DENNYMIKE’S TO HOST 2010 MAINELY GRILLIN’ AND CHILLIN’ BBQ COMPETITION
July 21, 2010 by admin
Filed under WHAT'S GOING ON
Early August event to feature Kansas City BBQ Society-sanctioned competition
and Pitmasters Class for ’cue chefs
Eliot, Maine – Organizers of the Mainely Grillin’ and Chillin’ BBQ Competition (http://www.mainelybbq.com), held in conjunction with the Celebrate MAINE Festival (http://www.celebratemainefestival.com/) at the Raitt Homestead Farm Museum in Eliot, Maine (2077 State Rd.), today announced that this year’s second-annual competition has attracted 40 competing teams, a coup in barbecue circles, particularly given the fact that Maine is geographically so far out of Southern states’ “barbecue orbit.”
Dennis M. (“Denny Mike”) Sherman, event sponsor and creator of DennyMike’s award-winning line of rubs and sauces, explained that the festival’s early success, coupled with the number of top-notch teams from around the country scheduled to compete, illustrate how his home state of Maine is continuing to make a name for itself in the national barbecue arena.
“You don’t have to be from the South to know and appreciate great barbecue,” Sherman said. “Some very talented ’cue chefs from all over the Northeast and Canada will be competing for the title of Grand Champion and vying for prizes and wicked good bragging rights come August.”
On Sunday, August 8, certified Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS, http://www.kcbs.us/) judges from all over the country will take stock of the competition and determine the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in four categories—pork, ribs, chicken and brisket. More than $3,200 in cash and prizes will be awarded with the grand champion taking home $1,500 plus a trophy and prizes. In addition, each section of the competition will be fully ranked so participants can assess how their BBQ entries stack up against the rest.
Since its launch last year, the Mainely Grillin’ & Chillin’ State BBQ Competition, also sanctioned by the New England Barbecue Society (www.nebs.org), has attracted competition-level barbecue teams from across the country. The local competition has a decidedly national impact: The winner of the 2009 Mainly Grillin’ and Chillin’ Competition, IQUE, went on to win the 2009 Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational in Lynchburg, Tennessee, one of the most prestigious in the industry.
Official judging begins at 12 p.m., and prizes will be award at 5:30 p.m. Aspiring barbecue enthusiasts can register for the competition at http://tinyurl.com/268zmdn.
The highly regarded Pitmasters Class to be held on Friday, August 6, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. will be led by two legends of Kansas City barbecue, Kansas City “Baron of Barbecue” Paul Kirk and Ardie Davis, founder of the American Royal Barbecue Sauce Contest. Davis is the founder of the American Royal International BBQ Sauce, Rub, and Baste Contest and the Great American Barbecue Sauce, Baste and Rub Contest and is the author of five barbecue cookbooks. Kirk, who operates Baron’s School of Pitmasters, is the author of six barbecue cookbooks. In addition, he has won more than 475 cooking and barbecuing awards, including seven world championships such as the prestigious American Royal Open, the world’s largest barbecue contest.
In 2009, Kirk and Davis co-authored “America’s Best Barbecue: 100 Recipes from America’s Best Smokehouses, Pits, Shacks, Rib Joints, Roadhouses, and Restaurants!,” which features DennyMike’s recipe for Seafood Stuffed Smoked Lobster. This year, the duo teamed up the Carolyn Wells, cofounder of the KCBS, to commemorate the founding of the organization with a new cookbook, “The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook: 25th Anniversary Edition,” which features Sherman’s recipes for Smoked Meatloaf and regional favorite Shepherd’s Pie. Sherman, who will join the class and offer his insights alongside Davis and Kirk, believes the experience will be beneficial to ’cue cooks of all levels.
“The interactive and intensive cooking class is a ‘can’t-miss’ opportunity for everyone from aspiring ’cue chefs to seasoned competitors,” said Sherman. “Ardie and Chef Paul will cover everything about preparing and cooking authentic smoked barbecue, from recipes for sauces and rubs to cooking all of the competition categories included in sanctioned contests (ribs, brisket pork and chicken). It will be a lot of fun with a big payoff.”
The class is expected to sell out early. Those wishing to register for the class can email eatea@comcast.net for an application or download the application at http://tinyurl.com/2db5l8x.
The top-notch barbecue events will be held in conjunction with the Celebrate MAINE Festival, August 7-8. Chock full of family-focused events, Celebrate MAINE will feature live entertainment, including the Don Campbell Band, Four Baritones, and Matt and the Barnburners; dozens of talented craft artisans demonstrating their talent and selling their wares; and a beer garden from Shipyard, all set on the beautiful and welcoming Raitt Homestead Farm Museum. A Children’s Corner will provide complimentary children’s activities, such as a crafts table, rock wall, wagon rides and games.
On Saturday, August 7, Festival attendees can stroll through the grounds and watch competitors prepare their finest grill specialties in an Iron Chef-style competition complete with a secret ingredient. There also will be a Wyman’s Wild Blueberry dessert contest, a people’s choice chicken wing contest, and a logo design competition. For those who go to the festival to eat, a number of barbecue vendors will be offering brisket, ribs, pulled pork and a wide range of side items for sale.
The events attracted more than 3,500 people last year, and Event Coordinator Lisa Raitt hopes to double attendance this year. Daily admission is just $5 per person, and admission for children 12 and under is free. Attendees can take advantage of on-site camping or take in the sights and sounds of the festival each day from 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Day parking is free. Full details and the daily schedules are available at http://www.mainelybbq.com.
