Hello BBQ Gang! Here's what's going on in the world of the Illinois BBQ Society... ~ Smokey J's BBQ Contest Anatomy ~ Part 4 of 5 ~ Certified BBQ Judging Class a Success ~ Barn Burner BarBQ Returning for 3rd Year ~ Contest Preview... Wamac, Illinois ~ Contest Preview... Nashville, Illinois ~ Contest Preview... Mt. Vernon, Illinois ~ Contest Preview... Elk Grove, Illinois ~ Contest Preview... Kewanee, Illinois ~ News Submission Page on ILBBQS.com ~ 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. The Southwestern Illinois Spring Festival is being produced as a benefit for local non-profit and charitable organizations. 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 4 of 5 By Jason Duhamell, Owner of Smokey J's BBQ - Mattoon, Illinois Turn-in Time KCBS Contest Current mood: determined Now it is time to continue our Saturday adventures. It is about 10 in the morning the brisket and the Pork have been on the smoker for 12 hours and are probably ready to come off at this point if they are ready I foil both of them and put them into a empty cooler brisket on bottom they will stay hot in this cooler for a long time like 4-5 hours now I don’t need to worry about them until it is time to prep the boxes, now things start to get hectic. At every KCBS contest as I said before the same meats is used also the same turn-in times are generally used also, starting at noon is Chicken, 12:30 Ribs, 1:00 Pork, and at 1:30 Brisket, these times are plus or minus 5 minutes and the times are strictly enforced with the official clock if you turn your chicken in at 12:00 and 5 seconds you are disqualified in the chicken category plain and simple, I know many cooks that have arrived at the turn in table 5 seconds and had to turn around and return to their site with their turn-in box still in hand, moral of the story don’t be late. Ok Chicken is on the WSM and ready to be transferred to the Weber kettle for crisping, ribs are foiled and almost done pork and brisket is done and waiting in a cooler to be sliced and chopped. Now it is time to start prepping the boxes, usually my wife Rachel will be doing this but if I am by myself of course I have to do it, the boxes I am referring to are 9x9 Styrofoam containers, KCBS only allows certain garnishes Lettuce, parsley and Cilantro, and nothing else if you put anything other than the approved garnishes in the box you will be disqualified at the judges table for that category. Also all boxes must contain at least 6 pieces for the 6 judges once again a DQ will happen if not. I will continue this in my next and final KCBS Contest blog. 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 . *************************************** Certified BBQ Judging Class a Success Contest Organizer Troy Heitmeyer (King City BBQ Showdown in Mt. Vernon, Illinois) working with a crew consisting of his team mate Tony Mezo (Smokin' T's BBQ), Rick Kramer (Rick's Pit Stop BBQ), and Denny Franklin (Swine-O's BBQ) worked with KCBS Instructors Mike & Theresa Lake (Shannon, Illinois) to present the CBJ class on April 19th in Mt. Vernon. The class was pretty much standing room only as 43 eager BBQ enthusiasts, and 2 CBJs there for a refresher, came in from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Kentucky to learn the ins and outs of being a Certified BBQ Judge. Be sure to check out the pictures on the website! As with everything BBQ related that Troy puts his stamp on, this class was top-notch and a lot of fun. Kudos to Troy, Mike, Theresa and Crew for a job well done! *************************************** Barn Burner BarBQ Returning for 3rd Year Though a new captain is at the helm, the popular Libertyville, Illinois contest has now been officially sanctioned for it's third year. While details are not yet available, we do know that Mike and Theresa Lake are going to be crossing the t's and dotting the i's as KCBS Contest Reps for this annual event. Stay tuned for details, or check out the 'Contests/Events' page for additional information. *************************************** Contest Preview...Wamac, Illinois Submitted by Shane Swartzlander, Contest Organizer: The first annual Southwestern Illinois Spring Festival is just about here! We have only a few spots left for teams (capping at 25 this year), will probably have 100% certified judges (or VERY close to it), and have lots of activities going to for everyone. In addition to the State Championship, and KCBS Sanctioned, Cook-off, we're going to have activities for the kids, a karaoke contest on Saturday, bands both Friday and Saturday nights, a motorcycle show, a softball tournament, and more! This contest is a qualifier for The Royal and The Jack and has teams from several states already signed up. Since this is the first KCBS Sanctioned event of the year in Illinois, it's a good contest to cook with the possibility of locking in your invitation early in the season. Be sure to check out our website for more information. We're online at www.GoCentralia.com/springfestival *************************************** Contest Preview...Nashville, Illinois ~ Submitted by Rodney Small, Contest Organizer Friday night we will have the band Hicks and Strangers; Saturday night SMASH band; and Sunday afternoon and evening will feature The MIXX. There  will be a car show on Sunday and family entertainment in the form of rides and games for kids. We also have a softball tournament all 3 days. For directions and information, visit http://www.lionsbbq.com.prophecy1.com *************************************** Contest Preview...Mt. Vernon, Illinois ~ Submited by Troy Heitmeyer, Contest Organizer The Mt. Vernon, Illinois contest (King City BBQ Showdown) is shaping up to be another spectacular event on June 13th & 14th.  