Hello BBQ Gang! Here's what's going on in the world of the Illinois BBQ Society... ~ Smokey J's BBQ Contest Anatomy ~ Part 3 of 5 ~ Sikeston, Missouri Contest Results... ~ Jefferson City, Missouri Contest Results... ~ Certified BBQ Judge's Class in Mt. Vernon Nearly Full! ~ Upcoming Non-Sanctioned/Backyard Contests... ~ Upcoming KCBS Contests... ~ Upcoming Classes... x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x This eNewsletter brought to you by: Southwestern Illinois Spring Festival ~ Wamac, Illinois While only a handful of spots remain for barbeque teams (check the fill-up status on our website), the fun is about to begin for live music, raffles, motorcycle show, softball tournament, beverage gardens, kids activities and MORE! May 2nd & 3rd are the dates and Wamac, Illinois is the place for this KCBS Sanctioned event that holds a State Proclamation for making it a State Championship contest (first of the year in Illinois), and a Qualifier for The Jack and The Royal. Contact: Shane Swartzlander Email: 2chubby@sbcglobal.net Cellular: (618) 204-2523; Home: (618) 533-5703 Online: http://www.GoCentralia.com/springfestival x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x Smokey J's BBQ Contest Anatomy ~ Part 3 of 5 By Jason Duhamell, Owner of Smokey J's BBQ - Mattoon, Illinois Saturday Morning at a KCBS contest Current mood: stressed Ok now it is Saturday Morning and if everything went ok with the smoker through the night I have gotten 4-5 hours of sleep if not much less, I am usually up at 5:30 at the latest to get the ribs started the ribs take anywhere from 4-5 hours, the ribs should have already been trimmed so all I need to do is apply the rub and they are ready at this point I will light the 2nd Weber Smokey Mountain and put the ribs in the rib rack on the top shelf of the smoker, ok they are on and I need to start getting the chicken ready, chicken to me is my favorite to cook because I am good a it when a place in a contest it is usually in chicken, in 2006 at Arthur I took 10th place out of 50 teams in chicken I thought that was a great accomplishment. I only cook chicken thighs because they are dark meat have a little more fat and are more forgiving than say a breast, I would say that 90% of the cooks I know do thighs. I usually cook about 10 pounds of thighs in order to get 6 perfect ones for the judges, and I do mean perfect I want them the same size, thickness and color after they are done cooking not too big and not to small. I trim the thighs with a pair of meat scissors to ensure they have no skin hanging off the sides and that they are a uniform shape, I rub the chicken with my personal homemade rub making sure to lift the skin and season under it directly on the meat, the chicken is wrapped and put back in the cooler for cooking later. Now it is time to have a cup of coffee and a quick breakfast, before the stress starts. To follow more of Smokey J's BBQ adventures, or find out more about his catering, contest schedule, check out his MySpace site at http://www.myspace.com/smokeyjsbbq . *************************************** Sikeston, Missouri Contest Results... Jason Duhamell (Smokey J's BBQ - Mattoon, IL) has posted the following info/results for the Sikeston, Missouri Redneck BBQ Contest... 1 delta smoke 2 highway heat 3 skin and bones 4 hardwood gang 5 two little pigs 6 two bros and a brit 7 smelly butts and bbq 8 j-mack 9 redneck grillers 10 big subpoenas bbq ILBBQS Members Smokin' T's took 1st in brisket and 1st in ribs ILBBQS Members Smokey J's BBQ took 8th in Chicken and 4th in Pork Chicken 1 Delta Smoke 166.8570 2 Big Subponeas BBQ 165.1428 3 Two little pigs 164.002 4 Pigs gone Wild 164.000 5 Bluff City Sweet lions 160.5718 6 Highway Heat 160.000 7 Nordenia Grillfest 159.4282 8 Smokey J's BBQ 158.2858 9 Boondock Saints BBQ 158.2856 10 Smokin Brothers 156.5714 Ribs 1 Smokin Ts 166.8574 2 Highway Heat 166.8572 3 Hardwood Gang 166.2858 4 J-Mack 164.0000 5 Redneck