Big Papa’s Country Kitchen is at it again – taking Grand Champion honors at the 2102 Fort Pierce, Florida Cowboys Pig Out BBQ Competition, a Florida Bar-B-Que Sanctioned event. For those of you who don’t know Dana and his lovely wife Janet, they are the most welcoming and fun loving couple you could ever hope to meet. They also know how to produce top quality product from a BBQ Smoker!
Photo Credit: Florida Bar-B-Que Association
I had the chance to meet Dana and Janet on one for the first time at last year’s Historic Cocoa Village’s BBQ & Blues competition, where Dana was gracious enough to ask me to have a seat and share an ice cold beer. He showed me around his trailer and we took a look at his BBQ Smoker, which is always a special treat since I am a full time BBQ Competition NERD fan!
Big Papa’s Country Kitchen is on a roll for 2012, and is so far in the lead for Florida Bar-B-Que’s Team of the Year. No surprise given that the team finished 2nd last year among all BBQ Smoker cook teams behind Terry McKay’s Git-R-Smoked BBQ team!
Dana Hillis … Leading By Example
Dana is this year’s Florida Bar-B-Que Association President, so we’re being led by someone who puts his BBQ Smoker where his gavel is! This, by the way, is the trend with our fine organization as last year’s President – Forrest Dilmore – was exactly the same type of awesome lead by example professional!
Here’s how Pig Papa’s Country Kitchen Fared Overall
- 2nd Place Chicken
- 2nd Place Ribs
- 8th Place Pork
- 6th Place Brisket
As you can see, it’s all about the points, baby! With BBQ Smoker competitions, you do not have to win each category to win Grand Championship honors. In fact, there have been instances where a Grand Champion was crowned without taking first place in any category! What your’e aiming for is a win in at least one category and walks in all of them. Do that, and you have a shot! Win two categories and walk in all of them and there’s a real great chance you’ll take it all home!
Here’s how the top 10 in this year’s event panned out. For complete results, head on over to the Florida Bar-B-Que Association contests site.
Top 10 Finishers at the 2012 Cowboys Pig Out BBQ Competition
- Big Papa’s Country Kitchen
- Blitzkrieg BBQ
- Forrest’s Fine Foods
- Lang BBQ Smokers
- Saucy Swine-O’s
- Hot Wachulas
- Smoky Dog
- Great Lakes BBQ & Feed Co.
- Git R Smoked
- J & J Bar B Que
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What Competition BBQ Events is YOUR Team Cooking in 2012?
This one’s short and sweet… I’m calling for a shout out! If you have a BBQ Cook Team anywhere within reading distance of the BBQ Smoker Site, then I want to hear about your team and where you’ll be competing in 2012.
BBQ Competitions is really where the pig meets the coals! Whether you cook here in the South as part of the Florida Bar-B-Que Association, or are among the many other great competition circuits out there, I want to hear from you!
Rules for posting your BBQ Smoker Team Shout Out
Please include the following in your comment below:
- Team Name
- Where You’re Located
- What Division (Pro or Backyard)
- A brief description of your BBQ Smoker Set Up
I also invite you to include a link to your website, blog, Facebook Page, Twitter account, etc. in your comment below. Let’s get a roll call going for 2012! Consider this you making your BBQ Smoker resolution public!
My Own Involvement in BBQ
In truth, I started the BBQ Smoker site as a fan and spectator of competition BBQ and have only moved up to the rank of “participatory spectator.” Initially, Chad, Jared and the rest of the Whiskey Bent BBQ crew took me in just as they moved up from Backyard to the Pro Division. In time, they introduced me to the Team Unknown crew and good Lord it was all downhill from there! Seriously, all of the local central Florida BBQ cook teams I’ve had the pleasure of meeting – as well as several from outside the state – have and continue to be good and true friends of mine. I consider myself lucky to know them all.
My own next venture will be judging at the 2012 Lakeland Pigfest – a very popular KCBS event held annually down here. Can’t wait to see how my buddies do. To all of you planning to attend the event, please send me a note here on the blog or over on my Facebook page!
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