Summerfest and BBQ Judging

Well, it took me a week but I finally downloaded pics from Saturday's BBQ competition.

After 3 weeks away from home we relaxed for a day and a half and then were up early Saturday morning to travel to the heart of Amish country for one of the most prestigious BBQ competitions in the East - the New Holland Summerfest in New Holland, PA.


It was an absolutely beautiful day for such an event. (Last year, we had a monsoon!) You could see and smell the smoke a block away and as we approached the park, every tent appeared to be busy getting ready for the first turn in of the day.

A KCBS (Kansas City Barbecue Society - the largest BBQ sanctioning group) sanctioned event, this contest features the four required categories of chicken, ribs, pork shoulder/butt and brisket as well as two ancillary categories - chef's choice and, new this year, chili. Quite a few teams also participate in the whole hog competition. Those last three categories are optional.

This shot, to the left, shows a team (Pork & Dean's from Phoenix, MD) preparing their whole hog entry.

**It should be noted that BBQ is the only truly American food legacy. People come here from other countries hoping to try real American BBQ!!


Due to space limitations, this event is limited to 72 competition teams. There is a long waiting list to get in and teams know time is of the essence when their application for this one arrives. The field is pretty much full within a week or so of the applications going out. This year, teams came from as far away as Ontario and North Carolina, with the majority hailing from Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware. These tend to be 72 of the very best in the region.

Likewise, it is quite popular with the judges. A contest this size needs 72 Certified Barbecue Judges (CBJs) as well as 12 Table Captains (usually also Certified Judges). This year, there was a judges waiting list of about 125 names. We also get our forms returned within a day or two of receipt. For years this competition has been able to boast that ALL judges are "certified."

Certified Judges actually attend a class to learn how to rate truly good BBQ. There is more involved than simply saying it "tastes good." (Although, taste IS important to the scoring!) Judges are taught to recognize the correct texture for properly cooked meats, appropriate uses of seasonings and marinades so that they lend flavor but still allow a meat's personality to shine through, and how a serving should look to appeal to our visual senses. Tenderness is also scored separately.

Cook teams have a lot invested in this venture. They provide their own meats and supplies, have thousands of dollars invested in smokers and other cooking equipment, travel long distances and spend at least 36 hours on site preparing their entries (ALL cooking MUST be done on site.) While you see star competitors on TV who have won thousands of dollars in competition, most cooks are extremely happy to receive even the smallest monetary reward for their efforts. They MUST enjoy the activity as they sure aren't in it to make a profit!!

Judges are also in it for the love of BBQ. We are not paid. Most of us travel long distances at our own expense - some stay in hotels. We spend 4-6 hours on site in the process of judging. We have judged contests in 100 degree heat on more than one occasion and also have practically frozen to death at cold windy sites. Most judging is done in tents not buildings so weather does factor into our comfort. (If you watched BBQ Pitmasters last season and saw the Dover competition, you saw the coldest and rainiest event we've ever personally judges!)

In return, we get to taste some of the best smoked food in the country!! We've made great friends with other judges and cooks and their teams. (Just for the record - All judging for KCBS is blind judging so friendship with the cooks is not a hand up to any of them.) We've attended some events with fantastic entertainment where we stayed all evening just to enjoy the music. We've gotten to know some fantastic folks working hard to put on quality events in their communities. The Big Guy and I have been happy to sit and talk with new organizers and give some advice as to what they need to do to pull off a great event. We've taken new judges under our wings and guided them a bit through their first experiences. Since we are quickly identified by our judging shirts and name tags as we stroll through an event we are always approached by spectators who ask questions about the judging process and BBQ in general. In effect, we are ambassadors for BBQ. ALL of the judges we know have done these same things. We want folks to enjoy and promote BBQ. It's as American as apple pie and Chevrolet!

A very full and happy judge!!

Each judge tastes and scores only six samples in any category but even at that rate, we are served approximately 2 lbs of meat at any one competition (This does not include whole hog categories. It takes a special appetite to judge Whole Hog. I have never done so.) Obviously, we cannot eat all of that in one sitting. Most of us take 2 or 3 bites of a sample and move on to the next. That is usually enough to reach a score. This means we each have lots of leftovers.

I've become a pro at using the leftovers in creative ways. Tonight for instance, we had enchiladas made with leftover pork and brisket. Enchiladas can really stretch a little meat a long way. I actually made 19 enchiladas from the leftovers we had. At least there's a few meals now stockpiled in the freezer!

We are not scheduled to judge again for a few weeks but, who knows, something unexpected often comes up!

Santa Fe Chicken

It was fairly quiet Monday. I found time to read this morning and managed to finish the book I started last week. It wasn't that long a book, I just had trouble finding time to read!

A friend is visiting for a few days so after letting her sleep in a bit, we finally made a grocery run. I have a wonderful selection of leftover BBQ samples, albeit all have a bite out of them . However, we also needed fruit and veggies and such. Upon our return, I set about turning leftover pieces of BBQ chicken into a skillet dish I call Santa Fe Chicken for our dinner.

