WEST COAST BARBEQUE CHAMPIONSHIPS

It is 8:42am in the morning. We are dressed in our battle gear of Judging shirts and name tags. There is a short cut that brings us right through the ranks of the barbeque competitors. It is hours before the first turn in. All eyes are glued on Ms. Goofy and I as we march down the promenade. The first team says ‘hello’. They say hello while staring right through our brains. The next team lines up and salutes us with a gratuitous gracious hello. We nod and wave hello back. On and on it goes. Are we the enemy? We are only KCBS judges here to taste some killer barbeque. “Boy, O, Boy”, did we taste some killer Q. In the last 24 hours we have judged, 3 contests and have tasted over 13 categories of turned in meat. I am going to have a meat baby! This was one great experience of meat critique and consumption.


This was the West Coast BBQ Championships. Teams were competing for cash prizes and for qualification to national events. The judging took place in a shaded patio area. The weather was very pleasant. The thermometer rose to the high 80’s with a refreshing slight breeze. The KCBS runs a well oiled machine for judging barbeque events. We received our instructions and took an oath to uphold barbeque integrity. We felt proud reciting this pledge. We had a responsibility to give our honest opinions, to all the competitors that acknowledged us, on our journey to the Judging area.



We tasted Chicken, Pork Ribs, Pork, and Beef Brisket numerous times. We did not come across one bad piece of meat. These opponents dazzled us with perfectly cooked meat. Of course, their was some meat that did not ring the bell. It was our job to Judge. The most fun category was the ‘Mystery Meat’. This “Mystery Meat was flap steak. This is meat that is usually used for carne asada. The rules are a little different for this turn in. The usual garnishes are tossed aside and the most creative presentations are witnessed. Our table was presented with Lobster Tails wrapped in flap steak. Another table had flap steak roulades wrapped in bacon. “Oh my!”

Ms. Goofy at Barbeque Certification Class

Words have left me at this moment. One reason is because, I am on the couch, with my baby. More pictures of some serious rigs and great competitors can be seen by clicking, CLICK HERE! I will get back to you soon with a review of a local hot sauce. Bye Yall.