoker or anything else. While on the computer one day, I ran across a deal on some used restaurant and catering equipment that was listed for sale on craigslist. I had Kerry call the owner, who agreed to meet her and show her what he had. We ended up purchasing two (2) Carlisle food hot boxes, some stainless steel pans and other miscellaneous items with a suggested retail value of about $1400 for $300. But, we needed a smoker.

Kerry and I decided to shop around to see what kind of smoker to go with. There are many fine ones built by many different people. While with Blueline BBQ, we cooked on a Bubba Grills. Of course, living in Brunswick, Ga. who could not overlook the folks in Nahunta, Ga. at Lang's? Then, we decided that what we wanted was simplicity. So, we decided to save up our money and purchase a Stump's Smoker (http://www.stumpssmokers.com/). Why a Stump's? Cause Stump don't build no junk. As a surprise for Valentine's Day, Kerry took her income tax refund check and because Stump's was running a special on their Classic, which is the largest of the upright smokers, she decided to surprise me with it. Of course, we had to add a Diqi Q (http://www.bbqguru.com/) as part of the package.

So, we have a name, a logo, some banners, some equipment, a smoker ordered, but nothing to pull it behind. Well, after asking around, I found a guy who had an old boat trailer frame with tires that was sitting on his property. Talk about a piece of junk. I went out and looked at it and saw that it had potential. I paid him a cool one hundred dollars for a 1997 home made trailer. I got him to pull it to my house on his next trip to Brunswick. Then, the process of tearing it down began. Kerry and I along with our brother in law Chris, began tearing all of the old wood off. Then, we sanded and painted the trailer. I then called on my friend, retired fellow law enforcer from the U.S. Border Patrol, Bill Beaumet. Mr. Bill has been to a vocational trade school and taken carpentry. He has spent many tireless hours sweating over the trailer making sure that it was done correctly. He will not cut corners, and wants to make sure that the job is done right, as he realizes that our team's reputation along with his own, has been put into this trailer. I called my friend Buster Davis over at Stump's and had them cut me some diamond plating to go on the trailer.

I contacted Bobbie Snope over at Brunswick's Sign A Rama and asked them to do me some decals for my vehicle. They did a wonderful job. I bought some four and eight inch decals to use. All I had to do was provide them with one of my logos in one of the many formats that I have.

We have been fortunate to take our time. While we are not saying that this is the correct way or the only way, it is the way that we chose to do it and it has worked well for us. Feel free to send any questions or comments to lawdawgbbq@gmail.com

Purpose of our blog

2010-09-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

As we begin this blog, there are several things that we hope to accomplish. We will provide information about upcoming contests, reviews of previous contests, contests that we may have attended but did not cook.We hope to announce exciting things for Lawdawg BBQ. We hope that you enjoy the content of our blog. If there is something you would like to see, please don't hesitate to e-mail us at lawdawgbbq@gmail.com. Next blog..."How To Start A BBQ Competition Team On A Shoestring Budget".