TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

You know the grill

ADVERTISEMENT

By EMILIE PLANTS

Tribune correspondent

Published: October 21, 2009

PLANT CITY - There's more to judging barbecue than munching down on the meat.

Besides the obvious - the flavor - there's the appearance and tenderness to consider.

Forty-five men and women from across the state learned the fine art of barbecue judging at an annual school sponsored by the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce. The school helps ensure a supply of judges for one of the chamber's premiere events - the Pig Jam.

"I did not know as much as I thought I knew. It's a lot more than just putting meat on a grill. There's a talent to it," Plant City resident Keith Williams said.

A diverse group of students sampled a selection of mouth-watering ribs, pork and brisket prepared by local barbecue aficionado and Pig Jam co-founder Mark Poppell. Chicken was prepared by Owen Johnson, a member of a Plant City family that has been in the restaurant business for generations.

The Oct. 4 school, sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society, was held at Johnson's barbecue restaurant at the State Farmers' Market.

"Having this competition school in Plant City brings in so many people, and this is my way of helping out by giving them a place to do it," said Johnson, whose family also founded BuddyFreddys and Fred's Farm Market Restaurant.

The barbecue judging school was established in 2003. The 157 graduates are certified to judge at the more than 200 Kansas City BBQ-sanctioned competitions.

Michael Cameron, a certified judge from Plant City, gave the food prepared at the Oct. 4 training session a figurative 9, the highest score on the Kansas City BBQ Society judging slip.

"This will spoil you. This is some of the best barbecue in the world," he said.

As Pig Jam judging coordinator, Cameron gets a chance to taste competition barbecue from throughout the U.S. At last year's Pig Jam he directed the nearly 100 volunteer judges, most of them graduates of Plant City's school.

Chamber of commerce President Marion Smith is proud that Plant City hosts one of only two Kansas City BBQ Society-sanctioned judging schools in Florida.

This year's instructor, Stephen Smith of Ocala, has worked closely with Marion Smith and the rest of the chamber since the Pig Jam started in 2002.

"We think it adds a lot to the town and helps people be enthusiastic about barbecue and learn what good barbecue is," he said.

Smith belongs to a select group of only seven certified barbecue instructors in the country.

Erica Sackett said she enrolled in the class after developing a love for barbecue during college. The Tampa resident said she left the Plant City school with a better eye and taste for the art.

"I think I know what to look for now. It's about having a criterion to be able to evaluate a rubric. It's being able to definitively say, "This is good barbecue." I think I got it. I'm on my way," she said.

Steve Sheffield, one of a dozen Plant City residents in the class, said he also gained a newfound understanding of barbecue, a longtime hobby. Sheffield said he chats online with fellow barbecue enthusiasts, but the four-hour course opened up a new world of barbecue for him.

"It (competition barbecue) was a black box to me. Now, I know how they go about judging and what they're looking for," he said.

One student, Louis Goldman of Fernandina Beach, said he already has certification as a judge from barbecue associations in Florida and Georgia. He said getting certified by the prestigious Kansas City group was well worth the four-hour drive.

"Whether you've judged or not, you learn a lot about meats here. When you go into a restaurant and you order ribs or chicken, you're gonna realize what you learned tonight and what you have before you," he said.

Jack Peacock of Plant City, who graduated from last year's class, has been on both sides of the competition, as a judge and cook.

"You're living with your cooker starting Friday morning until after you're through judging at the end of the day Saturday. Then you've got a mess. Everything is greasy. It's work," said Peacock, who hasn't decided whether he'll be judging or cooking at the Nov. 21 Pig Jam.

Cooks from across the country will compete at the Pig Jam for $15,000 in cash and prizes, and they expect trained judges, Poppell said.

"When a pro goes to a competition, he wants to know that someone that knows what they're doing is gonna judge it. They've got a lot of money invested in it, and they don't want to know that someone's granddaughter that's visiting is gonna determine whether or not they win or lose," he said.

7th Annual Plant City Pig Jam
WHAT: Barbecue competition; spectators can buy samples of barbecue, soft drinks and beer

ENTERTAINMENT: Live bands, family activities and sports bar tent with college games on big screens

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 21

WHERE: Randy L. Larson Softball Four-Plex at 1500 S. Park Road, near Plant City Stadium

COST: Admission free; $5 to park

INFORMATION: Call the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce at (813) 754-3707 or go to www.plant city.org.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT