Slap Yo Daddy BBQ Blog

Grand Champion amid 45 teams

After being bridesmaids and Reserve Champion twice in our last two contests in Arizona and in Idaho, we snagged our 6th Grand Championship amid 45 teams at the 2010 Vista Smokin Classic contest with 2nd Brisket, 5th Ribs, 9th Chicken, and 12th Pork <Results>.  Vista is a beautiful city near the coast about half way between Los Angeles and San Diego.  We’re doing a full court press to win 7 GCs so we could get an automatic entry to the Jack Daniels Invitational in October.  The Jack, as it’s commonly called, is the Mount Everest of BBQ competition and 5,000 teams in America battle hard during the  April – August competition season to vie for this honor.

Typically one GC team is drawn by lottery from each state.  With over a dozen contests in California, the only sure way of getting there is to win 7 and obtain an automatic entry.  Only a very small handful of teams are able to do this every year so Benny and I are trying our best to earn our spot in the Jack through hard work.  For us, we have to do one better with 8 wins as we recently heard that that our 4th GC in New Mexico may not count if there were less than 25 teams which is the Jack qualifying minimum. If that were so, it would be heart-breaking to drive 2,000 miles to win and have the win not count towards the Jack.  Benny and I have two more contests before the August 31 deadline so we HAVE to win the last two for the automatic: Harrahs on Aug 14 and Clearlake on Aug 28.  [Correction 8/31/10: I was incorrect; the IBCA official results web page shows 27 teams so we've have 7 qualifying GCs]

It was wonderful to see many new teams in Vista.  The popularity of TLC’s BBQ Pitmasters Season One, which we were featured, continues to attract new enthusiasts to BBQ. With Season Two premiering on Aug 12, BBQ will continue to grow which is good for all of us in this sport.  I had over a dozen new pitmasters and assistant cooks at my Saturday 7:30 am free clinic where I teach how to make our Slap Yo Daddy Lazyman presentation boxes with one head of lettuce and 3 bunches of curly parsley.  Box making is my least favorite part of a contest and many teams purchase a case of lettuce and parsley, and spend hours making their presentation boxes.  I developed a technique to do ours in 20 minutes and spend less than $4.00.  I’ve taught our technique to Johnny Triggs and Jaime Greer, two world renowned BBQ champions who were in Season One and they are using this technique today.  I told all those who attended to learn it, and then teach it to the next newbie they meet who wants to compete.  That way, people don’t have to intimated or nervous about entering BBQ contests because they fear the box prep.

Benny getting ready the Slap Yo Daddy Lazyman Box class

Benny and I were able to help some first time competitors including Mak and his wife from Smokaholics, San Diego.   Mak cooked his contest on one 18-inch WSM!  Wow!  What a tremendous feat to do the four contest meats and people’s choice meats on one smoker even though it was tricked out with 4 cooking grates. Needless to say, Mak was stressed out trying to juggle everything.  Mak bought Italian Parsley instead of curly parsley so luckily I noticed it when I stopped by to check on how he was doing with our box technique.   Within five minutes, three teams: Rusty Barrel, All Sauced Up, and Rub Co. donated their extra parsley to Mak so he would not get disqualified for using the wrong garnish.  This shows how BBQ teams look out and take care of each other even though we’re competitors. Mak even took a walk for chicken on this first outing.  Way to go!  <Correction: after I posted my blog, a CBJ informed that Italian Parsley is legal for KCBS; Duh!  me bad for not knowing that.  Sorry; someone please tell Mak!>

Mak and Wife from Smokaholics cooking on one 18-inch WSM

It was great to be beside Jennifer and Tommy from Smoked To The Bone and Whiskey Ranch team, respectively.  Tommy is still Jen’s pit bitch from their last husband and wife tangle in Prescott, Arizona (see my prior blog article).  Tommy is still receiving pink accessories, now from teams in California in addition to pink items he received from the AZ teams.  Thanks for the wonderful breakfast and tasty samples.

Jen and Tommy from Smoked to the Bone Team, Arizona

Tommy's still Jen's Pit Bitch from the previous contest

Thanks for the breakfast goodies from Tommy and Jen

A BIG congrats go out to all the teams who participated and to Vince and Alexa from Rhythm n Que from Phoenix, Arizona, for Reserve Champion.  RnQ and Slap Yo Daddy have been challenging each other to new heights in the quest for the Jack the past 4 months.  Vince and Alexa accomplished their 7th GC at our last contest together in Boise, Idaho, and have their tickets to the Jack.  We intend to follow them there!

