Competitions: The Cookie Take Down

My buddy Matt Timms is hosting another one of his fantastic takedowns.. The Cookie Take Down. I've competed in few of the Take Downs and have been taken down each time, but Lord almighty, I always go down with a smile. (Easy now!) I'm not going down this time. Sorry Matt!

Check out the 411 and get your ass to The Bell House on December 19th!

Oh phew! The Cookie Takedown is finally here to defend the holidays from Giant Spiders!!! December 19th 6PM at The Bell House, so watch out ! The Takedown is always so awesome,you guys! 30 different cookies, all with seriously bad attitudes! If you think you need to dance now, go for it, dance!!! I understand! This is the happiest takedown that was EVER.

THERE ARE NO COMPETITOR SLOTS LEFT! But email Matt to get on his mailing list, so you never get shut out again!

For $15, try all the cookies and vote on your most favorite! And oo, I hope you like eggnog, because for the first hour, Bulleit Bourbon is spiking the FREE NOG FOR ALL!!! Also, I will be giving away a 5-piece Anolon Bakeware set to one super lucky attendee in a free raffle!

TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE! Buy now, before they sell out! Eeek!!!

BBQ Contests: The Hudson Valley Ribfest

I LOVE the Hudson Valley Ribfest. It's by far my favorite event. It's far enough from NYC to feel like I'm cooking deep in the country. The views are fantastic. The sites are level and on grass. The bathrooms are indoors. The bands are far away enough that you don't have to hear them if you don't want to. The team that puts together this event works their ass off for you. They feed you a pancake breakfast. The weather is always exciting. And they have a fantastic pool for the teas to use. I really can't ask for more.

But as much as I love this event, I hated getting to New Paltz this year. The team was long in coming together with people joining and others dropping off the face of the earth, financial issues, transportation problems and just about anything else that could rear it's ugly head did in the week before the contest. When we did finally coalesce we were battle scarred.

But as they say out, of adversity arises greatness and boy did that come true with this contest. The team that finally did emerge; Kevin Lincoln, the founder of the New York BBQ Lover's Meetup Group, Matt Fisher, assistant pit master at RUB, Michael Rosen, a great old friend who has worked with me on more projects than anyone else in my life and myself, worked like a well oiled machine.

Unfortunately, we didn't cook so well. Let me rephrase that, the judges didn't think we cooked so well. We came in 51st out of 72 teams. It was a dismal showing on paper, but it was an encouraging showing none the less. The four of us have never cooked together before. Mike and I have cooked together outside of competitions for years, and cooked together once before at New Paltz when I joined his team Smokey Mikes 4 years ago. Kevin joined my old friend Pete and I for half of the event two years ago. Matt and I have never cooked competitively together before. Sure I've lent Matt a helping hand at various events over the years, but this was the first contest we cooked together.

And as amazing as it may seem, we achieved the perfect mix of ego, temperament and disposition. We laughed, we prodded, we joked, we directed and we talked, all while maintaining a festive and cordial atmosphere. We were there to compete, but we were also there for a good time. We achieved both.

Thank you guys. I can't wait until we team together again.

Next up, the food, the sponsors and the results.

BBQ Events: The Hudson Valley Ribfest

4 days to go until the Hudson Valley Ribfest. WhiteTrash BBQ returns to the competition arena in yet another new configuration. I feel like Wings. See you there.

BBQ Contests: Battle of the BBQ Brethren

This was probably the worst video I've ever seen for a BBQ contest. I was there and I don't get the feel of the event at all. A more complete post is coming, but the video does tease the event and plugs a forum nicely.

Death and Taxes

I recently switched over to Google's Chrome as my primary browser. While it works just fine it did a lousy job of importing my favorites so I haven't been haunting my usual internet haunts. Last night I launched Firefox and visited some old friends and found some pretty disturbing news.