Grillers 162.8572 6 Two Bro's and a Brit 161.7142 7 Skin and Bones BBQ 161.7140 8 Smelly Butts and BBQ 158.2856 9 Show me Butts 156.0000 10 Partners n Swine 155.4286 Pork 1 Two Little Pigs 170.8572 2 Delta Smoke 168.5716 3 Hardwood Gang 165.1428 4 Smokey J's BBQ 162.2856 5 Skin and Bones BBQ 161.7142 6 Smelly Butts and BBQ 160.0002 7 Show me Butts 160.0002 8 Smokin T's 154.8570 9 Two Bros and a Brit 153.7142 10 Boondock Saints BBQ 152.5716 Brisket 1 Smokin T's 167.4286 2 Snail Slow Smokin 161.1428 3 Alan Wire 158.2858 4 Highway Heat 157.1430 5 Partners n Swine 157.1428 6 Delta Smoke 156.0000 7 Papa's Smokin Seven 155.4286 8 J-Mack 154.8568 9 Skin and Bones 154.2856 10 Smokus Pokus 154.2854 Great contest just real real windy and a bit cold today. First contest of the year and I already lost an EZ-Up, oh well had a great time. ~ Jason Duhamell, Smokey J's BBQ Congrats to All in the Call! *************************************** Jefferson City, Missouri Contest Results... Here are the results from another Missouri contest...posted because we had a couple of ILBBQS Members (highlighted) with some decent calls...CONGRATS! (As posted on the BBQ Forum) Overall GC: 4 Men And A Pig - 672.0002 RGC: Dry 2 Da Bone - 672.0000 3rd: Big Chief BBQ - 670.2856 4th: 4 Mile Smokin Crew - 669.1426 5th: Lutz's BBQ - 667.4288 6th: Pig Newton - 667.4284 7th: Smokin Triggers - 666.8572 8th: Natural Born Grillers - 666.8572 9th: Quau - 662.8566 10th: Slow and Easy - 660.5714 Chicken 10th : Drag-N-Butt BBQ 9th: 4 Mile Smokin Crew 8th: BBQ'rs Delight 7th: Chick N' Pig BBQ 6th: Pig Newton 5th: Big Chief BBQ 4th: Bubba and Jeffs BBQ 3rd: Moose Brothers BBQ 2nd: Smokin Triggers 1st: Smokers Wild Ribs 10th: Where's The Smoke 9th: Hot Flash BBQ 8th: Rock River BBQ 7th: Ulcer Acres BBQ 6th: Dry 2 Da Bone 5th: Big Chief BBQ 4th: Natural Born Grillers 3rd: Lutz's BBQ 2nd: 4 Men and A Pig 1st: 4 Mile Smokin Crew Pork 10th: Iowa's Smokey D's BBQ 9th: Smokin Triggers 8th: Tuxedo BBQ 7th: Joey Mac's Smoke Stax 6th: Pellet Envy 5th: Pig Newton 4th: 4 Men and A Pig 3rd: Smokin Guns 2nd: Dry 2 Da Bone 1st: Natural Born Grillers (Butt To Butt Invitation) Brisket 10th: Smokin Guns 9th: Yellow Jacket BBq 8th: Lit And Loaded 7th: Dry 2 Da Bone 6th: Rock River BBQ 5th: Quau 4th: Sedalia Master Basters 3rd: Slow And Easy 2nd: Smoke This BBQ 1st: Ulcer Acres BBQ *************************************** Certified BBQ Judge's Class in Mt. Vernon Nearly Full! Troy Heitmeyer, organizer for the King City BBQ Showdown, has told us that there has been a lot of interest in the CBJ class. Expectations are that it will fill up before this weekend's (April 19th) class time; so if you're on the fence, or have decided to go but have yet to get your application sent in, please do so ASAP. This is the last scheduled CBJ class for the year in Illinois and promises to be another outstanding event. In connection with the CBJ class, Mike Lake will also be putting on a Certified Table Captain's class in Mt. Vernon on April 18th. For information and application to either of these classes, check out the 'BBQ Classes' link at the top of the ILBBQS.com website. *************************************** Upcoming 2008 Non-Sanctioned/Backyard Contests... (All info & web addresses are posted on http://www.ILBBQS.com -> Contests/Events) ~ May 24-25, 2008 - Nashville Lion's Club MaiFest - Contact: Rodney Small, Post Office Box 27, Nashville, IL 62263 - Phone: 618-327-3224 Fax: 618-327-8479 - E-mail: drsmall@accessus.net ~ June 14, 2008 - 4th Annual Smokin' in the Park - Contact: Hap & Becky Zook at 309-266-5078 or Jim & Anita Allen at 309-962-9388 - E-mail: bjzook@verizon.net or jaallen@msn.com ~ June 28, 2008 - 2nd Annual Galesburg Railroad Days Jaycees Rib Cook-Off - Contact: Sherry M. Kincaid - E-mail: ribcookoff@galesburgjaycees.org ~ August 31, 2008 - Kewanee Hog Days - Contact: Janie Metscaviz - Phone: 309-856-6160 - E-mail: mtscvz@yahoo.com ~ October 5, 2008 - Maschhoff's