Thanks to Ranchers Reserve for sponsoring the event and extra cash prize.  A big thanks goes to Dale Gino for a wonderful job organizing this event; Kelly and Kathleen Macintosh as officials; and all the volunteers, judges, and helpers.  We’d like to thank our terrific Sponsors:  Rocks BBQ System for our Stoker temperature control system, T&H Meat and Sausages for our meat products, TheSlabs.com for our rub products, Cajun Bandit for our Weber stainless replacment doors, Smokin Guns for our rubs , Butcher BBQ for our injections, and Snake River Farms for our Wagyu meat products.

We'll be back next year!

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We won our third Reserve Champion for 2010 at the Boise Music Festival State BBQ Championship in Boise, Idaho, on July 24, 2010, amid a field of 27 teams from Idaho, Oregon, California, and Arizona. This was our first contest in Idaho as we were chasing the Jack Daniel Invitational draw in the state of Idaho which has only two grand championship contests so the winner would have a 50-50 chance for the Jack.

The big story was that our friends and fellow competitors from Arizona, Vince and Alexa from Rhythm n Que won GC by a wide margin with 3 first places in chicken, ribs, and pork. This would be RnQ’s 7th GC which meant they would get an automatic invitation to the Jack. In the process, three other teams (R&R BBQ from Idaho, Jennifer Duncan of Smoked To The Bone and my BBQ 101 student from Arizona, and Sweet Peppers from New Mexico) also obtained automatic Jack invitations as they were the only remaining Grand Champions for their states after RnQ exited the race. Unfortunately, for us, with 12 contests in California, we would not be so lucky to get in under these special conditions for those states with only two grand championships where RnQ already won one of the two.

R&R BBQ (left) and Vince & Alexa from Rhythm n Que (right)

We’ve edged out RnQ the last three contests so this was their turn to take top honors. We finished as Reserve Champion with 2nd Brisket, 2nd Ribs, 9th Chicken, and 10th Pork. With 5 GC’s and 3 RC’s under our belt, we’re still short of the 7 GCs needed to get an automatic Jack invitation without going through our California state lottery draw. With three more contests to go before the August 31 deadline, Benny and I will have to win all three as one of our five GCs, the New Mexico contest, may not count if it did not meet the minimum 25 teams to quality for the Jack. We’re determined to stay focused and push forward with a full-court press until the Aug 31 deadline.  Hey, we know it’s not easy to win 7 GCs and that’s why only a very small handful of the 5,000 teams are able do it each year! [Update: 8/31/10: I was incorrect; the IBCA official results web page shows 27 teams so we've have 7 qualifying GCs]

Jeff (right) of Rub Em Raw BBQ

Aside from the intensity of competition, we had a chance to also relax a bit and enjoy the butterflies as we were able to fly in to cook this event thanks to the generosity of Jeff Selle of the Rub Em Raw BBQ team from Idaho. Jeff went out and bought two new 18-inch WSMs so he could loan them to us together with all the bulky items (canopy, igloos, etc.) so we could fly in and cook out of three suitcases. Jeff and his crew, and family, really took care of our every need. This is tantamount to a competitor lending you their race car so you could race against them. You won’t find this camaraderie in any other sport. All we did was post on the Internet forums and Jeff graciously stepped up to the plate. We owe Jeff and this team a debt of gratitude. I had the pleasure of engraving some BBQ wisdom on the WSMs which Jeff let us use as a small gesture of thank you.

Engraving BBQ Wisdom on Jeff's WSMs which he loaned us

Sage advice from www.BBQWisdom.com

Engraved WSMs lids

The influence of BBQ Pitmaster Season One continues to surprise me as Meghan, Jeff’s daughter, showed us a photo and hand written note from Jessica, a 10-year old, who’s a fan of the show. It really touched my heart to know that our Cinderella story inspired so many persons even though Jessica was too shy to come to the event to meet me in person. Perhaps, in the future, I’ll get to meet her. Read the note and you’ll know what I mean. I’m glad I was able to pack some leftover BBQ for Jessica and her family to enjoy. It’s moments like this that transcend the competition aspect of BBQ to take you to the essence of BBQ with is the human relationships you build with total strangers whom you’re united via a common passion and love for BBQ. The community and camaraderie of BBQ is amazing and this is an Exhibit A testament to that fact. So if you’re reading this Jessica, I want know that BBQ equals happiness!

