It was a beautiful day for Beer, Bacon and "Hey wait a minute". Let's start over. It was a beautiful day for a bbq event and fundraiser at the Van Ruiten Winery in Lodi California. Twenty six teams showed up to battle for Championship in three meat categories; ribs, tr-tip and a mystery meat of pork tri-tip. We knew not to pass up this event because this is California bbq in all of its glory. The event was held at the winery surrounded by grape fields. Lodi California is one of the major wine grape growing agricultural areas. The weather could not of have been nicer with the thermometer peaking at the low 70's. We were ready for a party and would like to share a couple of images with you.
The teams were set up in back close to each other to make it convenient for festive activities. This cooking unit caught my eye because of the water delivery system. Notice the five gallon jug of liquid on the side. It delivers liquid of your choice in a constant drip to an interior pan to provide steam and moister for the interior of the cooker. This was new to me. The public purchased tasting tickets and strolled the grounds sampling award winning barbeque. We were lucky to be judging and sampled and scored some fantastic meats today. We especially enjoyed the fantastic California favorite tri-tip. This beef from the sirloin is a cut that is fairly easy to prepare and delivers big beef flavors. There was also a mystery meat which was called pork tri-tip. This meat was really a mystery because this cut is not as popular. It was also from the sirloin area of the hog and presented cooking challenges for the competitors. We enjoyed sampling and scoring this unfamiliar meat.
We had live music today to provide a festive atmosphere. The Van Ruiten winery knows how to throw a party. Today's proceeds benefited the "Autism Speaks' organization. There was also a raffle held with local merchants and the winery participating. This type of event is fun for everyone. This is California bbq at its finest. See you next time.
4 comments:
Looks like a fine event and perfect weather for Qing
Great event! I always enjoy this one very much. And thank you Van Ruiten winery for the two bottles of wine swag. I will really enjoy those too!
You have comps at wineries. We have one at an insane asylum next week. Seems fair...
Big Dude, We got lucky because Lodi can get really hot. Good times.
Three Dogs BBQ, Insane asylum sounds fascinating. I will have to tune in next week to get the full scoop. Good luck on your cook.
Ms. Goofy, Was it enough fun to bake a cheesecake?
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