Being that Memphis is known for its' BBQ, we frequently get asked by out of town visitors where they should go sample the wares, so to speak. After an audible groan on our part, we argue, we plead, even beg on bended knee and ask that they not follow through with their plans for a BBQ-vacation in Memphis. Dissappointment will surely follow.
If you have ever eaten good BBQ before, please ignore the "Memphis is a BBQ Legend" thing and eat something else- We have some good fried chicken! Or some very nice restaurants- we will give you many recommendations for those. But BBQ in Memphis?
It constantly amazes us how Memphis grew to a be so entwined with BBQ- most of the commercial BBQ is pretty bad. But, as 95% just have to prove that we are wrong, here are our recommendations:
The Big Names:
Corky's, Rendevous. Ok, if you are not familiar with BBQ that much, Corky's isn't bad. They are very, very busy so at least the products are freshly prepared. The tamales are good! The Rendevous is a tricky one- we don't consider it BBQ, and they (the restaurant) really don't either- it's "charcoal-grilled" ribs and pulled pork. The Sausage and cheese plate is very good and if you like a very tough rib you will be ok here. The atmosphere is one of the coolest hole-in-the-wall joints around, and the rude waiters are a tradition. Both of these restaurants serve mind-boggling amounts of ribs and pork so go on and try them- at least your friends back home will have probably heard of them.
Neely's Interstate BBQ- avoid at all costs. And that is all I will say on this.
The less-well-known places:
Cozy Corner- Nice, family run small restaurant. Try the cornish game hen- awesome.
The BBQ Shoppe-Ok, tried this place recently. Did not like it. At all.
Central BBQ-This would have been my "hands down, it's actually pretty damn good" choice a couple of weeks ago. Then we ate at their second location where the food was pretty bad. I think if you go to the original space on Central Ave. in Midtown Memphis, it's about the closest representation of good BBQ the city has to offer. They make a nice sausage/cheese plate, the BBQ Nacho's are good (if you are unfamiliar with this Memphis classic it's worth your time!) and the pulled pork is as good as it gets in a commercial environment. Worth trying.
More later.....
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Memphis In May
It's getting close to application time for this year's Memphis in May World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest (MIM)! Deadline to enter is Feb 28, 2011. Follow this link to get an application for the contest. A few things to consider:
1. The entry fees are just the start of it! MIM costs a lot of money to enter, even for the smaller size areas, which starts at $500 for a 18x20 foot area and goes up to $3600 for a 36x50. This fee lets you rent that amount of dirt and gives you entry into 1 category (more about that later). Other fees you will add- clean up deposit, electrical, fire permit, porto-john rental, and of course cooking supplies and food for both the contest and your team. By the time you add in transportation, hotels if needed, booth decor, flooring and tents (if you don't have your own you need to rent them- MIM is notoriously muddy) and other misc. costs, plan on spending at least $7000 for a medium size spot for the weekend and feeding a few friends. If you want to host a full-fledged party start adding in more money. Some teams spend over $75,000 for the week- scaffolding, painted fronts of their buildings, lots and lots of food and alcohol- it gets crazy. There is a lot of "catering" and sponsorship involved with MIM- and most teams use this to offset their expenses. Moral of the story- save up your pennies or find a sponsor.
2. Categories- the main categories are Whole Hog, Shoulder and Ribs. There are also quite a few "ancillary" contests such as beef, exotic meat, seafood, sauces, etc. The ancillary contests do not count towards the Grand Champion award, only the main ones. So, the question is "How do I choose which category to enter?" This really comes down to you and your skills. The average entries per category are Hog-40, Shoulders 60 to 70, Ribs 110+. GENERALLY SPEAKING, there are not as many "party teams" in Hog, so the competition is stronger. So the numbers don't really tell the full story- just enter what you believe is your best category.
3. How much to cook for each category? The MINIMUM we would ever think about cooking would be 1 Hog, 8 shoulders and 15 Ribs. This is the standard amount of meat we cook at a normal Memphis-style contest. At MIM, we would probably double the category amount (since you are only cooking 1 category, you should have more space to cook- for example if we were in Shoulders- we would cook 12 to 16 shoulders. Overkill? Maybe, but we wouldn't want to lose out on a shot at the World Championship because we didn't buy enough shoulders).
4. What do I need for my booth and where do I get it? Ok, this gets more dependant upon you and the purpose of you cooking MIM. Assuming you are a COMPETITIVE team coming down to enter and test your skills against the Worlds' Best BBQ-ers, here is what you need: Obviously, you will need your smokers and general cooking utensils-knives, cutting boards, etc. You WILL need a tent- if you don't have a good looking one or it's too small, you may rent one. You would be very smart to plan on flooring-either bring your own or rent. MIM is very specific about flooring, you are not allowed to just lay down plywood, it must be framed so it is not crushing the grass (if there is any left after the Music Festival!). High up on the suggestion list is a fan(s). It tends to get pretty hot. For On-Site Presentations, you must have a table to feed the judges along with plates, etc. MIM usually has an agreement with a local rental agency where you can rent almost all of your needs (a list of rental items will be sent to you in your acceptance packet- portajohns, power agreement, etc).
