This last weekend was the Big Island Barbeque contest. Teams from around the country were in Albert Lea to participate and compete. Albert Lea is fortunate to be able to offer the contest with all its food and entertainment.

Friday featured a chili cook-off and chicken wing contest; Saturday was the day the four main meats — chicken, pork shoulder, ribs, and brisket — were judged.

If you were out to the fairgrounds it was fun to see all the different grills and smokers, anywhere from the small barrel smoker to the half-million dollar rigs with smokers, grills, sleeping quarters, etc. and watch how all the teams set up to compete for the contest.

I liked the imagination of the teams when it came to picking a name. Most went with an off-the-wall name like “2 Jerks and a Pig,” or “We Be Porken,” to name two. If you missed out, I’m sure it will be back next year at the same time. I participated in the event, as a first-timer, but the other contestants were very helpful, and if I participate next year I will be better equipped.

Smoking brings out a whole new level of flavor rom your meats. It is achieved by cooking low and slow over charcoal, wood or a combination of both. The key is to have consistent heat, try and keep the smoker around 200 degrees. I learned the different types of wood will bring out different flavors in the meat. We used apple, which is a good wood for pork. I noticed a lot of teams used oak, which burns hotter. Other popular woods are mesquite, mainly for beef, and hickory. The wood used is a personal choice, and can be a combination of woods. Charcoal is usually added to keep a temperature hot and even, we used a combination of charcoal and wood. Soaking the wood in water will help smoke the meat.

Rubs are used on the meats, and from what I saw all the teams had there own special rub recipe, the rub will bring about its unique taste when done. Sauces are also used and can be a mop, or basted on during smoking, and used after as a pour-on or in a dish to dip.

Keeping the meat moist can be a challenge. Some contestants cooked the ribs, pork and beef on the grate for two or three hours to get a burnt- looking outer edge, which will seal the juices in, wrapped it in aluminum foil, added a sauce and covered, then cooked until the interior temp was 180 to 190 degrees, this method helped keep the meat moist. We tried to peek at how the neighbors were doing it, but with all the different types of smokers and setups, what works for someone might not work on yours, so practicing with what you have is key.

The smoking process is best suited for low-end, more economical cuts, like beef brisket and pork shoulder. Both should be cooked with the side with the most fat on top, so it will drip down and soak into the meat. The name of the game is taste and fat equals flavor.

The best from around the country were here in Albert Lea, quite a few had restaurants or catering back home, and if you had a chance to sample some of the meats you realized these were some highly trained professionals.

Dan Matz is a member of the Albert Lea Farmers Market.