Barbecue teams go whole hof for contest
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A judge samples the ribs from the Big Bee Que team from Demopolis, Ala., at the Veteran's Day Bar-B-Que Cookoff Saturday at the Columbia County Fairgrounds.
Photo by Jonathan Ernst
Barbecue was in the air last Saturday for the Veteran's Day Bar-B-Que Cookoff.
The scent of roasting pork infiltrated every part of the Merchants Association of Martinez Fairgrounds, where the barbecue contest was held.
The first Veteran's Day Bar-B-Que Cookoff hosted 15 teams competing in the rain for awards in the categories of whole hog, shoulder and ribs at the Memphis In May-sanctioned event.
"Basically, Memphis In May is a sanctioning body, primarily for the Southeast, that lays down a set of rules that competing barbecue teams have to follow," said Larry Young, a representative from Memphis In May from Cenatobia, Miss., on hand to monitor the cook-off. "We hold these events in several communities throughout the year and the winner of each one is invited to compete at the national cook-off each May in Memphis (Tenn.)"
Each competing cooking team submits samples for a blind taste test and plays host to on-site judges, who go from team to team to sample the barbecue and hear how it was prepared. If a team makes it past the preliminaries, they undergo another round of judging to determine the winners. The judging is based on area and personal appearance, presentation, appearance of entry, tenderness of entry, flavor and overall impression. The judging is separated into three categories - whole hog, shoulder and ribs - with winners announced in each category and an overall grand champion based on scores from all three categories combined.
Members of the Exhausted Rooster Club barbecue team, which is made up of members from the Augusta area, watch a judge sample their ribs at the recent cook-off.
Photo by Jonathan Ernst
Much like NASCAR drivers competing for the Winston Cup, barbecue teams travel all across the country to Memphis In May-sanctioned events to earn points based on how they place at each event. The team with the most points at the end of the season is named the champion.
When asked why anyone would go through this much trouble for a cooking contest, Gillian Cramer of the Alabama-based Big Bee Que team countered by asking, "Do you fish? Well, this is my bass boat (pointing to her barbecue trailer). This is my hobby. It's what I love to do. And I think I'm pretty good at it."
In fact, Big Bee Que took second-place honors in the shoulder and rib sections of the contest. Last year, the team was named national champion for ribs at Memphis In May.
The Veteran's Day Bar-B-Que Cookoff grand champion was the team with the Greek-inspired name of Pig Pounda Kappa. The team also won first place for whole hog and first place in ribs.
"The trick to great barbecue is the spices and the rubs you use to prepare the meat with," said Pig Pounda Kappa chief cook Gary Kerce, an electrician from Loganville, Ga. "You also have to have patience. After the pig is cooked, most people want to go ahead and tear into it. Uh-uh. You have to let it sit for a while and soak up its juices. That's what makes winning barbecue."
Smoke rises from the tent city at the Columbia County fairgrounds during the Veterans Day Bar-B-Que Cookoff.
Photo by Jonathan Ernst
WINNERS
Grand Champion:
Pig Pounda Kappa
Whole Hog:
1. Pig Pounda Kappa
2. Smoke Shack
3. Roadside Grill
4. Big Bee Que
5. Blackwater Bar-B-Q
Shoulder:
1. Smarr Cooking Crew
2. Big Bee Que
3. The Q Crew
4. Jack's Old South BBQ Sauce Cooking Team
5. Magnolia Smokers
Rib:
1. Pig Pounda Kappa
2. Big Bee Que
3. Jack's Old South BBQ Sauce Cooking Team
4. Boggy Pond BBQ Brigade
5. Smoke Shack