A local meat company delivers meat on Wedn-Friday to your booth. You must advance order to get this, but they have just about anything you need. Sams Clubs also basically puts in a store at the festival where you can get slaw, buns, or just about anything you could need. Ditto for the local Beer Company!
All of these conveniences are there to aid out-of-town or even out-of-the-country teams that enter here every year. Either rent or bring a 2-wheeler!
MIM itself will also put you in touch with whoever you need if you are an out-of-towner. They are very nice to work with as they want a successful contest.
In future posts, we will talk more about what to do to help your chances at MIM, places to visit if you are just coming in town to judge or visit, and many other things. Check Back Soon!
 |
| our Memphis in May Booth for 2009 |
1. The entry fees are just the start of it! MIM costs a lot of money to enter, even for the smaller size areas, which starts at $500 for a 18x20 foot area and goes up to $3600 for a 36x50. This fee lets you rent that amount of dirt and gives you entry into 1 category (more about that later). Other fees you will add- clean up deposit, electrical, fire permit, porto-john rental, and of course cooking supplies and food for both the contest and your team. By the time you add in transportation, hotels if needed, booth decor, flooring and tents (if you don't have your own you need to rent them- MIM is notoriously muddy) and other misc. costs, plan on spending at least $7000 for a medium size spot for the weekend and feeding a few friends. If you want to host a full-fledged party start adding in more money. Some teams spend over $75,000 for the week- scaffolding, painted fronts of their buildings, lots and lots of food and alcohol- it gets crazy. There is a lot of "catering" and sponsorship involved with MIM- and most teams use this to offset their expenses. Moral of the story- save up your pennies or find a sponsor.
2. Categories- the main categories are Whole Hog, Shoulder and Ribs. There are also quite a few "ancillary" contests such as beef, exotic meat, seafood, sauces, etc. The ancillary contests do not count towards the Grand Champion award, only the main ones. So, the question is "How do I choose which category to enter?" This really comes down to you and your skills. The average entries per category are Hog-40, Shoulders 60 to 70, Ribs 110+. GENERALLY SPEAKING, there are not as many "party teams" in Hog, so the competition is stronger. So the numbers don't really tell the full story- just enter what you believe is your best category.
3. How much to cook for each category? The MINIMUM we would ever think about cooking would be 1 Hog, 8 shoulders and 15 Ribs. This is the standard amount of meat we cook at a normal Memphis-style contest. At MIM, we would probably double the category amount (since you are only cooking 1 category, you should have more space to cook- for example if we were in Shoulders- we would cook 12 to 16 shoulders. Overkill? Maybe, but we wouldn't want to lose out on a shot at the World Championship because we didn't buy enough shoulders).
4. What do I need for my booth and where do I get it? Ok, this gets more dependant upon you and the purpose of you cooking MIM. Assuming you are a COMPETITIVE team coming down to enter and test your skills against the Worlds' Best BBQ-ers, here is what you need: Obviously, you will need your smokers and general cooking utensils-knives, cutting boards, etc. You WILL need a tent- if you don't have a good looking one or it's too small, you may rent one. You would be very smart to plan on flooring-either bring your own or rent. MIM is very specific about flooring, you are not allowed to just lay down plywood, it must be framed so it is not crushing the grass (if there is any left after the Music Festival!). High up on the suggestion list is a fan(s). It tends to get pretty hot. For On-Site Presentations, you must have a table to feed the judges along with plates, etc. MIM usually has an agreement with a local rental agency where you can rent almost all of your needs (a list of rental items will be sent to you in your acceptance packet- portajohns, power agreement, etc).
A local meat company delivers meat on Wedn-Friday to your booth. You must advance order to get this, but they have just about anything you need. Sams Clubs also basically puts in a store at the festival where you can get slaw, buns, or just about anything you could need. Ditto for the local Beer Company!
All of these conveniences are there to aid out-of-town or even out-of-the-country teams that enter here every year. Either rent or bring a 2-wheeler!
MIM itself will also put you in touch with whoever you need if you are an out-of-towner. They are very nice to work with as they want a successful contest.
In future posts, we will talk more about what to do to help your chances at MIM, places to visit if you are just coming in town to judge or visit, and many other things. Check Back Soon!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Getting Started
Thanks for checking us out. We travel the Nation cooking in BBQ contests, teaching classes, giving seminars, checking out new products and generally immersing ourselves in our BBQ world. We will talk about our travels, give you some reviews for some great (and not-so-great) products, and just talk BBQ.
Please check back often, and please tell your friends!
Melissa and Pete Cookston
Yazoo's Delta Q BBQ Team
2010 World BBQ Champions
Please check back often, and please tell your friends!
Melissa and Pete Cookston
Yazoo's Delta Q BBQ Team
2010 World BBQ Champions
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