From Backyard Griller to Competition BBQ

As some of you many know, we have talented Team Croix Valley members all around the globe. Many of them compete in official foodsport competitions, but some of them are content grilling up masterpieces at home to share with their followers online. That is, until they get bitten by the competition bug! 

Mitchell Van Deelen (@dutchiecooks) is a Team Croix Valley member from Ontario, Canada that recently put his skills to the test in his first official competition, and it was no surprise when he did incredibly well. Here is firsthand account of that amazing weekend!

I've been grilling and smoking meat for as long as I can remember. Countless compliments on my food have led to suggestions of opening a restaurant, as that's often the first thing people can think of when you serve them good food. Never did someone suggest to enter a BBQ competition. To be honest, I never thought I would until I entered one last weekend.

I started reading more about Competition BBQ. It was intimidating to think about facing off against seasoned pros who do this for a living, but the challenge was alluring. Last year, I toyed with the idea of entering a competition but ultimately backed out. It's a big step for someone who has never had any experience in competition-style cooking to do a full weekend event. This year, I was determined to take the plunge.

Unfortunately, my original plans fell through when two friends couldn't attend this event. With work being busy, I let go of the idea until I met Sammy. 

I met Sammy a couple of months ago. There was a local BBQ competition 20 minutes from my house. Had I known this beforehand, I might have competed too. A friend of mine was a vendor that day, so I went there to show my support. Sammy was the vendor next to my friend's booth. Sammy does BBQ catering on the side and sells wood and charcoal. We talked, and I asked if he was competing at the BBQ Competition at Red Barn Brewing Company later this year (This was the event I wanted to do last year as well).

He was doubting himself because he had no one to help him compete. So, I decided to just throw my name out there and told him if he needed any help, I would gladly do so. For me, it was the perfect way to experience a competition like that. After a couple of weeks, we decided to team up for the competition.

Our preparation was short but intense. I went to Sam's for a trial cook two weeks before the competition. We cooked everything that we were going to turn in at the event in one day. This was also the first time I had the opportunity to play with the smoker we were using for the event—a 500-gallon offset smoker built by Bog-Line. Sam was using this smoker as he does BBQ catering on the side.

Competition days were a whirlwind of excitement and stress, but it was so worth it!! The experience was everything I thought it would be. We set everything up on Friday, introduced ourselves to the other teams, and had a drink or two. Saturday morning at 0730, it was time to pick our proteins. The cooks for that day were chicken thighs, ribs, and appetizers. Sunday were turn-ins for brisket, pork butt, and dessert. We had the brisket and pork butt on the smoker Saturday night. You can imagine it was a long day! But fun it was! Sunday was a little less stressful. 

After the last box was turned in, all we could do was hope we did well, and boy, we did!! We placed second overall, winning awards in three categories, which, if you had told us beforehand, I would have said would be impossible. 

We placed 1st in Pork butt, 2nd in Chicken thighs, and 3rd in brisket. Our appetizer, ribs, and dessert didn't get a call, which means back to the drawing board. Even while writing this, it brings a big smile to my face. I'm so proud of what we achieved over the weekend as it was my first and Sammy's third BBQ Competition. 

It was an awesome experience, and I met so many people who share my love for what we do. This BBQ community is so fun to be a part of.

This event and our achievement have fueled my passion for competitive BBQ. I'm eager to grow and know there's still much to learn! A last thanks to Croix Valley for the ongoing support and for giving people like me a platform to do what we love. I believe that the Croix Valley rubs and sauces were a big factor in why we did so well! 😉For everyone who is doubting about doing a competition, all I can say is just do it! 

Cheers,

Dutchiecooks