By Brye Butler
Reporter-News Staff Writer

Three meat champions have prevailed.

Tom Taylor of Clyde, Ron Blackmore of Abilene and Jo Cogburn of De Leon are among the masters of barbecue in the Big Country.

The “Death to Summer Meat Fest” — the first (of what will hopefully be annual) farewell to summer barbecue contest hosted by the Abilene Reporter-News and EatAbilene.com — drew nearly 20 entries ranging from brisket, ribs, chicken, T-bone, sausage and even goat from amateur barbecue cooks in the area.

It was the ribs and, yes, the goat that beat out the stiff competition.

Participants were asked to drop-off their best barbecue at the Reporter-News for five local judges to scrutinize. The criteria were over-all taste, presentation, sauce originality and meat tenderness.

Judges were: KTXS-TV anchor George Levesque, Reporter-News writer and columnist Janet Van Vleet, KEYJ Rock 108 FM disc jockey Frank Pain, Dyess Air Force Base 9th Bomb Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Rob Maness and local restaurant owner Sharon Allen.

Here are the winning recipes and all those who entered (in no particular order):

First Place:
“Country Style B.B.Q. Ribs” by Tom Taylor
Recipe:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper added to your favorite barbecue sauce
This will cover about 5-6 lbs. of meat.
Mix all ingredients and rub mixture evenly onto ribs to coat.
Place on medium temperature grill and close lid. Grill 30 to 45 minutes or until tender and cooked through, turning once and brushing with barbecue sauce during last 10 minutes of grilling.
This works well on baby back and country style ribs.

Judges comments for No.1:
“The meat looks very inviting, glistening with sauce. Good color.”
“Lots of smoke flavor. Sweat with an unusual, unidentifiable flavor.”
“Very nicely done.”

Second Place:
Cabrito (goat) by Ron Blackmore
Recipe:
Lemon Pepper
Saturate with garlic salt
Brisket rub
Sprinkle with liquid smoke
Slice one red onion and place on top of meat
Add one can of Coors beer (this is optional, gives more flavor)
Marinate for 24 hours.
Use “Cajun Smoker” and add remaining liquid to water, which flows up through the meat. Cooking time varies by weight of meat. Cook for one hour per pound of meat.

Barbecue sauce:
One 44-once bottle ketchup
1/4 C. Morton chili blends
1/3 bottle large liquid smoke
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/3 C. brown sugar
10-12 crushed cayenne peppers
Red wine vinegar to taste
Worcestershire sauce to taste
Lemmon pepper to taste
Judges comments for No. 2:
“Nice flavor — piquant, a surprise, zingy.”
“Looks nice, sliced and layered with red onions.”
“Very tender and tasty.”
“OK, for goat, that’s good.”

Third Place:
Ribs and homemade sauce by Jo Cogburn
Barbecue sauce:
1 10-once can Rotel “diced in sauce” tomatoes and green chilis
1 C. red plum jelly
2 Tablespoons mustard
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons hickory flavored liquid smoke
2 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons black pepper
2 Tablespoons ground comino
Mix thoroughly and heat together. Rub meat well and then roll ribs in flour. Brown in hot grease. Place ribs in cast iron Dutch oven and pour sauce over all. Cover and cook slowly at 325 degrees until tender.

Judges comments for No. 3:
“Good, tender.”
“Lovely presentation.”
“Nice sauce and presentation.”
“Very well done.”

Other entries:

Art	Aulseybrook	Estes
Garcia	Gilbreth	Reyes

Brisket, sausage and chicken by Ron Blackmore
Brisket:
Lemon pepper
Saturate with garlic salt
Brisket rub
Sprinkle with Liquid Smoke
Slice 1 red onion and place over brisket
Add one can of Coors (this is optional, gives more flavor). Marinate for 24 hours.
Sausage:
Eckrich Sausage. Put on smoker until seasonings come through, and then put on grill until your liking. Add nothing to it.
Chicken:
Lemon Pepper Garlic salt
Chicken seasoning
Liquid smoke
Slice 1 red onion and place over chicken
Add one can of Coors (this is optional)
Use “Cajun Smoker” and add remaining marinated liquid to water, which flows up through the meat. Cooking time varies according to weight of meat. Cook for one hour per pound of meat.

