Best Bar B Que Cookoffs For Sampling?

Thanks for posting Jack.

I suggested the forum as the easiest way to cover the entire U.S. because the challenge is to find contests that will actually let you sample BBQ, not from the vendors, but from the contestants.

Anyone know of any good contests, where you can taste the food. I'm waiting before I throw my thoughts in, what to see what everyone says.

Well... Iowa's BBQlossal is definatly one of those you can taste what was competed with.

Bob

Last year I went to the American Royal in KC (the Super Bowl of BBQ Competitions), and some of the teams where selling food. You had to exchange your money for tickets, and you used the tickets to buy food.

However, I doubt they submit to the judges the same food as what they are selling to the general public.

The competitions we've entered usually allow vending, but what you are selling to the public must be separate and marked separately from the competition meat.

After we do a turn-in, I usually give away what we have left of our competition bbq. The turn-ins are done from 11:00 am-2:00 pm at FBA contests most of the time, so we don't try to vend during that time. We tried that at our first competition and it was just too stressful for 2 people!

If you ever see 2 Greyhounds....SMOKIN!!!! trailer at a competition, stop by, say hello, we'll be glad to share what we have.

Peggy

jack,

Most events do not server food. There are rib events that sell food but I would call most of those "vending" events. A few contests here in the Midwest do have either a chance for some contestants to vend (not many) and a few have a public vote to taste (not all cooks enter) and some have you cook food as a contestant but they serve from a central location.

Don't know of any event that I would plan a vacation around.

Now, I would spend money to go to a cooking class. Last FE class, Russ from LA came and he didn't own an FE and he'll tell you he learned a lot.

My simplest recommendation is not to plan a vacation around it, because there aren't that many events that do it.

HOWEVER....

...become a certified judge. Anyone can do it, you just pay the money for the class and then call the contests to tell them you want to judge. You can travel to events based on that certification and you'll eat at least 6 samples of quality Q in each of the four categories.

The Royal is good IF you know some teams. The public I think they're tried to do more recently to help the public but it's still a work in progress.

Lastly, if you're ever this way, I always volunteer to cook for anyone in the forum (you buy the meat) and we'll talk BBQ till the cows come home (this is Oklahoma).

Hope that helps.

Foodtv has a category called All Amrican Festivals for all kinds of Food.It also gives you locations and dates.

As a matter of fact, I did learn alot, and had a great time as well. It was a mini 4 day vacation, 2 days in Ponka, 2 days in downtown OK City.

Jack - that's a very good question you ask. 4 years ago I went to Memphis in May with a good friend here in L.A. who just happens to be a Memphis transplant. Fortunately for us, some of his friends were competition cookers and were competing, so we had a place to hang our hat all day and eat and drink for free. It would have been a bummer without that connection, as most everybody is walking around and drooling over the food. Their best option was a truck from Corky's selling BBQ.

My advise - take a cute girl or two with you, it doesn't hurt.....;- )