Moving the Team Blog

I have found myself enjoying writing about not only team information but also general smoking & Barbecuing topics as well as Memphis BBQ Network information. To keep the two separate and to keep the team blog concentrating on team information, I am going to move the team blog to http://optimusswine.blogspot.com/ . I am in the process of moving team posts over to the new blog and should be complete soon. Please save the new blog address and check back frequently.

Unofficial Team Mascot

This article has been moved to
http://optimusswine.blogspot.com/2007/12/unofficial-team-mascot.html

Clean Up Team Meeting Please!

This article has been moved to our team blog here:
http://optimusswine.blogspot.com/2007/12/clean-up-team-meeting-please_15.html

Super Bowl Party!

This article has been moved to
http://optimusswine.blogspot.com/2007/12/super-bowl-party.html

We won the 2nd annual Battle of the Bones

I would like to start this article with a huge thanks to Jason at the U of M and to the Highland Hundred Club for their support and participation in the BBQ contest this year! We would also like to thank all of the volunteers including the judges who devoted time, effort and I am sure a few dollars to make the whole thing possible.

To view more pictures, go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/MemphisREMAX/BattleOfTheBonesBBQContest2007

We as a team had planned on tail gating at the UAB game tis year from the pre-season. We planned on taking the rig out to Toby Field and having a grand time before and during the game. Then the announcement that there was going to be a Rib BBQ contest with the Memphis In May type judging (blind only). Wow! what a wonderful coincidence and opportunity for Optimus Swine to have fun AND practice cooking our ribs.

Our last batch of ribs (before the Battle of the Bones) came out scorched, crispy and as moist as an over cooked piece of beef jerky. (we were learning our new smoker). We were determined to make an improvement (had no where to go but up).

Our original goals were very humble; simply to turn out a better product than last time and to have a great time doing it. We did just that with the help and support of our team members. We were very overwhelmed and surprised to find out that we had made the finals and ecstatic to receive 1st place. We won a guaranteed entry in to Memphis In May 2008, $750 and a trophy to show off from time to time.

We had a great time and will definitely be in Birmingham next year to defend our title and represent the University of Memphis and the Tigers football team. GO TIGERS !

UAB vs. Memphis Tigers Football

As most of you know, we have been excited about the UAB football game in November against Memphis here at home. Partly because of the rivalry and atmosphere, but also because we were planning to tail gate with the Smoking Rig starting the day before and inviting th BBQ Team to participate.

The two schools have been passing a trophy back and forth depending on who has won the game for a few years now. The trophy is a rack of ribs because of the history rib cooking has in both Birmingham and Memphis (Memphis is better of course).Well, it just got better, believe it or not. For the first time, they are going to have a rib only BBQ cooking contest with both schools invited to participate, professional and amateur teams alike.

There will be awards, trophies, and an entry in to Memphis In May BBQ contest awarded. The only other category is BBQ sauce. What a perfect cap to an already wonderfully planned weekend! Mark it on your calenders, and plan to be there.

Here is the link to read all about it.

http://gotigersgo.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/100307aaa.html

Supplies for Bolivar

Anything you are going to loan the team for the Bolivar cookout, such as 7-day coolers, etc - if you could get it to Todd's home or to Ed or Palmer this week it would greatly help out the team.

We need to get together at Todd's house Tuesday or earlier before the competition to load up the cooler on to the trailer. We are tentatively looking at that Tuesday around 7:00, or would 6 be better? Let us know....

Sell that Pork!

Here are the orders we have for competition grade pulled pork for the weekend of the 20th.

Ron Files - 4 pinds
Mike Reed - 5 pounds
Todd B. - 10 pounds
Brian McCoy - 5 pounds
Ed Pierce - 5 pounds
Cindy - 5 pounds
Olena Keene - 4 pounds


Spread the word to our friends and family. It's only $5.00 a pound for competiion pulled pork, it will cost us more than that to produce it.

Team Name Update

We have yet to come up with a permanent team name. We chose Optimus Swine for our first competition in Bolivar, because we had to put something on the application. Well, we have narrowed down our choices for the team name. Due to a tie between four of the choices, we will narrow the choices down to five instead of the planned three.


Here they are.

Optimus Swine
Bust-A-Que
Put a Pork in it
Pork the night away
Brine-Swine & Wine


Please email me your choices and list all five names in the order that you would pick them. There will be no voting on behalf of anyone else, your choices must come from you. Here's your chance to have a say, so have fun with it and get your votes in.

Things you can bring to the meeting

Here are a few things you could bring to the meeting on Saturday if you can.

• Marine cooler
• Large serving platter for presenting the shoulders
• A sample of dinner ware plates we can use to serve the judges with
• We need 4 - nice glasses to serve water
• Cloth napkins
• Food scale up to several pounds
• Gallon size zip lock bags
• Apple Juice
• If you are a monthly paying member aned can get caught up that would be great.