1. My friend BD, or Buffalo Dick passed away suddenly. Now I've never met Dick, or Richard as he was christened, never spoke to him on the phone, but we regularly corresponded via the internet. His blog OPINIONS AND RECTUMS,WE ALL GOT ONE! was always one of my favorite reads full of great stories, cooking tips and yes opinions. He will be missed.

2. Butch Lupinetti of Butch's Smack Your Lips BBQ has also passed away. Butch was one of the larger than life characters you meet on the competitive barbeque circuit. He was a little man in stature, but he came with a huge heart and a hearty laugh. I don't think I ever saw anything but a smile on his face.

Butch was one of the first folks to welcome me into competitive barbecue as he attended my certified judging class held at Jack's Firehouse in Philadelphia and greeted me with a kiss and a hug after I walked as part of The BBQ Brethren team at my first event Guitarbeque. As far as I know Butch never maintained a blog which is a real shame. All the stories he could have told, but he can still be seen on Throwdown reruns.

BBQ Events: Duke's Get's Chopped

This has to be a record - a second post on a second day? This must mean summer is just around the corner with all the barbecue news popping up.

Tune in Tonight at 10pm on the Food Network to see Duke's chef, Michael "Sheffy" Siry, compete on the Food Network's Chopped!

Chopped at 10pm EDT on the Food Network!
Or Stop by Duke's at 560 Third Ave (37th St)to Party with Sheffy!
Complimentary Cookies and Cupcakes during the show!

Michael is a good guy and a veteran of Grillin' On The Bay. Be sure to tune into watch. I wonder what he's going to do without his smoker.

BBQ Recipes: Owensboro Barbecued Mutton

Ladies and Gents, children of all ages, here is the amazing losing recipe that produced such spectacular results at The Lamb Takedown on Sunday April 18! This recipe lost, not due to any lacking on its part - this will produce spectacular lamb. It lost due to my incompetence as a presentation chef. I highly recommend this recipe and believe me, I will be cooking this again.

I've added some comments of my own which are in parenthesis to reflect my cooking methods and style.

Owensboro Barbecued Mutton from the book BBQ USA by Steven Raichlen. Published by Workman Publishing Company708 Broadway, New York, New York. This recipe serves 8 to 10.

Method: Indirect Grilling (aka barbeque)

For the Mutton (or Lamb):

• 1 piece of mutton (or lamb) shoulder or leg. (About 5lbs) I used 5 lamb shoulders that averaged about 2.7 lbs each.
• Coarse salt (Kosher or sea - I used Kosher) and freshly ground black pepper

For the Basting Sauce:

• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce (I used Lea & Perrins, which in my mind is the only Worcestershire sauce to use. I've never tasted a better one.)
• 5 tablespoons course salt (Kosher or sea - in this case I used sea due to the fact that I was low on Kosher salt after salting all 5 shoulders)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

For the Dipping Sauce:

• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce (see comment above)
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw instead, which is a natural cane turbinado sugar. For some reason my brown sugar had been mixed with cinnamon and that wasn't the flavor I wanted.)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (Kosher or sea)
• 1/2 teaspoon onion salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon MSG (optional) (I didn't use this. I don't have any MSG in the house)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

10 t0 12 hamburger buns or 20 to 24 slices white bread. (I used tortillas)

You'll also need:

• 4 cups wood chips or chunks, preferably hickory, soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained. (Soaking wood is such a fallacy. I'll address that in another post! - I used a mixture of apple and hickory woods with charcoal.)

Cooking Instructions:

