# My wife just cooked her first cook off with Q-View



## ecto1

OK so a local Ladies Auxiliary VFW here had a sanctioned cook off through the IBCA for women.  My wife has helped me before but never cooked any of the meats at a comp.  She wanted to do this one and I thought it would be fun ti sit and watch one time.  The only thing I was allowed to do was help start fires which she did not allow me to do.  It was the 9th year of the event and most of the teams had cooked it all 9 years or had been cooking in other events as well.  Six categories Open Meat, Sweets, Beans, Chicken, Ribs, and Brisket.  This was a small cook off only about 15 teams (not sure looked more like 12 but heard someone say 15) but we had fun.  Once they found out I was a Vet they the party started.

We st up early on Friday they put us under a huge sugar gum tree.








Her first category was sweets so she broke out the dutch oven













Next was her open meat did a thread on this recipe last week when she did a practice run.







Then it got late and she got all of her meat prepped for the next day and I went into the VFW hall and drank some beers.







Next up was her Chicken.  IMHO in the last few weeks she has passed me as a chicken cook.  The chicken was awesome and the Head judge told her she really liked her chicken.







After Chicken was ribs...as you know in BBQ sometime you do everything the same and things happen.  These ribs were good but we both agree she had cooked better ones.



















Last up was brisket the one meat she had never practiced or cooked before yesterday.  I talked her though it and I have to say it was good.













She went to the awards ceremony she told me I just don't want to come in last place.  Well She did not come in last place She took 1st for open meat, Second for Sweets, 3rd for Beans, 3rd for Chicken, 4th in Ribs, and 9th in Brisket.  as you can see she was all smiles.  She is in the black cap..







And she took home some some awards but more important the Ladies Axillary raised a bunch of money for there cause.







I am proud of her and more important now I have found my lifetime team member and we can enjoy cooking together.


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## whittling chip

That's fantastic! Congratulations. Looks to me like she just swept the floor with the competition. I can't believe the brisket placed as low as it did. It really looked great. Sure glad you found a great smoking partner.

WC


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## southernsausage

It doesnt get any better than that!


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## bama bbq

Congratulations!!!!  Looks like there was some stiff competition because her entries looked GREAT!  She can be proud of that!


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## terry colwell




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## scarbelly

Wow what an awesome start for her. You are going to have to be careful - she will be booking comps and the rig will be busy all the time Congrats from here


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## daveomak

Congratulations to your bride !!!!   She did fantastic....


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## ritamcd

Awesome!! Congrats Mrs!! Love the Name of your wagon


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## michael ark

Congrats.Thumbs Up


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## tjohnson

Rock On My Friend!


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## dewetha

great job for a first time. look out next year!


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## ecto1

She says thanks everyone I am pretty sure we pulled the brisket just Tad to early.  It hit a long stall at 154 so when we had to pull it from the smoker it was only at 180 would have liked it to get to 195.


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## kryinggame

If she can smoke a brisket in a competition, she's darn good. Congrats to you both.


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## mneeley490

Holy cow! She made a pecan pie in a dutch oven??? Wow, I love me some southern pecan pie!

Sounds like you have a great partner. My wife is pre-filling out the commitment papers because of my bbq obsession.


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## ecto1

mneeley490 said:


> How cow! She made a pecan pie in a dutch oven??? Wow, I love me some southern pecan pie!
> Sounds like you have a great partner. My wife is pre-filling out the commitment papers because of my bbq obsession.



Yea that feat is not as easy as it sounds either.  When she got beat by an apple cobbler she said cobbler I could have done that.  It was tough teaching ourselves how to do the whole pie outside thing.


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## ritamcd

Is there any way she would share how she did the pie thing ? Perhaps in a message ?


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## ecto1

RitaMcD said:


> Is there any way she would share how she did the pie thing ? Perhaps in a message ?


You need a big Dutch Oven at least a 12 in one.  Then you need to preheat the dutch oven for about 30 minutes we build a pillow out of aluminum foil so the pan is not sitting directly on the bottom of the dutch oven.  Oh also we place unlit coals next to the lit ones so the have enough cook time.  Then we build foil sling to drop the pie pan into the oven.  You have to check your pie after 20 minutes and keep checking every 10 minutes after that.  Removing the pie is the toughest you have to pull the sling contraption out without breaking the crust.


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## mneeley490

Wow, that sounds pretty advanced. Your wife should have gotten extra points for degree of difficulty.


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## gunny r




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## bmudd14474

Thats awesome. Tell you Mrs congrats from me.


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## chef jimmyj

That is really great. It is nice to have a Wife that can and likes to cook. Mine constantly reminds me the only reason she married me was for my cooking!...JJ


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## ritamcd

ECTO1 said:


> You need a big Dutch Oven at least a 12 in one.  Then you need to preheat the dutch oven for about 30 minutes we build a pillow out of aluminum foil so the pan is not sitting directly on the bottom of the dutch oven.  Oh also we place unlit coals next to the lit ones so the have enough cook time.  Then we build foil sling to drop the pie pan into the oven.  You have to check your pie after 20 minutes and keep checking every 10 minutes after that.  Removing the pie is the toughest you have to pull the sling contraption out without breaking the crust.


I have a big dutch oven and all wonder if I could somehow make a rack with handles somewhat like a canning jar rack or something of the sort to make it easier to lift without disturbing the crust 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Hmmm
Thanks for the info .. I really want to try this sounds like a fun camping thing to do ..


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## Dutch

"Way to go" to the Mrs!!!  I've done pies in the dutch oven in competitions, but at an IDOS sanctioned cook-off you're not allowed to even use a pie plate or pan. You can use parchment paper or aluminum foil if you want to lift the pie from the pot but that's about it. 

The secret if you do lift it out is that you need to make the walls of the pie thick enough so walls don't blow out.


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## smokinhusker

Outstandingly impressive!!! Many congratulations to the Mrs and her stunning results! Nice to have a partner that enjoys some of the same things you do. But you better be careful....she had some dynamite looking food there and she just might pass you by with her accomplishments!!!


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## bruno994

Congrats to Mrs. Ecto!  Sounds like a great weekend for the both of you.


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## jp61

Congrats to you guys, especially the Mrs.! Everything looks really great....nice job!


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## shoneyboy

ECTO1, Thanks for the post, I was wondering how she did….It sounds like she had it under control…. I’m kinda of wondering when she is going to get her own spot on here….LOL It sounds like she has been bitten by the smoking bug…..Tell her Congratulations !!!! from ShoneyBoy


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## smokeater207

That's awesome the 2 of u cook together!! Personally I'm 25 and have a gf. She doesn't like the cooking aspect much, and when I get her to cook with me she gets impatient and decides to turn into a "looker" not a cooker lol! But that awesome u have that bond!  Her chicken and ribs look delicious!! Congrats to her on all her winnings!


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## smokingma

Wow, oh wow your wife did great.  She had a great teacher, partner and team mate.


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## zahlgren

Congrats to both of you! Looks great! Im trying to get my wife into it, right now shes at the loving to eat it stage but has recently been paying more attention! Hoping soon to get what you have going!! Congrats again!


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