My first KCBS competition

When the BBQ guru asks you to accompany him to a competition sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS), knowing full well that you've never done one, you wonder what's going through his mind...

Yet it happened last April, during the BBQ party at the Quebec branch. It was half-enthusiastic and half-scared that I decided to embark on this adventure. Because let's be honest, a KCBS competition is quite an adventure!

To begin with, I am not a competitive person. In addition, I must admit that slow cooking is not what I do the most on the BBQ. It is fair to say that I would be a rotten teammate... But no! Max chose me precisely for my sense of organization, my infinite curiosity for the BBQ and my determination. Being himself captain of a team for the first time, we think that we might have beginner's luck!

The preparation

June 1st, so we arrive, Max and I, on this beautiful Friday evening, accompanied by a huge trailer. In addition to serving as a reference point for cooking, it contains the 3 BBQs that we will use, tables, bags of pellets and charcoal, spices, sauces, countless instruments and accessories, supplies, but above all, the work plan that we carefully developed a few days earlier. Despite our good will, we are already a little behind schedule...

Around 10pm, after settling in, we start! While Max works on the brisket, I prepare our spice mixes. We continue to work like this, with Bob Marley playing in the background, for a long time. A very long time. We start cooking and adjust the time according to the cuts of meat we have on hand. We take things out, tidy up, wash the dishes...

A little rest

At 03:15, while I am degreasing the skin of the upper thighs, I advise Max that it is very likely that I will suddenly start to be less pleasant. I am tired and have only one desire: to sleep! I finish my task without much enthusiasm...

Finally, it's 4:00 am. The birds start singing. I don't even know how I didn't fall asleep before. Some of the competitors have been asleep for a long time... I settle in "comfortably" on the back seat of the pickup. Max finishes 2-3 things before joining me on the reclined passenger seat. As for comfort, we'll come back! But it doesn't matter; we're so tired that we could sleep anywhere. Literally!

5:30, the alarm rings. Already. I wake Max up. I hear participants moving around the site. A strong coffee and we get back to work. The participants get up one by one and breakfast is served. The team spirit reigns. Mutual assistance is also present and services are rendered. Many laughs can be heard despite the seriousness of the competition.

Then comes the time to get out our fine motor skills because it's time to make the perfect presentation boxes! Max shares his know-how on this delicate work. Satisfied with the result, after an hour, there is only a little time left before the first turn-in.

The clock is ticking

I then become the guardian of time. We installed a clock in the trailer and the minutes pass, it seems to me, faster and faster. We concentrate. Put on some sauce. Light the charcoal. Check the temperature. Wrap the meat in aluminum foil. Check the temperature again…

11:55. Assembly of the first box. The one with the chicken. Our box is magnificent! 11:59, Max heads towards the delivery table with aplomb and caution. Noon! First successful turn-in!

12:30 Mission accomplished for the rib turn-in! We narrowly avoid a little sauce ending up in the lid! They are so good that I take the opportunity to eat a few...

12:55 The pork turn-in will be soon. Phew! Now things are getting complicated. The probe of our thermometer being defective, we are serving pork that is much too cooked for our taste. Never mind, we simply lower our expectations for this category.

1:20 p.m. Last turn-in to come: the beef brisket. The ultimate quest of any good pitmaster. Max spreads a thin layer of sauce on the meat. He then carefully arranges the pieces in the box. 1:30 p.m. And there you have it! Max solemnly begins his last race towards the delivery table! Nothing is going well, the game is over!

Tears of joy

While he was gone, I realized what we had just accomplished; all the effort, patience and knowledge that we had put into these beds of parsley! I was so proud that I allowed myself a few tears of joy. Joy related to the stress that had just disappeared, but especially related to surpassing oneself.

Despite the emotion and fatigue, which is increasingly felt, we then hurry to collect. We will have to wait until 4 p.m. before having the results. I take the opportunity to go around the teams I know and feel the pulse of their satisfaction...

3:55 PM As we head to the stage where the results are announced, Max tells me that if we get a call (be in the top 10 in a category), he'll be happy. We'll finally get 2! We rank 8th in the chicken category and we score 9th for the ribs!

Satisfied, we celebrate with the winning teams! Handshakes and hugs are exchanged, like at the end of a hockey game! Winner or not, everyone is happy!

Everyone is especially looking forward to the next KCBS competition! To find out what events are happening near you, and who knows, to register for your first BBQ competition too, visit KCBS