1. Generously season the mutton (or lamb) with about 1 tablespoon of each salt and pepper. Set aside
2. Make the basting sauce: Combine the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, lemon juice and pepper with 1 1/2 cups water in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. (Water? Where did that come from? Why isn't it in the list of ingredients?)
3. Make the dipping sauce: Combine the Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, brown sugar, pepper, coarse and onion salts, garlic powder, MSG (if using), allspice and 2 cups water in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat and cook until richly flavored and slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a nonreactive serving bowl to cool.
4. Set up the grill or smoker. (Now I'm going to vary from Steven's instructions here. This should have been your FIRST step. Setup your smoker and bring it to a temperature of 225 - 250 for at least one hour before placing your meat on the cooker. If you want to know how Steven does it - buy the book. This blog focuses on charcoal and wood grilling and barbecuing. I'll do some posts on setting up the various grills later in the spring)
5. When your cooker has locked in on its temperature, place the mutton (or lamb) fat side up in the center of the cooking grate over a drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill. Cook the mutton (or lamb) until it is fall off the bone tender, 4 to 6 hours. (Mine cooked for 8 hours! Barbecue does not tell time.) To test for doneness, insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, being sure not to touch the bone. The internal temperature of the meat should be about 190 degrees. (When the meat is ready, the thermometer should enter the meat as if going into warm butter - there should be almost no resistance.)
6. Baste the mutton (or lamb) with the basting sauce every half hour (after the bark has set on the meat) If the meat starts to burn, cover it loosely with aluminum foil. Keep your temperature steady, refueling your cooker as needed. (Steven has some instructions on refueling a charcoal grill, but I find them to be off)
7. Transfer the cooked mutton (or lamb) to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes. (I'd recommend at least an hour) Slice the meat thinly across the grain or finely chop it with a cleaver.
8. Spoon half of the dipping sauce over the meat.
9. Serve the mutton (or lamb) on toasted or grilled hamburger buns or slices of white bread, or all by itself, passing the remaining dipping sauce on the side.

So, there you have it. Owensboro Barbecued Mutton. Damn good if I do say so myself.

Since I was making 5 times the amount of meat that this recipe called for, I increased the size of all the ingredients, except the salt. Be careful when doubling or tripling seasonings. Some, like salt and pepper don't double precisely. Doubling the salt may cause it to overpower a recipe. I've got to find some good charts on that.

Please try this recipe at home. I'm sure you'll love it.

Ewe Don't Get It! Or At Least We Didn't.

We didn't win squat! After smoking for 8 hours over apple and hickory, mopping with a Moonlight mop, wrapping and resting in a heated cooler for an hour, shredding and pulling and removing all fat, we didn't win squat.

I really liked the lamb. It tasted like an outstanding smoked/barbeque lamb. It was tender, moist and flavorful. I'll post the losing recipe later in the week, but damn, I'm cooking this lamb again. To me - this was a winner.

Here's a list of the contestants for this year's Lamb Takedown. All worthy opponents. We didn't get to try most of the entries unfortunately. The crowd was too large and many of the teams ran out of food. I hope when Matt Timms does this again, he sets up a competitors choice award where all of the cooks get to taste the competition.

1. Robert and Johanna Fernandez - Blue Moon of Kentucky Lamb
2. Sara Morrisson - Lamb Sliders
3. Blondie and Brownie - Rock the Casbah Lamb
4. Emily Hanhan - Lambda Eata Thai meatballs
5. Jen De La Vega - Wham Bam Thank You Lamb
6. Trish Tchume - Indian Pizza
7. Ross Hutchison + Joanna Cybulski - Team Redneck caviar
8. Mike O’Neil and Christine Schmitd - Lambs in a blanket
9. Jordan Goldstein - Harissa Explained it All
10. Jules Acampora - Lamb Stew
11. Melissa Sands - Hoi Tomato Lamb Noodle Soup
12. Ben Conniff and Henry Chan - Baa Baa Bruschetta
13. Keavy Landreth - Lamb Cupcakes
14. Ben Sargent - Cocoa Loco Lamb Chowder
15. Cody Burke - Rogan Josh
16. Sarah Howland - Mini Greek Gyros
17. Tony Santoro - Grape Leaves of War
18. Greg Erskine - Gyro Pita OPA!
19. Carol Pitts - Vietnamese Lamb Stew
20. Barbara Warnock Morgan - Baa-BQ

The judge's winners (who received fancy cookware and knives) were: Wham Bam Thank You Lamb, a Filipino-style braised lamb stew, Harissa Explains It All, oroccan spiced lamb with carrot salad and minted lebne and Lamb on Goat, smoked lamb shoulder braised in bacon marmalade atop a round of goat cheese polenta all took home honors.