That recipe originally came from a magazine ad for salsa (I don't recall which brand). I made it fairly often when that ad was running and I had kept a copy with my cookbooks. Somewhere along the line, it got misplaced and, for whatever reason, I hadn't made it in a long while. (Don't we all go through those sort of phases?) These days, I simply make it from memory. How close it is to the original, I can't recall!!

Santa Fe Chicken

1 - 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I cut mine in bite-sized chunks)
4-5 medium potatoes, cut into chunks about 3/4" square
1- 1 1/2 bell peppers, chopped (any color will do)
1 - 1/2 large onions, chopped
1 can corn
2 12-oz jars of medium salsa
Crushed garlic, to taste

****I like to pre-cook my potatoes, onions and peppers in the microwave before dumping them in the pot.

Simply dump it all in one big pot, stir well and let it stew a bit to meld the flavors.

We serve this with a nice loaf of fresh bread and it makes a fairly easy, filling meal.

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Okay, now what to do with the rest of those leftovers. Got to think of something interesting!!! After all, we're serving guests!

Post BBQ Leftovers

After every BBQ contest, we are faced with the same old question: "What to do with all these leftovers?"

We are accredited by and judge for the Kansas City Barbeque Society which is the largest bbq organization in the world. As such, they are the sanctioning body for the majority of the BBQ competitions held throughout the U.S. When you watch specials on the Food Network about the American Royal competition held annually in Kansas City, you are watching a KCBS event.

All KCBS sanctioned contests MUST include four basic categories which are always done in the same order over a two hour turn-in period. There may be additional categories associated with any specific contest and those may be judged the same day or on the previous night but any KCBS event will consist of chicken, ribs, pork and brisket, in that order.

The judging process is serious business. Every judge is asked to sample and rate six samples from each category. Each sample is tasted and rated on its own merits. Sample #1 is tasted and then completely graded before moving on to sample #2. They are not compared to each other. There are specific elements we are looking for in each entry.

Ultimately, each judge will be presented with 1 1/2 - 2 lbs., or more, of meat at a contest. Obviously, most of us cannot eat every piece of food in its entirety while judging. Most take two, maybe three, bites of a sample before grading it. When the category is done, we are entitled to go back and eat the whole thing if we desire, pack it up to take with us or throw it away. I, like most judges, carry ziplock bags and a cooler with us to contests.

In the chicken category, turned in at 12 noon, we are most often served six thighs. Cooks can submit any part of the chicken but most find thighs cook the most consistently and retain their moisture in the submission box. (Breasts tend to dry easily. Wings and legs tend to turn out less consistently.) I have been served all parts at various contests and this week my table was served five thighs and one submission of sliced breast meat. Obviously, between the two of us, we have a pretty good stock of leftover chicken at the end of the category. (Incidentally, spouses cannot judge at the same table so we never judge the same entries.)

Ribs tend to produce the least leftovers. Often, by the time we've taken 2 or 3 bites, there really isn't much left on the bone. Nonetheless, I usually have a few ribs left over.

The pork category consists of pork butt and can be served as pulled pork, sliced or chopped. When we first began judging back in 2005, the vast majority were turned in as pulled pork but we are now receiving just as many sliced and frequently chopped samples these days. This is usually another large batch of leftovers as samples tend to be sizeable servings.

The final category, turned in at 1:30 in every contest, is beef brisket. We are generally served one decent slice per sample. This doesn't sound like a lot, but by this time, we are getting somewhat full. Most judges test for tenderness by pulling a chunk off of the slice with a gentle tug. We then taste that piece but often have the rest of the slice left over!

Believe it or not, we have judged contests that included additional categories at this point. Many events include a sausage or dessert competition. Some have an "anything but" category and quite a few have "whole hog" judging. The most categories we've faced in one day have been seven. After that event, we brought home nine pounds of leftovers!!

Needless to say, I have learned the best ways to warm up leftover ribs and brisket slices and have come up with a variety of recipes for the leftovers. Since chicken is a mainstay of regular diet, I have never had trouble finding uses for those scraps. I've had to be a little more creative with the other categories. Tonight we had enchiladas made from the leftover pork samples.

Pulled Pork Enchiladas:

I generally dump the pork in a bowl (shredding any sliced or chunked samples) add just a speck of my own rub for seasoning, some chopped onions and bell peppers (precooked in the microwave) and some shredded cheese. Mix well and fill and roll soft tortillas to form enchiladas. I open a can of black beans and poor it into a large rectangular glass baking dish and then add one drained can of black beans and two drained cans of diced tomatoes with chiles. Stir this well and then place the enchiladas on top of the bed of beans and tomatoes. I drizzle a little sweet bbq sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle a little more shredded cheese over that. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes, until the cheese browns.

***A little pulled pork really stretches this way. I made 8 enchiladas tonight - enough for two hungry men and myself. Oh, and we had leftovers! I put three in the freezer. These make easy, quick lunches for the guys. I wrap them separately and they can just grab them frozen. By lunch time, they've thawed and they warm them in the microwave at work.