It's been a solid week of barbecue preparations in anticipation of this coming weekend's Mainely Grillin' & Chillin' BBQ Festival in Eliot, Maine. This is my first KCBS sanctioned competition, and we're up against some seasoned pro's... about 40 teams in total competing in four standard categories: Chicken, Pork Ribs, Pork Shoulder, and Beef Brisket. Last weekend I packed up my two smokers and my weber kettle in the truck upstate to make sure I can fit everything for the journey:

I made fresh batches of my sauces for each category: And this being a Maine festival I figure I'll make the final ribs sauce with a few healthy splashes of Maine's state soda, Moxie: In a moment of deluded grandeur I decided to get an outdoor banner made to hang from the 10x10 tent... There is a shot of it on top of the 4-foot long cooler:

But the basic design is: 

And I even toyed with some t-shirt designs, but ended up not having the patience to print them up: 
All this stuff costs some signficant coin but there's a chance to walk away with $1,500 in winnings. Which clearly is not happening... but you gotta keep the dream alive!

We pack up the station wagon and kids tomorrow to head upstate. Then switch to the truck on Friday and make the journey to Vacationland. I'm hoping to have a down east dinner of steamers and lobsters on Friday night, and then the competition starts bright and early on Saturday with a people's choice pork butt cook-off. We're brainstorming "Moxie Butt Lolipops" for the people's choice entry... which sounds nasty, but I think will be absolutely delicious. I'm sure I'll post more throughout the weekend, but until then: 

Go go barbecue! 

 

So two days later, I've aced the food protection course. 15 for 15! By far that was the easiest test I've ever taken but regardless the class was a total trip (and almost worth it just for the experience)... up at 137th street in nyc, with about 40 students ranging from maybe 20 to 65 years old, speaking at least 10 different languages, with every shade of skin imaginable, all hoping to sell food on the streets. Students accusing the instructor of not telling the truth about permits, scheming to dodge the system, bargaining on renting a truck from another student's mother, cheating on the test (cheating!)... really kinda entertaining. Though i must say the instructor was pretty great... he kept us relatively engaged through some dreadfully boring information. So, what did i learn?

• I can wash my hands really well
• I know i should bathe every day
• I know that a commissary should be free of rats and insects
• And i know that germs make people sick

Though the entrance to the classroom can also make people sick:

A few shots of the classroom:

So in a couple of weeks I can get a vendor's license which means I can sell on anyone else's permitted cart or truck. To get my own permit is what will take a very long time to sort out. Lottery, limited permits, etc, etc. Though there are a few ways to get moving more quickly if i set up in a commercial lot or park. Winter is settling in now, so I'm sure I'll take a few months to scope everything out and see if I'll make this thing happen. But for now I'm excited I'm on my way... even got my business a federal tax number. Now that's starting to sound official, eh?