The people's choice winners were...

• 1st Greg Erskine - Gyro Pita OPA!!!!
• 2nd Ross Hutchison + Joanna Cybulski - Redneck Caviar
• 3rd Jordan Goldstein - Harissa Explained It ALL
• 4th Cody Burke - Rogan Josh
• 5th Sara Morrisson - Lamb Sliders
• 6th Ben Conniff and Henry Chan - Baa Baa Bruschetta

I learned a lot from this experience. The first thing I learned was that presentation matters. When I decided what to cook - I gave it no thought on how to serve it or present it. We decided to serve the lamb on tortilla bread with a slice of dill pickle. Sounds good right? Well, it looked like shit and was extremely messy to eat. And it was almost impossible to pick up.

Also, 13.5 lbs of uncooked lamb shoulder, which was provided by the American Lamb Board, is no where near enough for 250 people to sample! We ran out of meat long before this was over and when the picture above was taken we were no longer making lamb sandwiches but placing a few strands of lamb on 1/6 of a tortilla with the slice of pickle.

We almost made it to the end. When I do this again, I will seriously look for ways to supplement the meat, as all the winners did either with toppings, fillers or serving containers like bread or crackers. Something to take down the flavor of the meat. We, my wife and I, tasted most of the winners and we both thought that the flavor of the lamb was masked by the other ingredients. Sometimes so much, that the lamb flavor was completely lost. Our lamb was front and center. There was no mistaking it for anything but lamb. Maybe that wasn't a good thing.

And finally, I've learned that the rules of the barbeque competition circuit don't apply in the Takedown world. In the barbecue world, it's a meat contest. End of story. Here in the Takedown world - its all about presentation, combinations, creativity, degree of difficulty and familiarity.

A gyro wins? Seriously? Now I didn't taste the gyro - but look at what it was up against. The sliders were served on home made potato buns. Lamb shoulder braised in bacon marmalade atop a round of goat cheese polenta. Moroccan spiced lamb with carrot salad and minted lebne - hell I don't even know what lebne is.

I can't wait for the next one! I will whip you yet, Takedown! Just you wait!

Photo courtesy of Metromix

Grillin' On The Bay 2010

Some pictures from NY BBQ Lover's Meetup Group founder Kevin Lincoln of Grillin' On The Bay 2010. I really love these pictures. You get a real feel for what the day was like while not focusing on the food.

Clint Cantwell from Smoke in da Eye

Brother Mark BBQ

An unknown cook working his meat

The Two Fat Pollacks returned to the circuit at Grillin' On The Bay. Hey, where's the meat?

Doug Kieles from Ribs Within gets grilled by the media. Get it? Grilled? I'm such a card.

More pictures, including pictures of food, comments and links to come.

I'm Cooking! Yup - Finally!

Brooklyn Lamb Takedown - LAMB Overdrive

Yes it's back - And I'm cooking it! From Matt Tims - the organizer.....

The Lamb Takedown is BACK in NYC, 4PM April 18th at The Bell House!!!! Entrants wanted! (There’s three spots left!) Each contestant gets 15lbs of lamb- shoulder/shank/leg or ground to play with… Spots fill up FAST!

Truly the LAMB-orghini Countach Quartravore of all Takedowns… Yes! I just said that! Count on Emily Fleischaker from Bon Appetit to judge you sternly. So much lamb- the funnest meat there ever was!

Food Wars hit Brooklyn

Are you ready to rumble? This week brings two food competitions to Brooklyn that sadly, I'll have to miss. But just because I have to abstain, that doesn't mean I want you to miss out on all the fun.

First up is The Best Wings In Brooklyn contest being held tomorrow night at the Red Star Bar. 17 of the best bars and culinary establishments, from all over the Borough, notorious for their wings are set to cook-off at 3PM on Saturday, February 13.