Jessica's picture and hand written note

What a touching note from Jessica

Yes, my fav is also ribs!

It was a pleasure to also cook beside Kim Glineski from Snake River Farms who is our sponsor for our Wagyu meat products. Kim is a new cook but don’t let that fool you. Her team The Smokin’ D and the Wagyu took 4th. She placed 1st in brisket and we took 2nd by a scant 0.0004 points behind her!  The Boise contest was nicely represented by several women pitmasters including Kim, and a couple of Grand Champion women pitmasters from the Northwest: Lynnae Oxley of Sugar’s BBQ, and and Cindy Hayter of Ella’s BBQ.   It was great to see diversity amid the all-common all male field.

Kim, our sponsor from Snake River Farms

A big thanks goes to Olga and Vern, Benny’s sister and brother-in-law for hosting us; Jim Monihan as organizers; Mark Silver and Gene Goycochea as officials; and all the volunteers, judges, and helpers.We’d like to thank our terrific Sponsors:  Rocks BBQ System for our Stoker temperature control system, T&H Meat and Sausages for our meat products, TheSlabs.com for our rub products, Cajun Grill for our Weber stainless replacment doors, Smokin Guns for our rubs , Butcher BBQ for our injections, and Snake River Farms for our Wagyu meat products.

Olga, my team mate Benny's sister

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Jennifer Duncan, Grand Champion, and BBQ 101 Student

July 10, 2010 BBQ 101 Class - Jennifer is in the middle

We won our second 2010 Reserve Champion at the IBCA sanctioned Prescott BBQ Days State Championship in Prescott, Arizona, on July 17.  The big story was how my BBQ 101 student from my July 10^th class, just a week before, won her very first Grand Championship!

Reserve Champions - Harry and Benny

A HUGE congrats goes out to Jennifer Duncan of Smoked To The Bone team out of Arizona. Jen took Grand Champion and blew away 33 male teams, including 2 top 2009 Jack Daniels teams,  with THREE first places: 1st Chicken, 1st, Ribs, 1st Brisket, and 6th Pork.

Cool trophiies which puff real smoke

I’m ecstatic for Jen as it’s well deserved and long time coming.   I’m so proud of her.  Of course, I wouldn’t imply that Jen won just because she took my class but I suspect it helped.  Jen joins a growing list of my students and mentees who have won:

1. Dave Malone of All Sauced Up – whom I mentored during his 2009 Rookie Year and who was my assistant cook at Wildomar 2010 has won two GCs in 2010 – Stagecoach and Bakersfield
2. Jennifer Duncan of Smoked to the Bone – July 10, 2010 BBQ 101 student and GG at 2010 Prescott
3. Gary Notely of Notley Que  – my roadie and assistant cook on the TLC BBQ Pitmasters show has won a Reserve Champion at Wildomar 2010
4. Greg of a California team who remains anonymous – 2009 BBQ 101 student won Reserve Champion two weeks later after my class
5. Others – BBQ 101 alumni who have placed in the top 10 in various contests

Gorgeous Day in Prescott, AZ

Our scores were good for Reserve with 2^nd Brisket, 6^th Pork, 6^th Pork, and 11^th Ribs.  Tommy who is Jen’s husband are both well known as the BBQ power couple who love to cook against each other.  Whenever Tommy looses, he has to wear pink.   Well this time, many teams brought pink accessories for Tommy should Jen kick his behind (again).  Tommy is a great cook himself of Whiskey Ranch BBQ and was a great sport to support his wife in her fabulous first time GC win.  Tommy was at my class also so I should give him a refresher!  A picture is indeed worth a  thousand words!

Tommy loses bet and wears pink!

Tommy's a good sport!

AZ students at BBQ 101

A big thanks goes to The Rotary Club, Mike Reimann, and Tommy Duncan as organizers; Kelly and Kathleen Macintosh as officials; and all the volunteers, judges, and helpers.  We’d like to thank our terrific Sponsors:  Rocks BBQ System for our Stoker temperature control system, T&H Meat and Sausages for our meat products, TheSlabs.com for our rub products, Cajun Grill for our Weber stainless replacment doors, Smokin Guns for our rubs , Butcher BBQ for our injections, and Snake River Farms for our Wagyu meat products.

Thanks to all our sponsors!

