Printable VersionSeventy-four competitive barbecue teams from 13 states will begin to set up temporary outdoor kitchens today at Lake Havasu State Park’s Windsor 4 for the big barbecue cook-off Saturday. A win could earn competitors a portion of $10,000 in overall prizes and trophies.
 Jayne Hanson/News-Herald Photo At least eight Daybreakers Lions Club members worked together Wednesday morning to set up the event’s host tent at Lake Havasu State Park Windsor 4. |
“Thursday looks good, Friday looks good, but Saturday doesn’t look so good,” said Senior Meteorologist Ken Clark of Accuweather.com.
“Saturday could be cooler with a daytime high temperature of 66 degrees, southwest winds of 10-22 mph with gusts expected. There is a possibility of showers that day,” Clark said.
HAVABBQ 2010 London Bridge Style, a Kansas City Barbecue Society sanctioned event, will officially kick off with a KCBS certified judging class to train new judges. The seminar will run tonight from 6-10 p.m. at BBQ Bill’s Big Easy Bistro.
The criteria of the class will focus on judging strategies such as taste, tenderness and appearance of the individual food entries, according to KCBS certified instructor and board member Gene Goycochea.
Food served during the training “will not be competition quality food by any means, but will work as a learning tool,” Goycochea said. In competitive barbecuing, teams cook for six judges, not a roomful of 60 or more people learning how to become a judge. The entries within competitions are much more precise, he said.
Only about 10 percent of the seminar students will end up judging the weekend event. Many competitors are certified judges themselves. They have taken the class in order to gain perspective in regard to specifics when it comes to the judging process, Goycochea said.
Ramsden is among those certified-judge competitors.
“(The class) didn’t help my cooking,” Ramsden said with a laugh. It did enlighten him on what the judges were looking for, how the rib meat should come of the bone and how brisket should fall and separate, Ramsden said.
As an assistant cook for local team “Smokin’ Goatheads,” Ramsden said turn-in times is the most crucial rule to follow during competition.
“It doesn’t matter how good your food is if it is there one one-hundredth of a second late, you are disqualified,” he said.
About 20 competitors will be selling their food to the public.
The Daybreakers Lions Club host tent will be where spectators can purchase their HAVA BBQ Bucks. The Bucks are comparable to play money featuring the event logo and will be the only means the public will have of purchasing food from the vendors.
The Bucks are dollar for dollar and exchanges for extra bucks purchased will not be available.
A food and drink price list will be posted at the host tent so event attendees can purchase the amount of Bucks closest to the demands of their appetite, Ramsden said.
Team entry fees, alcohol sales and 20 percent of food vendor sales will generate proceeds to support both local and national charities.
The KCBS event includes competitive barbecue categories of chicken, ribs, pulled pork and brisket as well as categories desserts, salsa and anything butt.
KCBS officials inspect all meat in it natural state — no rubs, marinades or sauces — prior to competition.
HAVA BBQ is free to the public and is scheduled Feb. 26-27 at Windsor 4. There will be food vendors, retail vendors, beer gardens and a designated area, The Kids Corner, sponsored by Michaels Arts and Crafts Store and will be overseen by the high school government club.
The space dedicated to youngsters will feature craft projects, an obstacle course, an air-inflatable rock-climbing wall, air brushed tattoos, face painting and games, according to earlier reports.
For more information about HAVA BBQ visit www.havabbq.com on the Web.
You may contact the reporter at jhanson@havasunews.com.
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