Call for BBQ enthusiasts to participate in cookoff

Are you the barbeque master? A grill connoisseur? Do the mouths of your family and friends water when you’re cooking up ribs on a hot summer afternoon?

Here’s your chance to showcase those skills.

Barrhead’s first BBQ Cookoff is scheduled for Aug. 8 and 9, and organizers are looking for participants.

There are four cateogories in the cookoff; beef brisket, pork shoulder, pork ribs, and chicken. Each category costs $25 to enter, and participants can take part in whichever ones they want.

Originally the challenge was only for charcoal or wood barbeques, however the competition has recently been opened to gas as well.

“A lot of people prefer to use gas so we’re changing that in our rules so we get a good number of people,” said organizer Dennis Ranger, owner of Barrhead Custom Meats. “This is our first year, that’s why we’ve opened it up to gas barbeques, so we can get enough interest.”

The event will take place in the Barrhead Agrena parking lot. Once on site, Ranger said participants can cook and season their meat any way they like.

For those signed up to cook the brisket, grilling begins at midnight on Aug. 7.

“We have August 8th for the people that are doing the brisket because it’s a long cook,” said Ranger. “If someone wants to do say, ribs and chicken, it’s a shorter cook so they only have to be there Saturday afternoon.”

Judging begins late Saturday afternoon once the Blue Heron Fair rodeo wraps up, probably around 4 p.m. The public will be doing the judging, which will run to around 6 p.m..

For $5, anyone can purchase a “Taster” button.

“With that button they can taste everybody’s entry, then they get to vote who is the best in each category,” said Ranger. “So it’s a public choice. The more participants, the more food you’re going to get.”

The idea sprouted from a friendly father-son competition. Ranger and his son Shane are ready to go head to head for bragging rights.

“He basically said he’s better than the old guy. I say, I taught you everything I know except for a little bit,” said Ranger. “That part is where I’m going to get him, that little bit.”

Currently the competition has six confirmed participants, however Ranger would like to see that number up to 15 or 20. The more participants, the better the experience will be for community members juding the competition.

“If there are 20 participants there, people are going to get filled up on $5,” said Ranger.

“I just want to have something new going on in Barrhead,” said Ranger. “And I’d like to see it go year after year.”

Anyone interested in participating can contact Dennis Ranger at Barrhead Custom Meats 674-3121, or Dave Sawatzky at Sanderman’s Home Hardware 674-2427.