The Texas BBQ Forum

Hey good people! So first off, it's been awhile since I've posted on here, so hello to all of you! Secondly, I am now part of a great cook-off team, Unfinished Business Cookers. We recently finished our first ever cook-off, The BigAss Crawfish Cook-off in La Marque, TX. While we didn't place, we did put out a great product and I'm confident we will do better next year.

In the mean time, we'd like to look at competing at other similar, perhaps even a bit smaller cook-offs. As a new team member and ever learning chef, I'd welcome your thoughts and how best to proceed. Also thoughts and suggestions on what to do with prize money, and money in general (Such as, does each member pay monthly dues? To keep a cash flow for the team and things of that sort..).

Any and all advice will be welcome! Glad to be back on here and I look forward to your comments! Take care and keep on grilling!

Go to the IBCA website, they have a schedule of a lot of the cook offs.

By beer with the money.

Send a private message to “KAM”

Rambo wrote:Send a private message to “KAM”

Who is that?

A member; do a search

theirishbbqer wrote:

Rambo wrote:Send a private message to “KAM”

Who is that?

He is a valued Member here on the Forum and also a Head Judge of the IBCA
Kevin Miller https://ibcabbq.org/head-judges/
I'm almost positive that he can answer all of your questions if you give him a shout

theirishbbqer wrote:Hey good people! So first off, it's been awhile since I've posted on here, so hello to all of you! Secondly, I am now part of a great cook-off team, Unfinished Business Cookers. We recently finished our first ever cook-off, The BigAss Crawfish Cook-off in La Marque, TX. While we didn't place, we did put out a great product and I'm confident we will do better next year.

In the mean time, we'd like to look at competing at other similar, perhaps even a bit smaller cook-offs. As a new team member and ever learning chef, I'd welcome your thoughts and how best to proceed. Also thoughts and suggestions on what to do with prize money, and money in general (Such as, does each member pay monthly dues? To keep a cash flow for the team and things of that sort..).

Any and all advice will be welcome! Glad to be back on here and I look forward to your comments! Take care and keep on grilling!

Welcome to the wonderful world of competition BBQ.
1. "In the mean time, we'd like to look at competing at other similar, perhaps even a bit smaller cook-offs. As a new team member and ever learning chef, I'd welcome your thoughts and how best to proceed."
Stay away from unsanctioned cooks or "Bubba cooks". With sanctioned cooks comes standardized rules making the playing field a bit more stable.
2. Also thoughts and suggestions on what to do with prize money, and money in general (Such as, does each member pay monthly dues?
There should only be one head cook on your team. The head cook makes all the decisions on the main meats to be turned in by doing this you create stability in the team and results. Ancillaries can be cooked by anyone including wives. As far as prize money goes, who foots the bill? Monthly dues would be a deal breaker for me as I may not make all events. Breaking down expenses can be as simple as a pecking order as far as who is burning the most fuel pulling cookers or travel trailers, who is purchasing the meat and so on. At the end of the day all expenses can be split equally and the winnings if any can be also. Trophies can be given to sponsors if any or the chief cook as they did the work.
Most teams I know do it for the comrade and nothing more the ones that fail and split cannot except what i mentioned earlier. This is just my opinion on the years I have been competing and judging.
The last and most important bit of advice is be taste judges at events to get a feel of what is being turned in.
If you would like to discuss this further I will be happy to visit with you.

Thanks for the advice!

Thanks for the advice !

k.a.m. wrote:

theirishbbqer wrote:Hey good people! So first off, it's been awhile since I've posted on here, so hello to all of you! Secondly, I am now part of a great cook-off team, Unfinished Business Cookers. We recently finished our first ever cook-off, The BigAss Crawfish Cook-off in La Marque, TX. While we didn't place, we did put out a great product and I'm confident we will do better next year.

In the mean time, we'd like to look at competing at other similar, perhaps even a bit smaller cook-offs. As a new team member and ever learning chef, I'd welcome your thoughts and how best to proceed. Also thoughts and suggestions on what to do with prize money, and money in general (Such as, does each member pay monthly dues? To keep a cash flow for the team and things of that sort..).

Any and all advice will be welcome! Glad to be back on here and I look forward to your comments! Take care and keep on grilling!

Welcome to the wonderful world of competition BBQ.
1. "In the mean time, we'd like to look at competing at other similar, perhaps even a bit smaller cook-offs. As a new team member and ever learning chef, I'd welcome your thoughts and how best to proceed."
Stay away from unsanctioned cooks or "Bubba cooks". With sanctioned cooks comes standardized rules making the playing field a bit more stable.
2. Also thoughts and suggestions on what to do with prize money, and money in general (Such as, does each member pay monthly dues?
There should only be one head cook on your team. The head cook makes all the decisions on the main meats to be turned in by doing this you create stability in the team and results. Ancillaries can be cooked by anyone including wives. As far as prize money goes, who foots the bill? Monthly dues would be a deal breaker for me as I may not make all events. Breaking down expenses can be as simple as a pecking order as far as who is burning the most fuel pulling cookers or travel trailers, who is purchasing the meat and so on. At the end of the day all expenses can be split equally and the winnings if any can be also. Trophies can be given to sponsors if any or the chief cook as they did the work.
Most teams I know do it for the comrade and nothing more the ones that fail and split cannot except what i mentioned earlier. This is just my opinion on the years I have been competing and judging.
The last and most important bit of advice is be taste judges at events to get a feel of what is being turned in.
If you would like to discuss this further I will be happy to visit with you.

The Outlaw BBQ Association is relatively new on the scene but seems to be sponsoring a pretty fair number of cooks around the state. The inaugural Ennis event last year was very well run.