BBQ Smoker Site » BBQ Competitions

Big Papa’s Country Kitchen Wins 2012 Cowboys Pig Out BBQ Competition

BBQ Smoker — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:37:11 +0000

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

The 2012 Competition BBQ Season is Here!

BBQ Smoker — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:41:48 +0000

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!

BBQ Smoker Site Represented at Ziggy Dick’s BBQ

BBQ Smoker — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:17:43 +0000

Just a quick post to share the awesome BBQ Smoker Site banner photo I received from Jason Whitcomb of the famed (infamous) Team Unknown BBQ out of Winter Haven, FL. They’re set up and are at this very moment rockin’ out the solid ‘cue at the Naples, FL Rotary Ziggy Dick’s BBQ event.

These guys are amazing… and as any one who knows the Team Unknown guys will attest, they always greet you with a “how the hell are you” and an ice old beer. It’s been and continues to be a real damn pleasure supporting them. Good luck to them today at the Ziggy Dick’s BBQ event!

If you have a favorite Team Unknown story… or just want to make one up – post a comment below! I’m sure we can get a real “bitches brew” up and running here if we really try!

1st Annual Southern Smoker’s BBQ Competition – Dundee, FL

BBQ Smoker — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:29:53 +0000

January 20-21, 2012 - The Dundee Area Chamber of Commerce is kicking off 2012 in true BBQ Smoker style with their 1st annual Southern Smoker’s BBQ Competition – a Florida Bar-B-Que (FBA) sanctioned event guaranteed to become a series to remember!

There are a ton of top notch competition BBQ Smoker Cook Teams here in the Central Florida area. Teams like Rub Bagby’s Swamp Boys BBQ, Team Unknown BBQ, Whiskey Bent BBQ, and Fatt Ashes BBQ are just a few of those here who are sure to be in contention for the Grand Champion honors!

Prize Money Break Down for the Professional Division

Grand Champion $1500.00
Reserve Champion $1000.00
3rd Place Overall $ 500.00
4th Place Overall $ 300.00
5th Place Overall $ 150.00

Each Category (Chicken, Ribs, Pork, and Brisket)

1st Place Trophy $250.00
2nd Place Trophy $150.00
3rd Place Trophy $100.00

Turn in Schedule

11:00 a.m. Chicken Judging Professional & Backyard
12:00 a.m. Ribs Judging Professional & Backyard
1:00 p.m. Pork Judging Professional & Backyard
2:00 p.m. Brisket Judging Professional & Backyard
5:00 p.m. Awards

This great event is sponsored by Central Florida Sports Marketing and sanctioned by the Florida BBQ Association. Sure to please the crowd, there will be chicken, pork ribs, pork and brisket available for sampling – prepped BBQ Smoker style all day by professional and amateur competitors and judged by local hero and Auburndale Police Officer Stacy Booth!

Admission to this event is free to the public.

Location and Details

This year’s event will be held on January 20-21, 2012 at the Winn Dixie Plaza located at 28047 Hwy 27, Dundee, FL. You won’t be able to miss it, because the parking lot will be BBQ Smoker central!

All on site purchase of food and beverages will be made with “Smokin’ Bucks,” that an be bought at an exchange of one buck for $1. Be sure to get your Smokin’ Bucks right away, so you can get started enjoying all of the BBQ Smoker goodness there will be on hand!

Want to Compete? There’s Still Time to Enter!

Any backyard or professional BBQ smoker cook teams interested in competing or vending, please contact the Dundee Chamber by phone at 863-439-3261 or 863-412-2774 or send an email to the Membership and Events Coordinator at ingrid.dflchamber@gmail.com. Forms and applications can also be found here.

Come kick off the BBQ season while supporting your local community! We’ll be Smokin’ at the Dundee Ridge Plaza!

Ziggy Dick’s BBQ Cookoff and Festival

BBQ Smoker — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:22:45 +0000

Kicking the 2012 Florida Bar-B-Que Association (FBA) competition cook off is this year’s Ziggy Dick’s BBQ Cookoff and Festival sponsored by the Naples, FL Rotary. The event runs from January 6th to the 7th and will be held at the Collier County Fairgrounds.

Last year was the first year for this event, and it’s sure to bring a huge crows again this time ’round. I know the guys from Team Unknown BBQ will be there, and local Naples area favorite and current FBA President Dana “Big Papa” Hillisand his Big Papa’s Country Kitchen BBQ Team will be there as well!

Ziggy Dick’s BBQ Cookoff and Festival A Sure Fire Good Time

Here’s a video promo from last year’s event, just to give you an idea of what you’re in for! In this video, you’ll spot favorites including Dana “Big Papa” Hillisand his Big Papa’s Country Kitchen BBQ Team, Rotary organizer Roger “Ziggy Dick” Dick, Gene Risen of Southern Boys BBQ Team, and Tim Reynolds of Pig In or Pig Out BBQ Team.

If you’re going to be in the Naples, FL area this weekend, be sure to check out the Ziggy Dick’s BBQ Cookoff and Festival. As an FBA sanctioned event, you’re sure to sample some of the best BBQ you’ve ever tasted – both from within and outside the state of Florida.

Are you cooking at this competition?

If so, leave your team name and website URL below so folks can be sure to find you there!