One of my favorite local bars, and I think the only participant that doesn't come from the land of the hipsters, Wheeler's of Sheepshead Bay is competing. I want to see South Brooklyn kick some hipster ass! Go Wheeler's!

Brooklyn journalists and culinary editors Nick D'Arienzo of the Brooklyn Star-Queens Ledger Newspaper Group, Gersh Kuntzman, Editor, The Brooklyn Paper and Annaliese Griffin, Senior Editor, Brooklyn Based will put their expert taste buds to the test and select the Best Wing in Brooklyn. The community has a say, too.

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will hand out awards for the Best Wing in Brooklyn, 2 Best Wing Runners-up, and a People’s Choice Award.

And what’s a Brooklyn wing competition without the best beer in Brooklyn? Brooklyn Brewery will be featuring 6 of their finest beers on tap, including Brooklyn Lager, Winter Ale, East India Pale Ale, and their Brewmaster Reserves, Blast, Back Breaker and Cookie Jar Porter, a new addition to the Brewmaster roster.

Free wings; no cover. FREE WINGS! Free wings! Do you hear me? Damn, and I have to miss this. RSVP on their Facebook page.

Red Star Bar 37 Greenpoint Avenue Brooklyn, NY

And on Thursday is The Crostini Cook-off being thrown by Cathy Erway in honor of the launch of her new book, The Art of Eating In. Cathy is joined by Matt Timms, organizer of the long running Chili (and other assorted food stuffs) Takedowns and takes place at The Bell House. Matt does a great job with these Takedowns and this looks like a real blast.

The Bell House 149 7th Street between 2nd & 3rd Aves, Brooklyn, close to Smith/9th Street and 4th/9th on the F and G trains.

Advance tickets recommended, on sale now!$10 admission includes tastes from crostini cook-off entries, appetizers from Hapa Kitchen and A Razor A Shiny Knife, beer specials, music all night. All guests must present ID to gain entry.

Grillin' On The Bay - The Beginings

I've often been asked about the origins of Grillin' On The Bay. Why a barbecue contest in New York City? Why in Brooklyn? Why on the bay? Well, it's a complicated story and today I will tell you. Settle down now, cozy up under your snuggie and get comfortable. It's an long read.

It was a dark and stormy night. A night perfect for barbecue. Rain and sleet teasing the flames whilst the winds whipped the smoke into dense clouds. It was one of those nights that separates the men from the boys. Only the men and women who love the Que and party at the altars of Bacchus and Vulcan would brave such a night to stoke the flames while preparing perfectly cooked food for their deserving and hungry families.

There I stood, manipulating the flames and dominating the fire to my will to perfectly tease the flavor out of a chicken that had willing sacrificed itself to the gods of fire, while a shadowy figure called to me from down the alley.

"You - you who grill on the bay," he called.

"Huh?" I answered. "Keep walking Bud. There's nothing for you to see here."

"You, mortal - the gods have been aroused by the sweet aroma of your burnt offerings."

"Burnt? Fuggehtabouit! Ya stupid bastard. What the hell are you talking about. Get the F--- (substitute the queen mother of dirty words here) outta here ya bum. I ain't no amateur. I don't burn my food," I replied angrily.

At that the figure was immediately engulfed in smoke and flame of such colors I had never seen on earth and its voice grew both in volume and depth. "Do not disrespect that which you do not understand," he bellowed while huge flames leaped out of my fire box.

"Thou has angered the gods of smoke and flame. I demand a sacrifice to amend your transgression."

"Look bud - I already told ya - Get the f--- outta here! I don't got no food for you. This ain't some whitetrash bumbf--- town. You're in Brooklyn and we don't take no shit from no one. You're all cute with the smoke and mirrors and shit, but get the f--- outta here before I grill your ass." I yelled back in as menacing Brooklynese I could muster.

Enraged it grew in size until it blocked the sky transforming into huge column of smoke and fire. I dropped my tongs and stood in awe. Holy shit - was this thing for real?