Baby back ribs and chicken by Bob Art
Ribs:
1 1/2 C. KC Masterpiece Mesquite Barbecue Sauce
1 C. beer
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 C. brown sugar
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 garlic powder
1/2 tsp. Heinz 57
1 tsp. lemon juice
Add barbecue sauce, beer, Heinz 57, lemon juice in small sauce pan. Bring to a boil turn heat on low. Add brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes. Boil ribs in water seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder for 1 1/2 hours. Wrap in heavy duty foil and place in oven at 275 degrees for two hours. Remove from oven and place on smoker for about three hours. For the last hour open foil and baste ribs with sauce every 15 minutes.
Chicken:
3/4 C. white vinegar
1/4 C. vegetable oil
1tsp. poultry seasoning
1 slightly beaten egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Boil water then add chicken turn on low heat for 20-30 minutes.
Remove and pat dry. Coat chicken with sauce place on grill on medium heat. Basting and turning often. For 45 minutes or until juice runs clear.

Chicken by Norm Aulseybrook
Marinate chicken in three tablespoons of butter, 1/2 can of beer and one Tablespoon of heifer dust for two hours.
Smoke for three hours at 250 to 300 degrees.
Apply barbecue sauce during the last hour.

“Lemon-Rosemary Drunk’n Chicken” by Kenneth Estes
2-3 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 lemon, halved
lemon pepper
seasoned salt
1/2 can beer
butter or margarine
1 Roasting Chicken
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place rosemary and lemon into chicken cavity. Rub butter or margarine under skin around neck. Season chicken well with lemon pepper and seasoned salt. Stand chicken upright (neck end up) on 1/2 full beer can. Insert other half of lemon into neck end of chicken and stand on smoker. Smoke at 225 for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Carefully remove chicken from smoker and remove can from chicken cavity as beer can any remaining liquid will be hot. Carve and serve.

Brisket, T-bone and ribs by Pablo Reyes
Brisket:
Dry rub
Lowry’s sauce
Smoke with dry mesquite wood for 26 hours.
T-bone:
Smoked with red onion
Ribs:
Boil for two hours. Grill for six hours.

“Bobby Jack’s Pit Boss Brisket” by Bobby Gilbreth
packer’s cut (untrimmed) beef brisket
salt, pepper, garlic powder
1 C. brown sugar
Season the brisket with salt, pepper, garlic powder rub, pressing the spice into the meat. Sear both sides of the brisket five minutes on each. Remove from grill and cover the entire brisket with brown sugar. Wrap in foil.
Set-up smoker for indirect heat with a water pan. Use wood chips and keep a good level of smoke. Maintain a temperature between 210 and 250 degrees. Place brisket as far away from heat source as possible. Keep the fat side up at all times. Add wood every hour or so to keep the fire burning evenly. The meat is done at 185 degrees at the thick end.

“Martin’s Fire House BBQ” chicken by Martin Garcia
chicken
salt
pepper
garlic salt
1 jar barbecue sauce
honey
Franks Red Hot
Prepare grill as if using charcoal. Rinse chicken with water, then cover with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Put bone side down on grill to cook first. Avoid turning chicken. Once that side is brown, turn to skin side. Cook chicken for one to one and a half hours. While chicken is cooking, pour barbecue sauce into a large mixing bowl. Warm in microwave for 15 seconds, stir and repeat until warm. Then add three tablespoons of honey. Mix. Then add Franks to taste. Place cooked chicken in bowl and cover with sauce. Place chicken back on grill, bone side down, close lid and cook for five to 10 minutes.

Brisket and chopped brisket by Scott Farmer
Brisket:
Marinate packer trimmed brisket in liquid smoke, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, or a combination of all three, over night. Mix equal parts sugar and your favorite spice blend. Rub generously. Smoke over mesquite for two to three hours. Wrap in foil and cook until tender.
Chopped brisket:
Dice brisket into 1/4-inch squares. Add Billy Beans barbecue sauce until juicy.

Posted by · August 30, 2005 11:17 PM · Comments (0)

Meet the people who know good meat, or at least who’ve agreed to sample some of your best barbecue next week.

The “Death to Summer Meat Fest” barbecue contest has five local celebrity judges who will rate your masterpiece on its overall taste, presentation, sauce originality and tenderness.

They will determine who takes home the first place prize of a Thermos tailgate grill/cooler combo valued at $200, the second place $75 cash prize and the third place dinner for two at Lytle Land & Cattle Co. and Sharon’s Barbeque & Catering.

It’s not too late to register for the contest. Click on the link above to enter. Then bring us a sampling of your best between 5 and 6 p.m. on Aug. 24 to the Reporter-News, 101 Cypress St. for judging.

Winners will be announced Aug. 31.

Meat Fest judges:

Name: Sharon Allen Age: 58 Occupation: restaurant owner, Lytle Land & Cattle Co and Sharon’s Barbeque and Catering Barbecue experience: “Lots of experience … More than most people ever want to know!” What defines good barbecue? “Tender, juicy, not over-seasoned. I like the essence of the meat to be the best part of the taste.”

