Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, October 18, 2012

With the advent of the Food Channel, the "sport" of competitive cooking has exploded across the nation over the past several years. Even on the local level, competitive chefs can get their "juices flowing" at various events featuring the delicious art of "smoking."

Smoking is defined as preparing meat over indirect heat over a long period.

Grilling, on the other hand, requires direct heat for a short period of time.

The smoking event most familiar to Ringgold county residents is the annual "Smokin' in the Ayr" competition held in conjunction with Ayr Days. And who better to give us some insight into this tasty tournament than its long-time organizer, Ron SCHAFER.

SCHAFER got his start in competitive smoking when his wife Liz asked him to help organize Smokin'in the Ayr about eight years ago. At the time he was a casual cooker who had experience with the back-yard grill. But he felt he needed to learn all about smoking in order to organize a great event that could be enjoyed by smokers and eaters alike.

To gain this knowledge, he completed a certified judging class through the Kansas City BBQ Society. Even though this certification sounds somewhat specialized, he said there are currently around 12 certified judges in our immediate area.

As part of the class, he learned how to cook to appeal to the judges, how to determine if meat is done without a thermometer and/or how to tell if the meat is overcooked as well as how to present the finished project to the contest judges.

SCHAFER explained smoked meat is judged on a combination of taste, tenderness and appearance, but taste and tenderness are weighted much more heavily.

SCHAFER said anyone interested in getting into competitive smoking should begin with local events like Smokin' in the Ayr. Each summer from Memorial Day through September prospective contestants or hungry spectators can find a variety of such events.

Among the area communities holding smoking events include Grant City, Bedford, Lenox, Corning and Grand River,to name a few.

To get the right start, however, SCHAFER said prospective smokers would need the correct equipment fueled by wood as no electric or propane units are allowed in competition. He added that the smokers themselves do not need to be fancy, expensive units.

At bare minimum the unit should allow for control of temperature and humidity. (He did add, however, that major league professional smokers often pull up with full kitchens on wheels.)

To take it one step further, those wanting to get into big-time smoking should consider events sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society.

SCHAFER said there is even a national circuit where winners can earn up to $25,000. A team from Grant City has recently taken the final step and has competed on the national circuit.

Short of a national circuit, SCHAFER said a group of teams in this area have considered beginning a smoking circuit modeled after the Kansas City and national circuits. But those plans are still taking shape.

And finally, what is the favorite pork cut of a judge certified by the Kansas City BBQ Society?

SCHAFER'S personal favorite is trimmed pork ribs.

He first takes the membrane off and applies a good rub. He then smokes the ribs for over six hours using hickory or oakwood until they are fall-off-the-bone tender. He finishes the preparation with a variety of sauces or glazes.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, October of 2012