Saturday, 07 March 2009
I love when March finally gets here, you know it's only a few short weeks till the start of the competition season.
We will do our first contest of 2009 in Clarksville, TN back in Oct of 2004 that was our first ever pro contest. I remember it like yesterday getting my first calls against competitors that were legends in the bbq world- Smokin Triggers, Lotta Bull BBQ, Pigsmokers in Paradise and others that are now friends. Showing up in our rag tag outfit of a group, with our handmade sign of our team name- Pork and Fiends- scary, huh... until everyone started calling us Pork and FRIENDS! If you're a prospective team and want to use it be my guest, as I think it's rather a good team bbq name.
The reason I love BBQ competitions is that it truly is a community that most of us remember from a childhood. How many really know our neighbors that live on either side of us or across the street? BBQ takes us back to simpler time, get out of the house, enjoy a fun time of bbq and enjoying the company of good people.
I find it very relaxing to be out there in the cool night air, watching the red glow of the embers in my smoker, a light whisp of smoke coming out of the smoker stack with only the occassional adult beverage can dropping on the ground to disturb the quiet. I'm a purist in that I use real wood and charcoal, some that have their automatic saw dust binder fillers cookers that get to awake after 7 hours sleep, you might be rested but you have missed what I find is the most relaxing and exciting part of BBQ- enjoying it for what it is, not complicated just back to a simpler time of using real wood and charcoal ensuring it's at proper temp.
That said, I am looking at getting a new cooker that is bit easier to manage but it still uses real wood!!!
