BBQ On the River 2011 - pics as we go..

[squirtthecat]

Uploading another 105 shots now...    Will pick through and post some more tonight/tomorrow AM.    Everything wrapped up here last night, and most of the teams are long gone.   They start knocking down at 10PM last night.

It's pouring down rain now, so that is good timing.   By tomorrow afternoon, it will look like nothing ever happened here!

[pensrock]

Cool pictures. Thanks.

[Tenpoint5]

Sure looks like you boys had a good time.

[deb415611]

Very cool!

[KyNola]

The 17th Annual BBQ on the River comes to a close.  Let me start by thanking Hal and LaDonna, Pat and Rachel, Mark and Cathy, and Sonny for coming.  I had so much fun visiting with everyone.  What great friends.  Latest news flash, our buddy and infamous Lenny took first place in Circuit Whole Hog competition.  I was on one of the 4 judging teams for whole hog but Lenny was not on our list of competitors to judge.  Judging Whole Hog is really fun because we went to them rather than a blind box judging.  The teams go all out to impress the judging team.  One team escorted us into an enclosed tent with "security" guards.  We got inside the tent.  A bar has been constructed but no hog.  They remove a partition and there is the hog, STANDING!!!  The team captain had literally built a metal frame that he ran through the hog and welded the pieces together before putting it in the  smoker.  Pretty impressive but he should have worked more on cooking a hog instead of the frame. ;)  One other team served us on china, crystal, silver, candles lit and champagne chilled.  For the record none of us drank anything alcoholic while judging although it was offered many times.  The judging is hard work.  I tasted 5 different sections of each of 6 hogs.  By the time I was finished I was full to the point of almost being sick and ate nothing for the rest of the day. :P  I have judged before and know you take one bite and make it a small one because you have so many things to taste but I was still miserable by the time I got to the end.

Thanks again for everyone who came and especially thank you for all of the goodies you brought!  Let's do it again next year.

[Chili Head]

Looks like a great weekend!



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[sparky1]

great pictures pat.  really like them.   8)

[hal4uk]

Had a fantastic time---Made it home alive.  Very TIRED.
It was great to finally meet Mark and Cathy --- Great people!!!!
(Thanks for all the goodies!)

Pat, you get meat market pictures (???)
Before I get in the door good, Sonny's already behind the counter like he owns the joint, yanking CASES of beef out of their freezer...

[SouthernSmoked]

Check the sign out on the left. $5.00


Brothers from another mother!

[hal4uk]

That same $5 today will get you a brisket sammich from Lenny!

[squirtthecat]

Had a fantastic time---Made it home alive.  Very TIRED.
It was great to finally meet Mark and Cathy --- Great people!!!!
(Thanks for all the goodies!)

Pat, you get meat market pictures (???)
Before I get in the door good, Sonny's already behind the counter like he owns the joint, yanking CASES of beef out of their freezer...

Ditto!  I'm exhausted.   More pictures to come in the morning...     8)

[SiFumar]

Some really great pictures have been posted!  To think we lived less than 100 miles from Paducah and never got there! >:(

[squirtthecat]

Ok, on to Saturday morning.  Whole Hog judging time, and it is pouring down rain.   :o

I got to this one late, as they already started to cut the samples out for the judges.  (it was a Arkansas Razorback theme)



Their hog cooker.




KyNola having the first of many many many samples of pork.




Off they go to the next pig..




Here was the judges tent.




Meanwhile, the food vendors were ramping up for a busy day of sales.














Hey, some pellet poopers!




I couldn't get anywhere near where KyNola was judging after this, but I was able to snoop on another team setting up their hog.



Going for a Thanksgiving theme.





Purdying up the pig.







I wandered back later while they were judging.   More on that in a bit.

(first I had to have a pulled pork sandwich, as I was STARVING by this point)

More strolling..





Turbo tater cutter.




Another hog.






And another.   The cook was giving his spiel on how they prep it, etc.




Hmm..   Still hungry.    Pulled pork nachos sound good..




Back to the Thanksgiving Feast Pig.






By this time, Hal had drug Sonny out of bed and it was time for a tour of Paducah and a little field trip to KyNola's butcher.

[squirtthecat]

A quick tour of 'Lower Town'. (Hal used to live in this neighborhood when it was all ratty and ran down)

It's beautiful now.  Lots of art galleries, etc.














Sonny wanted to stop and see Chief Paduke.






The Chief and The Monkey.   ;D




Off to Starnes!






Sonny tried to order brisket, but the rest of the counter talked him out of it.




Good stuff.




Hal bought us some goodies to take home.




At the Meat Market..




Like Hal said, we weren't in there 3 minutes and Sonny is talking to the butcher's son - and this comes out.



76 pounds of tri-tips!

After some wrangling over the price, we pick up a couple more things and head out.    The butcher's Dad "Punch" works the cash register.




Driving back into town...    Umm, yeah.    :o :o

[squirtthecat]

Sunday morning...   Pouring down rain off and on, but they are knocking down quickly.