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We get lucky again, the second time, winning another GC at Stockton

We won our fifth 2010 Grand Championship, 1st Brisket, 4th Ribs, 8th Pork, and 11th Chicken amid 40 teams at the Way Out West California State Championship in Stockton, near San Francisco.  This was especially sweet because we also won this event last year and made KCBS history in 2009 as the first team ever to win 1st place in all four meats: chicken, ribs, pork, and brisket since KCBS began over 25 years ago.  The bonus check from the folks at Ranchers Reserve was welcome gas money since we drove 7 hours to reach Stockton.

KCBS Officials: Kelly and Kathleen Macintosh and their mascot Justice

Benny Adauto, my team mate, who joined Slap Yo Daddy in May 2010, and I have been driving and competing like madmen across America.  We’ve been on the road almost every week and have traveled to Kansas City, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and up and down California in a bid to win 7 grand championships to make it to the Jack Daniels Invitational in October.  We have until August 31 to get our 7 else we’ll have to take our chances in being drawn by lottery as only one Grand Champion team is drawn from each state.  Last year, we scored 3 GCs but did not make the draw so this year, we’re shooting for 7 GCs which will result in an automatic Jack invitation.

Benny is the head cook for Fun Time BBQ team and we met in 2008 when I just started competing.  We’ve cooked against each other and helped in KCBS certified judging classes in Orange County.  When my regular team mate Mark had to take a hiatus in March 2010, Benny stepped up to the plate to help and he’s been a great team mate and assistant cook.  We’ve won four GCs together and Benny is now very familiar with the myriad of steps and details we have to execute flawlessly in order to produce grand champion level BBQ.  He does a good job keeping me in check should I get distracted with fans at events.   Additionally, since he’s retired and has time on his hand, he helps me purchase meat and supplies during the week while I have to work.  I couldn’t have asked for a more dedicated team mate than Benny.  He has the same dedication, focus, and commitment to excel in BBQ as I do.  We will keep bringing our A-game to contests until we succeed in our mission to make the Jack.

Seared Ahi Tuna w Maui Onion Dressing. Prawns, Corn, Potatoes in She-Bang Cajun Sauce

Since we were not doing Peoples Choice at Stockton, I decided to make a couple of tasty treats for the Friday potluck.  I prepared my classic Seared Ahi Tuna w Maui Onion Dressing and paired it with some Prawns cooked with Corn and Potatoes in a Spicy Cajun Broth which I dubbed She-Bang sauce.  Both dishes went fast at the potluck!

The legendary John Jackson, inventor of our Stoker System, and his team mate Kenny

Our good buddy Chris Juencke of the Smokin Yankees BBQ team

It was great to spend time with our NorCal friends John Jackson, Kenny, Chris, Tim Mar, Howard Chi, and others.  One of the greatest rewards of competition BBQ is not the awards nor prize money but the friendships and camaraderie you develop with your BBQ brothers and sisters.  We’re all, by day, from different walks of life.  On weekends, we come together as BBQ competitors and BBQ friends.  We cheer as loudly for our fellow BBQer as they cheer for us when we win.  This is a side of the BBQ world that outsiders seldom know about nor see unless they spend time in the smoke and fire of a contest.  It’s these friendships that keep us coming back week after week, driving long distances, to experience the humanity and community as fellow pitmasters.

Benny and I get a week off as there is no contest next Saturday so I’m teaching my monthly BBQ 101 class.  My class has been filling up three months ahead and proceeds from contests and class helps us fund our two favorite charities: Operation Homefront (troops, veterans, and their families) and Save The Children.  I want to give a BBQ shout out to Major Brian Clark and his crew who are serving in a classified location in the Middle East.  July 4th is a special day to give thanks for the many who have sacrificed to protect the freedom and liberty we enjoy, including the freedom to cook and enjoy BBQ.

Congrats go out to Larry Hill of BLQUE for Reserve Grand Champion (long time coming and well deserved) and to all who competed.  A big thanks goes to Ben Lobenstein and Ric Gilbert as organizers; Kelly and Kathleen Macintosh as officials; and all the volunteers, judges, and helpers.  We’d like to thank our terrific Sponsors:  Rocks BBQ System for our Stoker temperature control system, T&H Meat and Sausages for our meat products, TheSlabs.com for our rub products, Cajun Grill for our Weber stainless replacment doors, Smokin Guns for our rubs , Butcher BBQ for our injections, and Snake River Farms for our Wagyu meat products.

We hope to be back for our 3rd year in 2011 and a Three-Peat!

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