Greetings from northern Idaho

[Jeff]

Hello everyone, I am a new member to this forum and new to competition cooking. I have been backyard cooking for years and studying dilligently to become a pitmaster. I have assembled a team this year and we are jumping into competiton on the Pacfic Northwest BBQ Association circuit. We are only doing two quailfiers this season... but we plan to do some voluntering with other teams and do some judging, too.

I currently cook on a weber performer for backyard stuff, and I have a decent offset pit smoker. But, I am gearing up to go totally with WSMs. I just ordered my first 22.5-inch Weber Smokey Mountain and a stoker. I'm totally impressed with these smokers and I am sure I'll be picking up more capacity soon.

But for now, our team is cooking with some nice gear... My dad has the Traeger Com-190; the rest of our gear is a large Primo, a big Green Egg and a Lousiana Country Smoker...

[swamprb]

Hi Jeff!

It looks like you guys are set as far as cookers! Look forward to seeing you guys around the PNW! If you make it to the Pike Place Market comp in Seattle, stop by and say HI!

[The Big Pig]

Welcome Jeff!

[Jeff]

Thanks Big PIG (I just read your chicken, pulled pork and parsley box posts....they are excellent and extremely helpful)

Swamprb... I am going to the Pike Place cook-off in April to observe, learn and hopefully volunteer with any team theat needs an extra hand...

We will be cooking in Prosser and Coeur d'Alene in June, and then we'll decide if we have it in us to hit a couple more in August and September... I am also in a couple amature comps around here for fun (and prizes). I look forward to bumping into all of the folks I have been reading online...that includes the Left Hand Smoke crew..I notice you are Weber folks...

[Finney]

Welcome to the forum Jeff.

[Jeff]

Thanks for the welcome Finney... By the way, I have been using my own variation of the reverse sear method on my steaks for about 5-6 years after reading about the science on the America's Test Kitchen website. I had no idea it was called the "Finney Method." I will now give you credit when I explain how I cook my steaks!

Actually your method has made me a "local BBQ celebrity" and encouraged me to branch out and expand my skills into pitmaster style smoking and grilling... Thanks man!

[Finney]

Well, it didn't even have a name when I first started trying to get people to use it (years and years ago). The people on the old Primo Grill forum were the ones that named it the Finney Method. I would always tell people to just do the reverse of what everyone has told you, sear after the cooking portion, not before. Then some one named it the Reverse Sear and that stuck… mainly because some of my friends on the inter-webs didn't like me getting credit for their food coming out so good. LOL

CI gets (and takes) credit for it and so does Alton. Heck, even Harrold McGee even promotes it now. But as long as people are ending up with good food, who cares.

[udoughguy]

Hi Jeff. Welcome to the forum.

[swamprb]

Thanks Big PIG (I just read your chicken, pulled pork and parsley box posts....they are excellent and extremely helpful)

Swamprb... I am going to the Pike Place cook-off in April to observe, learn and hopefully volunteer with any team theat needs an extra hand...

We will be cooking in Prosser and Coeur d'Alene in June, and then we'll decide if we have it in us to hit a couple more in August and September... I am also in a couple amature comps around here for fun (and prizes). I look forward to bumping into all of the folks I have been reading online...that includes the Left Hand Smoke crew..I notice you are Weber folks...

I'll see you in Prosser too-but you definitely want to cook Yakima, that will be a blast!