"Thou hast offended us greatly," its voice roared. "I command you to offer a sacrifice. On the last Saturday of March from this night forward thou shall gather like minded mortals to this site where you and your brethren (no - not that brethren - though they are always welcome) will offer a minimum of four species of burnt offerings to appease us and atone for your sin."

"You have been condemned to grill on the bay until our anger is appeased," it commanded. And just like that it was gone. My fire was out and my chicken burnt to ashes. "Sonofabitch - I guess he did get his burnt offering after all." I stood there looking at the remnants of what should have been a tasty meal and pondered what I had experienced. Could this have been real?

As I walked back into the garage to get some more wood to build a new fire, it hit me. "New York is too great a city to not have a barbecue contest." "Why not gather on the last Saturday of March and cook?"

That photo above is some of the "burnt offerings" from Grillin' On The Bay inn 2006. Hopefully this year's teams will be just as creative.

You now know the legend. Stay tuned for the real story.

The Making of a Barbecue Contest

I'm tired of looking at the computer screen. I've spent the day sending out invites and notifications for NYC's only sanctioned barbeque contest: Grillin' On The Bay and The Brooklyn Chili Smackdown. Literally, I've been working on this since 10:00 this morning and now it's almost 5. Enough. I wish I was getting paid!

I will write more about the contest and the work it takes to put it together, but not tonight.

Suicide Food?

Check out this amazing website called Suicide Food. It's an interesting and sarcastic take on how many food stuff logos show animals happily marching off to death, killing themselves, serving up their companions for your consumption or simply refusing to dominate the world. I don't know if the author is a vegetarian or not, but his snarky comments are usually right on and dead ass funny.

It also pokes fun at most of the competitive barbecue team's logos! I know of just about all these logos and the legendary teams behind them. At least half of Suicide Food is dedicated to the art of the barbecue team logo.

They don't forget all the barbecue contest logos as well. My own Grillin' On The Bay, New York City's only sanctioned barbecue contest received the Suicide Food treatment...

"Case in point, this pig. He could rampage through Sheepshead Bay kaiju-style, leaving carnage and bloodshed in his wake. He could fill the people with a fear so toxic it would haunt their hearts forever. Or, he could walk away from the monstrous grill constructed for him. But he doesn't.

He just hunkers down, a bemused smile on his face, comfortable in the knowledge that his cooked flesh will feed many."

Yes, Grillin' On The Bay does feed many! Be sure to come check it out on March 27, 2010 right here in Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn. That's in New York City! Teams and judges are signing up now.

Pig Eating

This just in from The Feedbag...

Hill Country Challenges YOU to a Rib-Eating Contest

You can check out all the details by clicking the above link, but in a nutshell, participation in the rib-eating contest is free and candidates vie for one of only eight spots. Contenders must submit an essay of no more than 250 words or a one-minute video via e-mail at ribs@hillcountryny.com clearly demonstrating their credentials and illustrating why they should be chosen.

Hmm, I might try to get in on this. It sounds interesting and fun but unfortunately, Hill Country isn't known for its ribs. Too bad this isn't a brisket eating contest!

Memphis In May

Most of the barbecue contests I talk about on this blog are KCBS style, but there's another world out there; Memphis In May. Different rules, different cuts of meats, whole different world. Check it out!

Memphis in May's World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is May 14-16, 2009 in Tom Lee Park in downtown Memphis. Hundreds of teams compete for over $90,000 in prizes and supreme bragging rights.

Teams adorn their areas with elaborate decoration, trophies attesting to their boasting rights, and as one can imagine, clever and creative team names.

While grilling is the main theme, the contest wouldn't be complete without the Ms. Piggie Idol competition where grown men dress in tutus and snouts and women kick their heels (hooves) up. There is also a t-shirt competition and even a best booth contest.

The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, the Granddaddy of Grilling...where on this given Saturday, it's anybody's game.

