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Despite Steroids, "Smoke Happens" Denied Podium Placement
Unlike previous years, Wanderer Bin Ruiter and
his KCBS BBQ team "Smoke
Happens" failed to score hardware (or ribbons, let alone cash,
for that matter) in New Holland, PA this year during the annual PA
State BBQ Championships.
They hauled their heavy, fragile, top-heavy, ceramic cookers all
the way to the competition but unfortunately neither the required
effort nor the logistical accomplishment of getting these cookers
there in one piece weigh into the final results. "We're
the only one of the 75 or so participating teams that spends at least
as much time packing and unpacking as we do cooking" laments
Bin Ruiter. "It took me longer to recover from this than
the Broad Street Run earlier this year."
This year, the judges did not take to their home-grown recipes as
they had in previous years. "What's weird is that we did
many of the same things as last year except this year the judges
didn't take to it" Bin Ruiter explained. "We did
nothing different with our brisket but unlike the giant plastic trophy
and hard cash from previous years, we finished near the bottom".
The brisket recipe includes what some doping officials have paralleled
to 'steroids'. A cocktail of mysterious 'rubs', monosodium glutamate
('MSG'), and other marinades. This is injected into the meat as soon
as meat inspection is completed to allow for as much marinating time
as possible. “The judges are known to prefer the taste
of these additives but maybe we used too much this year.”
Doug, Dennis, and Bin Ruiter vow to try again next year with all-new
recipes and maybe even try a traditional tow-behind cooker.
Event Photos
Bin Ruiter's 450 pound cooker on the trailer already.
Doug's
650 pound
cooker being craned up the trailer.
The smaller cookers are crated and through a series of platforms and
support
beams and straps, the large cooker is sandwiched securely
in the middle.
Doug before take-off on Friday a.m.
As soon as meat inspection is over, we marinade the meat to allow for
the longest
possible
time for rubs and spices (and ahum... steroids)
to penetrate the meat.
OK. Technically not quite steroids but close enough!
Ribs, Beef Brisket, Chicken, Pork Butt, Sausage, and Chef's Coice
in the making.
Brisket requires roughly 20 hours to cook. So the
Smoke Happens team arrives early
on Friday morning in order to get
the meat done in time for Saturday mid-day turn-ins.
Doug and a side view of our accommodations. The
team sleeps
on cots in
the tent tending to the fire throughout
the night.
Doug does a quick temp check while Bin Ruiter tends to the fire.
Brisket on the bottom, two shelves of pork on top.
Bin Ruiter gets a mouthful of smoke while Doug checks on the sausage.
Dennis McFerren, Doug Seward and the various cookers.
The official Smoke Happens sign shown in the background, by the way, literally
fell of the
back of our dilapidated old trailer back when and has served as our
official sign ever since.
Bin Ruiter tends to the chicken.
Ribs looking good before their St Louis trim.
Rules mandate 6 or more indentifiable pieces and no markings.
Hickory and cherry make for nice smoke rings.
The chicken in the official box.
Even though they get faster every time, the Smoke Happens crew
is still one of the last ones to leave after their packing is complete.
CLICK
HERE for additional pictures.
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