Name: George Levesque
Age: 33
Occupation: anchor and assignments editor, KTXS-TV
Barbecue experience: Hosts the “What’s Cooking?” weekly TV segment and an avid cook.
What defines good barbecue? “BBQ is about originality, about taste and about those subtle enhancements that come from recipes you’ll take to the grave!”

Name: Lt. Col. Rob Maness Age: 43 Occupation: Commander of the 9th Bomb Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base Barbecue experience: “Limited to the best in the world — Tennessee BBQ!” What defines good barbecue? Tennessee-style BBQ

Name: Frank Pain Age: 35 Occupation: program director and host of “The Morning After!” show, KEYJ Rock 108 FM Barbecue experience: “I’m from friggin’ Texas — we all have vast experience in barbecue. I just can’t cook it, which is why I jumped at the opportunity to have someone cook it for me!” What defines good barbecue? “Probably Webster’s dictionary, they define everything.....except ‘Bubba,’ I still can’t find the word ‘Bubba’ in the dictionary.”

Name: Janet Van Vleet Age: 45 Occupation: Arts & Entertainment writer and columnist, Abilene Reporter-News Barbecue experience: “I’m from California where the term, “Come over for a barbecue” means cooking meat on the grill outside, not necessarily requiring barbecue sauce or rubs. After being in Abilene for two years, I’ve discovered how Texas does barbecue and I love it.” What defines good barbecue? “I prefer tender meat with a sweet, tart sauce with the tang of vinegar. Too much smoke flavor (added to the sauce, NOT from the grill) and you’ve lost me.”

Posted by · August 16, 2005 4:07 PM · Comments (0)

Your very own chicken, brisket or other favorite meat could win you prizes, cash ... and the championship title.

The Reporter-News is hosting its first annual "Death to Summer Meat Fest" barbecue contest.

The first place winner will take home a Thermos tailgate grill/cooler combo valued at $200. Second place receives $75 cash and third place gets dinner for two at Lytle Land & Cattle Co. and Sharon’s Barbeque & Catering.

Registration for the Meat Fest contest is under way.

Entry forms are available right here at EatAbilene.com. Click on the link above.

Meat Fest contest details:

The mission: Drop-off a sampling of your best, be it chicken, brisket or ribs, and your recipe between 5 and 6 p.m. Aug. 24 at the Reporter-News, 101 Cypress St. (We need two servings of meat. No side dishes please.)

Who: Any amateur barbecue connoisseur in the Big Country. Sorry, no professionals or relatives of Reporter-News employees.

Judging: KTXS anchor George Levesque, Reporter-News columnist Janet Van Vleet, Rock 108 D.J. Frank Pain, 9th Bomb Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Rob Maness and local restaurant owner Sharon Allen are the Meat Fest judges. They will scrutinize your masterpiece based on overall taste, presentation, sauce originality and meat tenderness.

What’s at stake: Prizes, bragging rights, your picture and recipe published in the newspaper or online. All participants will walk away with a prize.

The title and the pride: Winners will be announced Aug. 31.

How you can step-up: Fill out an entry form by midnight Aug. 19.

Posted by · August 9, 2005 9:23 PM · Comments (0)

Think you’ve got the best barbecue in the Big Country?

Then the “Death to Summer Meat Fest” is looking for you. The Abilene Reporter-News is holding its first annual barbecue contest to properly bid farewell to summer — with a lot of meat and a challenge.

The mission: Drop-off a sampling of your best, be it chicken, brisket or ribs, and your recipe between 5 and 6 p.m. on August 24 to the Reporter-News, 101 Cypress St. (We need two servings of the meat. No side dishes please.)

Who: Any amateur barbecue connoisseur in the Big Country. Sorry, no professionals or relatives of Reporter-News employees.

Judging: KTXS anchor George Levesque, Reporter-News columnist Janet Van Vleet, Rock 108 D.J. Frank Pain, 9th Bomb Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Rob Maness and local restaurant owner Sharon Allen are the Meat Fest judges. They will scrutinize your masterpiece based on overall taste, presentation, sauce originality and meat tenderness.

What’s at stake: The first place winner will take home a Thermos tailgate grill/cooler combo valued at $200. Second place receives $75 cash and third place gets dinner for two at Lytle Land & Cattle Co. and Sharon’s Barbeque & Catering.
The top three winners will be featured in the Reporter-News; all will be showcased online.

The title and the pride: Winners are announced Aug. 31 — just in time for Labor Day and a weekend of outdoor cooking.

How to step-up: Register for the contest here by clicking on the link at the top of the page. You can submit questions, too. The contest registration deadline is midnight Aug. 19.

And don't forget to e-mail me recipes (by CLICKING HERE) you'd like to see on the site. (Just no barbecue, please! We'll get plenty of that in a few weeks, right?)

Posted by · August 4, 2005 3:26 PM · Comments (0)