The contest has grown every year since we started back in 2003.  Our first year we had only 26 teams but last year, our 5th anniversary, we had 47 teams join us in the fun.  One of the most cooker friendly events on the circuit this year, stop by and spend the weekend with us and try your luck cooking against some of the best cooks in the country.  Plenty of Power and Water, large 30x30 spaces (at least) and we cook on grass with easy access to your spaces.  Checkout www.SouthernIllinois.com to see the other festivities going on during the weekend with local and regional bands playing Friday and Saturday night.   Hope to see you there! *************************************** Contest Preview... Elk Grove, Illinois ~ Submitted by Ron Nunes, Contest Organizer 2 months prior to our cookoff I would like to give you an update. The prize money is calculated at over $15,000.00 in money and prizes. We will pay the top 5 in each category, and with the aid of CancerSucksChicago.com, we have decided to pay the top 10 overall teams. June 13th and 14th is the contest, and on Friday night winner take all $500.00 People's Choice competition Sponsored by the good people at Moo And Oink. Over 25 teams registered already. Judges apps, team apps and paid teams are listed online at www.ElkGroveRotary.com And a big hand to Sweet Baby Rays BBQ restaurants for sponsoring the cook. *************************************** Contest Preview... Kewanee, Illinois ~ Submitted by Janie Metscaviz, Contest Organizer Just wanted to give you an update on our cook-off.  We have one of our local grocery stores, Save-A-Lot to be our sponsor for the cook-off, so it will be called the Save-A-Lot Pork Cook-off Showdown.  Everything is up-dated on our website at www.KewaneeHogDays.com.  If you click on events, then click on the pork cook-off, there are two ways to download the entry form and rules.  Our biggest change, of course, is the date to Sunday, August 31, which is during our Hog Festival, which brings around 20,000 people to our fair city of Kewanee.  During the cook-off, there will be all sorts of entertainment going on.  One thing for sure, there will be plenty to do while everyone is cooking.  Also, if the contestant wishes to give or sell samples to the public, there will be plenty of people that will be more than happy to taste.  We have already had a couple people that has seen our cook-off advertised on your website that are showing an interest in entering.   Hope all is well in your BBQ world!!! *************************************** Contest Preview...Salem, Illinois Submitted by Jim 'Rhino' Reincke, Contest Organizer: Well, this year's event has evolved into something special for everyone involved. This year's festival is being held as a charitable event to benefit the children of a local Catholic School and the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life. Local and nationally touring bands will be featured over the two night event, raffles, a beer & wine garden, and special drawings exclusively for ILBBQS and/or KCBS members are being planned. Though sporting a different name than the last two years, The BBQ Throwdown & Jam will have a cash purse of at least $5,000...same as the past two years...not including prizes and trophies. We will be paying out $1,500 for Grand Champion, $800 for Reserve Grand Champion, and each category will see $250 for 1st place, $175 for 2nd place, $125 for 3rd place, $75 for 4th place, and $50 for 5th place. Although we ended up moving two teams off the waiting list, we still had to cap last year's contest at 50 teams though only 48 ended up turning entries in for judging. This year's contest should end up with 40 to 50 of the 'best of the best' teams from around the country and, with closer indoor facilities, is promising to be even more cook and judge friendly. *************************************** News Submission Page on ILBBQS.com With so many new contests coming up in Illinois, and since I cannot make it to all of them, here's a call for help from our membership...SEND IN THE NEWS! Whether it be contest results, contest previews, news about any of our members (or yourself), or anything barbeque related...SEND IN THE NEWS! There is a whole page dedicated to making it easy for you to submit news and information. Check it out at http://www.ILBBQS.com/news/news_submit.htm . *************************************** 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. *************************************** 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 ~ 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 *************************************** Upcoming Certified BBQ Judge's and Certified Table Captain's 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!) *************************************** 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