Summer BBQ competitions are heating up all over the country, and whether you go to check out what the competition’s cooking up, or for a free sample of some local flavor, here’s a list of competitions you can’t miss in 2008.

June

National Capital BBQ Battle, Washington DC - June 21-22
4th Annual Q-Fest – Milbank, SD - June 28

July

Illinois State Barbecue Competition – Shannon, IL – July 11-12
Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ribs Cook Off, Concert, & Car Show – South Bend, IN – July 12
New Jersey State Barbecue Championship – N. Wildwood, NJ – July 11-13
Crow River BBQ Challenge – Watertown, MN – July 18-19

August

BBQ At The Summitt Competition – Dillon, CO - August 8-9
Holy Smoke BBQ Cook-Off – Salem, IL – August 9
Pennsylvania State Championship BBQ Cook-Off - New Holland, PA – August 22-23
Burning Down The Fox State BBQ Championship – Princeton, WI – August 22-23
Best in the West Nugget Rib Cookoff – Sparks, NV – August 27 - September 1
Smokin' Behind The Barn Championship Cookoff – Winfield, KS - August 29 - 30
Annual Pit Rasslers BBQ Classic Cookoff - Mt Pleasant, TX – August 30-31, 2008

September

Pickin' in the Panhandle – Glengary, WV – September 6 & 7
Ben Biken BBQ Competition – Sparta, WI - September 12-13
3rd Annual Jim Dandy's BBQ Cook Off – Sharonville, OH – September 12-13
Silver Lake Sand Dunes Area State Championship BQQ Cook-Off – Silver Lake, MI – September 13-14
Smoke-A-Palooza 1st Annual Amateur Benefit BBQ Competition – St. Peters, MO – September 20

October

Annual American Royal Barbecue – Kansas City, MO – October 2-5 (Farmland is a proud sponsor of this famous KC contest!)
Coweta Up In Smoke BBQ Cookoff – Newnan, GA – October 3 – 4
29th Oxford Town BBQ Throwdown – Oxford, MS – October 24-25

November

Big Pig Jig – Vienna, Georgia – October 31 – November 1

Source: www.BBQ-Festivals.com

Create Your Own Signature BBQ Sauce

So, you think you’re ready to take on the competition? Here are a few tips for creating a signature sauce that will have your friends and family begging for the recipe.

Most traditional BBQ sauces start with one of three bases: Tomato, Vinegar or Mustard. The base determines the primary flavor a sauce will have. Once you’ve decided on which base you’d like to use, simply begin adding other ingredients, tasting as you go. (This is the experimental phase so don’t worry about writing down the exact measurements for now.) Traditional ingredients to consider adding include:

Tomato Sauce
Tomato Paste
Vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar
Worcestershire Sauce
Brown Mustard
Yellow Mustard
Brown Sugar
Molasses
Ground Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Salt
Garlic
Onion
Lemon

It’s your secret sauce, so you’re free to make it as misleadingly simple or cunningly complex as you like. Experiment with various amounts of each ingredient until you find the tangy, sweet or spicy taste you’ve been looking for. Once all of your ingredients have been mixed together, allow your sauce to simmer for 20 – 30 minutes. Once it’s ready, the sauce can be added to the meat before, during or after it’s cooked. Try your award winning secret sauce with Farmland Ribs and Pork Butts.

Source: www.bbqrecipesecrets.com

BBQ Sauce In a Snap!

Craving the taste of barbeque sauce but don’t have all the ingredients or time needed to whip up your own? Simply mix together equal parts Dijon mustard and grape jelly for a quick-and-easy sauce that looks, smells and tastes like barbeque sauce. Sure, it might not win any awards, but it works just fine in a pinch.

Seven Common BBQ Mistakes!

1. An early BBQ mistake is not starting with meat that is totally thawed. If it's still slightly frozen in the middle, your meat will end up undercooked. Because of the low temperatures in the middle, your meat will look perfect on the outside and still be too raw inside.

2. Try to avoid lighter fluid if you are cooking on a charcoal grill. The chemical flavor will really change the taste of your food. Instead, use an electric starter or a chimney. You'll be able to tell a big difference right away.

3. The next big BBQ mistake is when you put your meat on. It's important to cook at the right temperature. Hot and fast is not best for BBQ. To get the best smoke flavor and tender meat, it's best to cook long and slow. Except for steaks that need searing, medium heat is best.

4. If you are using specialty wood, make sure it's aged. Using green wood will leave a bitter creosote coating on all your meat -- very unappetizing!

5. Put the lid down and leave it alone! A common BBQ mistake is to keep lifting the lid to check the meat. Every time you open the lid, you drop the temperature in your grill. Relax. It's not going anywhere.

6. If you use sauces or mops while your meat is on the grill, make sure it does not contain any sugar. Sugar burns at a low temperature and will burn onto the meat. Also unappetizing.

7. The last BBQ mistake is to use the same plate or platter to carry the food back into the house. This is a food safety issue -- nothing like food poisoning to ruin a party! Always use a clean platter.