BBQ Contest: Good Morning America

Here's a unique barbecue contest, Good Morning America Weekend is looking for the best barbeque joint in your neighborhood. They're looking for "The one place that captures the flavor and uniqueness of your town, but more importantly, has barbecue (ribs, chicken, beef, pork, etc.) that everyone lines up around the block for."

All you need to do is, "Send an essay of 300 words or less telling GMA about your favorite local restaurant and why its signature barbecue dish makes eating there such a memorable experience (what makes it so delicious and why it's a local favorite)"

"If your entry gets the most votes from our panel of judges and viewers across America, the restaurant that you entered may be featured on national television, and you could win a free trip to New York and a chance to eat at a famous New York City restaurant"

You can enter here. Good Luck!

The RUB Rapid Fire Challenge

A couple of days before the event, our sponsor RUB BBQ with Pat LaFrieda Meats put together a new challenge for the teams; The Rub Rapid Fire Challenge. At the last turn in for Grilin' On The Bay, the chef's choice category, the cooks were given a mystery protein to cook and submit to a new team of judges.

It was indeed a challenge as our cooks were presented with an untrimmed prime hangar steak for the protein and judged by Andrew Fischel, Scott Smith, both of RUB BBQ, Nick Solares of Serious Eats and Gary Goldblatt of Pigtrip.

The Rub Rapid Fire Challenge Top 10 Results:
10. Josh Ozersky
9. Ma's Cue Crew
8. Smoke On The Water
7. Eat A Donut
6. Ribs Within
5. Purple Turtle Caterers
4. Wildwood BBQ
3. Porkaholics
2. Smoke In Da Eye
1. iQue

Grillin On The Bay - The Results

Thanks to everyone for coming out. It was a hell of wicked windy day down by the bay. These are the top 10 results in the grilling competition. I'll post the rest in the next couple of days.

Grillin On The Bay: Chicken
10.Smoke In Da Eye
9. Smoke On The Water
8. Eat A Donut
7. Purple Turtle Caterers
6. Transformer BBQ
5. Porkaholics
4. Ma' Cue Crew
3. Wildwood BBQ
2. iQue
1. Ribs Within

Grilin' On The Bay: Fish
10. Eat A Donut
9. Team Agave
8. Smoke On The Water
7. Porkaholics
6. Purple Turtle Caterers
5. Pearl Lee Q's
4. Wildwood BBQ
3. Transformer BBQ
2. iQUe
1. Ribs Within

Grillin' On The Bay: Pork
10. Wildwood BBQ
9. Beer Belly Porkers
8. Eat A Donut
7. Pearl Lee Q's
6. iQue
5. Smoke In Da Eye
4. Purple Turtle Caterers
3. Ribs Within
2. Team Agave
1. Transformer BBQ

Grillin' On The Bay: Chef's Choice
10. Ribs Within
9. Smoke In Da Eye
8. Ma's Que Crew
7. Pearl Lee Q's
6. Smoke On The Water
5. Beer Belly Porkers
4. Team Agave
3. Porkaholics
2. Transformer BBQ
1. Wildwood BBQ

Grillin' On The Bay Overall
10. Ma's Cue Crew
9. Porkaholics
8. Pearl Lee Q's
7. Team Agave
6. Smoke On The Water
5. Purple Turtle
4. IQue
3. Ribs Within
2. Wildwood BBQ
1. Transformer BBQ

Want To Judge?

You've seen those happy folks on the Food Network stuffing their faces allegedly judging food at all the barbecue contests. You've wondered, how do I get in on the free chow? Well, if you're in the NYC tri-state area, here's your chance...

The BBQ Brethren and the Sayville Chamber of Commerce announces..

2009 KCBS BBQ Judging Certification Class

Held at the Sayville Fire House

Saturday April 11, 2009

$55 for KCBS Members $90 for Non KCBS Members. Non member fee includes 1 year membership in KCBS.

Class is limited to about 42 people. First come first serve.

For information send email to: Eric Devlin.