Utah BBQ Association and a Shot in the Arm

Over the last month or so, I've been thinking a lot about this blog. Why do I do it? Is anyone reading it? Am I keeping it focused on my barbecue adventures or has it simply become another diary on the internet? Is this blog keeping me focused on realizing my dream or have I let it morph into something that I never intended? Have I lost focus?

I know I don't have all the answers to my questions. I'm still out on many of them and I believe I may never know the answers to some of the questions. For some questions I don't know if I will be ever honest with my self enough to answer.

But the other night while checking my blog statistics, I came across a posting on the Utah BBQ Association's web forum about my blog. Hmm, who is this group? I've never heard of them, but I'm glad to see that barbecue is popular enough in Utah to warrant its own barbeque association.

This posting helped to answer some of my questions. Apparently people are reading my blog. I am actually making a difference to someone in the barbeque world. HoochieQue, thank you for the shot in the arm. Even a guy "green as a gourd" appreciates the praise. Good luck with your judging class. I hope more people attend because of my recommendation.

Here's Hoochie's post....

For anyone and everyone "new" or "old" to Que, you HAVE to go check out this blog - WhiteTrashBBQ... I "stumbled" onto this guy's blog via a Google Search for "rubs", and have thoroughly enjoyed his chronicles as he has ventured into the world of Que over the past 2 years...

The fellow - Robert Fernandez, from NYC - sets out nearly 2 years ago with this blog to record his journey towards becoming a Master Smokehead... It appears he was "green as a gourd" when he began this pursuit... So as you read about his efforts to reach his goals, there is a lot that everyone participating in this forum will find themselves relating to... It is also chock full of some great tips - regardless of whether to just want to hone your skills as a backyard king, or are planning to set the world on fire at the next American Royale...

The link (at the bottom of my post) will take you back to his very first blog on June 8, 2004... You can access all of his blogs chronologically through the "Archives" which are found along the right hand side of his blog towards the very bottom...

It will take you a while to read through it all... It is definitely not a quick read... But it is an entertaining / insightful / educational trip into the Land of Smoke as seen through the eyes of a "newbie"... This boy may be from New York City (born and raised there) - but man oh man does he have a passion for Que!!! And to his credit, just a little over a month ago he was one of the founders of the very first real BBQ contest to ever be held in NYC ("Grillin' On The Bay")!!

Oh - and one last thing... Here is a recent quote from his blog (for those of you still stuck on high center about the KCBS judging class coming up soon):

"For those of you just starting out, here's some of the best advice I can give you about competitive barbeque. Go become a certified barbecue judge. One of the best things I did before cooking at a competition, was to become a Kansas City Barbeque Society Certified Judge. By becoming a judge, I was taught what goes on in the judge's tent. I learned how the judges would be examining my meat and got lots of inside tips and tricks that I would use in competition. I learned what makes good BBQ and great BBQ. Everything I learned also helped me become a better cook at home."


Here is the link to his first entry on his blog:

http://whitetrashbbq.blogspot.com/2004_06_01_whitetrashbbq_archive.html


Enjoy!

And if I have any readers out in Utah, be sure to check out the Utah BBQ Association and give it your support.