Sept 29th Team Meeting

If you have not received the email that Christy sent out and have not given Christy your email address, please do so. If there is anyone that may not have received the word that you can think of please forward this to them, or give them a call to get in touch with Todd, Ed, Palmer or Christy.

A few added words to the email.

• We will be doing some minor maintenance on the rig, so you may want to wear clothes that you don't mind getting dirty if you are able to help out.
• We will have a printed off sheet with the suggested names for the team for members to choose up to three that they like. Our team name for at least this event is Optimus Swine, we can change it if need be.
• We will be discussing entering more categories such as exotic, beef, seafood etc. If you have a recipe you would like to try in competition now will be the time to speak up. If you want to bring a sampling to the meeting, by all means feel free (but that is not necessary). Kat has expressed an interest in doing the desert and Johnny has expressed an interest in doing Poultry. Personally, my vote is for Jeff to turn in a mustard sauce - but that is up to him & the team.
• If you know of any "want-to-be members" that haven't jumped off the fence yet, you can invite them as well if they are serious about joining the team.

Hope to see as many of you as possible for this short but important meeting.

( A copy of the email sent out)

Optimus Swine BBQ Team


Hello Team Members!! Our first competition is just around the corner and we need your help! Hatchie Hollow Hog Fest Bolivar, TN at the Hardeman County Fairgrounds on Hwy 64 Friday, October 19th & Saturday, October 20th Our first official team meeting will be Saturday, September 29th. We will be meeting at the home of Todd B. Meeting time: 10:00 - Noon We will be...

• · Confirming all team member contact information.
• · Outlining the details of our first competition.
• · Delegating member responsibilities.
• · Prepping the trailer for the event.
• · Taking equipment inventory

Anyone who wants to stay later is more than welcome. We will be removing the old paint from the grill and re-wiring the trailer lights. We will provide pizza for lunch, but no bbq for obvious reasons. B.Y.O.B This is a very exciting time for our new team. If you have any questions please feel free to call me. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday!!

Optimus Swine BBQ Team Member

Cook out was a success!

We apologize for the last minute notice on the last cook out; however it was a success and a good time. We cooked for the golf tournament the T.J.'s put on Monday after the party. The feedback was good on the pulled pork, with more than one member suggesting that we start out with competing in shoulder rather than ribs. That's all up for discussion, though and yet to be decided.

Last minute get together this weekend

UPDATED!!!!!!!!!

There is a last minute get together this weekend in Collierville at Ron & Kat Files' home. I will post the address and information as I get it.

Text or call me with any questions....Everyone is welcome to bring a dish of some sort. Ron lives on Belle Watley Cv in Collierville (it will be very obvious which house). The get together is Sunday around 3:00. We will be pre-cooking some shoulders for the golf tournament that is being held on Monday as a free practice, then some ribs for the team.

Email Me !!!!!!!!!!

I need everyone to email me their contact information, including:

Name
email address
cell phone, home phone, work - if you don't mind calls at work
address


Send email to:

bbqMemphis@yahoo.com

Sundays Team Meeting

This Sunday the 22nd, we are having a team practise, meeting, gathering, get together, beer tasting contest, what ever you want to call it.

Here is a copy of the letter I sent to most of you: (if a couple of people could bring some ice, chips, maybe a potato sald or slaw or something, that would be cool)

We are planning a BBQ get together this Sunday at Todd’s house again. His
address is 4956 Kimball. From Mt Moriah turn West on Kimball and it is the 4th
house on the right.

We need a head count to plan on the food
amount, etc. No need to bring anything except your wallets unless you want to
make a dish and bring it. We will tally the cost of the food and divide by the
amount of people that are eating to come up with a cost. We’re not looking to
make money off of these, but we can’t afford the team to pay the full cost for
all of them either. It won’t be expensive, but we will have some RIBS !


BYOB!!!!!! We will have very ample cold storage
for beer and what not, but you will want to bring your own
beverages.

I will be there in the morning getting ready some where
around 10:00, if anyone is interested in coming by and helping out or just sit
down and drink a cold one or to learn the smoker.

I am saying for
the general members that 5:00 is a good time with around 7:00 as a target for
dinner. Not sure exactly because we have not nailed down a specific time for
cooking our RIBS as of yet. Bring the kids or interested friends in the team,
but please give me a head count so we can be prepared.

We will hand
out a list of names for the team that have been suggested for everyone to pick
their three or five most favorite. IF you have any suggestions, get them in now
so we can add them to the list. This will narrow our choices down to a
manageable few, then we will go from there at a later time.

Any
questions? Shoot me an email.