The Pickled Pig's 2009 Butler Contest Pics

[The Big Pig]

The Pickled Pig competed in Butler, MO this weekend. It was the first time since May that the whole team was at the same contest. We had a blast. The weather was perfect, the venue was a large, level grass field, and the contest was well run. And being placed next to the Mokan Meatheads always adds to the entertainment value. Since the whole crew was present there was less work for me personally and I probably had more fun at this event than any all year.

As a team we were a little rusty and we left a few things at home, left our charcoal out in the heavy fog and dew, got a late start Saturday morning, forgot to marinate our chicken, used the wrong final seasoning on pork, and zigged when we should have zagged a few times but it was all good. We finished 4th Overall out of 39 teams getting 1st in Salsa and Ribs, 2nd in Sausage, and 7th in Brisket. Our chicken finished 11th and the pork was 13th.

Rob from Munchin Hogs won the GC, Chris and Kirby from Rubbin It & Lovin It were RGC, and Wayne, Bob and Marty from Mokan came in 3rd.

[Finney]

Even with all you said went wrong... It all looks great!
Judges must have thought so too.

Congrats!

[Bossman]

Looks good Paul, Congrats!

[Finney]

Hey Paul... Any TQ on that brisket?

[The Big Pig]

Hey Paul... Any TQ on that brisket?

There is TQ on that brisket.

[Finney]

There is TQ on that brisket.

:D Just checking. :D

I thought so, but I wasn't sure.

[RobKC]

Nice job Paul!

[Papaq]

Congrats Paul, Looks Great!

[crd26a]

Paul - where's the pics of your anything goes category???

Good job Paul, great seeing you guys again this weekend

[The Big Pig]

Paul - where's the pics of your anything goes category???

I was trying to forget that debacle so thanks for bringing it up.

This event had an Anything Goes category that I had missed on the application so we were completely unprepared for it. The prize money for anything goes was the same as the other categories so we convinced ourselves that we needed to enter the category and hope for a lucky table. We did "used chicken" for our entry.

After chicken turn-in we had exactly 6 thighs and 1 breast left so we threw them in a butter pan and kept them warm for 2 hours until the Anything Goes category turn-in. The box looked very similar to our chicken entry and the amazing thing was that we didn't come in last place as I was anticipating. By the time turn-in came about, some of the breast meat was so hard that I thought I was hitting bone when slicing it.

In the end, it's probably just as well we didn't prep an entry as desserts swept the category. We've had exactly 2 calls in dessert in 8 years so it's not our best category.