BBQ and cooking competitions happen all over the states and throughout the year. Some are large productions with music and vendors, lasting up to a week, while other competitions are smaller scale in a parking lot or field, wrapping up in a day or two. Whichever you attend, one thing is for sure... there is some amazing food being prepared.
Tom Feil, of Christmas City BBQ, has been part of many BBQ competitions. In fact, 13 years worth of cooking and competing, with over 185 awards, including multiple Reserve and Grand Championship wins. Work Sharp has had the pleasure to know Tom, and he has been gracious to us, spreading the Work Sharp name and the importance of a sharp knife!
Recently, Tom celebrated yet another win at a competition in Pennsylvania (third place in the brisket category). In celebration of his win, we asked Tom if we could share more of his story.
Check out Tom's experience below. For those considering the world of BBQ or food competitions, this may shed some light into what you can expect!
Christmas City BBQ
We started out 13 years ago with a 10 x 10 EZ up, a few folding tables and an army of coolers. Over the years we have improved our set-up and currently have a 20 foot enclosed trailer with the back eight feet being an open covered porch. Our first competition was in 2005, after I saw an advertisement in the local paper for a BBQ competition, sanctioned by the KCBS at a Cabela's store not too far from my house. I had just completed building a whole hog cooker and with some extra late night work grinding and painting, the hog cooker became a reverse flow trailer pit. We placed 4th at the competition at our local Cabela's, and I knew it would be far from our last. I was hooked.
I tell people competition BBQ is like Nascar. We usually already know the people we will be competing against at each event, whether we are in Virginia or Maine. We cook the same categories every competition and so the hope is to edge out everyone else with something tiny, sometimes winning is by a hundredth of a point.
Truly, that is where I see Work Sharp as an edge-up on my competition. Before I started using Work Sharp sharpeners, I would have medium sharp knives for both prep and turn-ins. Now, my knives are ridiculously sharp. I can make precise cuts to ensure my turn-ins are perfectly uniform and even. When you are being judged on appearance, a sharp knife counts!!
My prep for a competition starts the week before. At home I will mix the sauces, injections, braising liquids, and finishing glazes. Competitors are required to bring their own meat, so it only makes sense to buy the best possible. Over the years we have graduated to Wagyu beef brisket and our scores have really gone up in that category. During a typical BBQ competition, we will cook one 17 lb brisket, four pork butts, four racks of ribs, and 16 chicken thighs. I will hand in nine slices of brisket, three rows of pork medallions (money muscle) from three or four butts, 8-10 ribs and seven chicken thighs.
After we arrive at an event, all the meat is trimmed and prepped with their appropriate injections and sauces. By 9 pm we are off and cooking and it doesn't stop. We move from protein to protein, starting their cooking times when necessary to have it ready for the competition turn-in times the following day. Typically, by 11:30am on the day of judging, we are juggling many things. The ribs are getting ready to come off for good and checked for doneness, chicken is coming out and needing a final rub application, and the remaining pork will be pulled from the smoker. I use thermometers in my big meats to assist with knowing when is the right moment.
The judging schedule looks something like this:
Noon: Chicken turn-in
12:30pm: Rib turn-in
1pm: Pork turn-in
1:30pm: Brisket turn-in
4pm: Awards
They are busy days and require a lot of multitasking. Anything we can do to be best prepared and on top of our game, we do. Using our Work Sharp knife sharpener before competitions has made a big difference for me. In the moments I am selecting the best portions of meat for turn-ins, my sharp knife helps me create precise cuts for the best presentation. Work Sharp knife sharpeners has helped us greatly, and it feels great to share the news of my wins with the Work Sharp team.
Written by Tom Feil, Christmas City BBQ
Check out more from Tom at Christmas City BBQ