Pork Farm Backyard BBQ Cook-Off - Contact: Julie Maschhoff, 7475 State Route 127, Carlyle, IL 62231 - Phone: 618-594-2125 - E-mail: juliem@pigsrus.net **NOTE** This contest is only open to 'local' teams...those teams from Marion, Clinton, and Washington Counties in Illinois. ~ October 17-18, 2008 - Barn Burner BBQ @ Lamb's Farm - Contact: Claudia Stevens, 14245 W. Rockland Rd, Libertyville, IL 60048 - Phone: 847-990-3750 ~ Fax: 847-362-0742 - E-mail: crs@lambsfarm.org *THIS CONTEST IS PENDING KCBS SANCTIONING* *************************************** Upcoming 2008 KCBS Contests... (All info & web addresses are posted on http://www.ILBBQS.com -> Contests/Events) ~ May 2-3, 2008 - Southwestern Illinois Spring Festival in Wamac, Illinois - Contact: Shane Swartzlander - Phone: (618) 533-5703 ~ Fax: - Online: http://www.gocentralia.com/springfestival - E-mail: 2chubby@sbcglobal.net ~ May 9-10, 2008 - CANCELLED - Dust Off Your Grill Backyard BBQ Cook-Off - Contact: Patty Peterson, 1000 Health Center Drive, Mattoon, IL 61938. - Phone: 217-258-2424 ~ Fax: 217-258-4135. - E-mail: ppeterson@sblhs.org ~ May 16-17, 2008 - The Randolph County Pig Party - Contact: Jason Vallett, 402 E. Broadway, Steeleville, IL 62288. - Phone: 618-965-3414 ~ Fax: 618-965-3177 - Email: jason@gregvallettautosales.com ~ May 24-25, 2008 - Red, White & Bar-B-Q - Contact: Jim Addington, 337 E. Traube Street, Westmont, IL 60559 - Phone: 630-443-2013 Fax: 630.443-2017 - E-mail: jaddington@ambankqc.com ~ June 13-14, 2008 - King City BBQ Showdown - Contact: Troy Heitmeyer, 104 N. 9th Street, Mt. Vernon, IL 62864 - Phone: 618-242-4020 x 15 ~ Fax: 618-242-3383 - E-mail: troy@cmacsoft.com ~ June 13-14, 2008 - Elk Grove Rotary Ribfest - Contact: Ron Nunes, 701 E. Irving Park Rd, Ste. 200, Roselle, IL 60172 - Phone: 630-307-8744 ~ Fax: 630-307-8755 - E-mail: rnunes9457@aol.com ~ July 11-12, 2008 - Illinois State Championship & Butt to Butt Pork Invitational - Contact: Connie Smith, 301 E. Sunrise Drive, Shannon, IL 61078 - Phone: 816-864-2542 ~ Fax: 815-864-2825 - E-mail: rrribs@frontiernet.net ~ September 12-13, 2008 - The BBQ Throwdown & Jam - Contact: Jim Reincke, PO Box 924, Salem, IL 62881 - Phone: 618-407-3300 ~ E-mail: bbqthrowdown@gosalem.com ~ September 19-20, 2008 - - Carbondale Main Street Pig Out - Contact: Meghan Cole, 121 S. Illinois Avenue, Carbondale, IL 62901 - Phone: 618-529-8040 ~ Fax: 618-529-8041 - E-mail: info@carbondalemainstreet.com ~ October 10-11, 2008 - Central Illinois Bragging Rights - Contact: George Fritz, 136 S. Vine Street, Arthur, IL 61911 - Phone: 217-543-2181 - E-mail: bbq@arthuril.com *************************************** Upcoming Classes... (All info posted on http://www.ILBBQS.com -> BBQ Classes) ~ Certified Table Captain's Class: Mount Vernon, Illinois - 04/18/2008 - Instructor: Mike Lake - Website: http://www.SouthernIllinois.com - Contact Information: Troy Heitmeyer ~ Phone: 618-242-4020 x 15 ~ troy@cmacsoft.com ~ Certified BBQ Judging Class: Mount Vernon, Illinois - 04/19/2008 - Instructor: Mike Lake - Website: http://www.SouthernIllinois.com - Contact Information: Troy Heitmeyer ~ Phone: 618-242-4020 x 15 ~ troy@cmacsoft.com *************************************** Upcoming BBQ Cooking Classes... (All info posted on http://www.ILBBQS.com -> BBQ Classes) ~ None Scheduled (That we know of...if you know of an upcoming class, let us know!) *************************************** If you have a BBQ related news item you would like to share with the group, be sure to send it in! There is an easy-to-use 'Submit News' button on our website at http://www.ILBBQS.com ...use it often! As always, if you have any pictures, stories, news items, comments, suggestions, questions, or ideas, let me know! Well folks, that's gonna do it for this year's news and updates. I hope you have a most wonderful, and safe, New Year! I'm looking forward to seeing a lot more of you down the BBQ trail of 2008! Carpe 'Que, Jim Rhino