Hi All -- Thanks again for all of the advice and encouragement. We are looking forward to learning a lot and having fun. If anyone is around at the Westmont BBQ Festival on Saturday (5/25), look for Smokin' & Grinnin' and come by to say hello.
Here is a link to our Facebook Event page if anyone is interested in seeing some of our pics from our dress rehearsal.
https://www.facebook.com/events/401478939967260/?ref=2
Cheers,
Mike
Absolute best of luck for a fun and successful cook! As others have noted, be sure to be prepared, have a list, go through the cook several times in your mind and note points of significance all throughout and log it in an Excel spreadsheet, etc. For example, what you're cooking and what's entailed, any and all equipment that you see in your mind you'll need, always think of time as working backwards from 0 hour...meaning, everything you do from the day before you start and on through has a reference point of the turn-in times...those are the money. Everything else revolves around that. So, it doesn't matter that it's 1PM on Friday, it matters that it's 22 hours to chicken turn-in...lol. I'll also note, that things are going to go so fast on the day of the cook that it will make your head spin. It's absolutely imperative to have numerous clean work surfaces, all the tools/utensils/pans/foil/etc that you'll need at the ready. Don't have to hunt down everything that you have to have, or it's gonna be one lonnnnnng day
Meet with at least one of your team mates prior to the day you arrive at the comp, and on paper work out and outline a timeline for everything that must be done in the 24 hours you're there. Brining/marinating, trimming, cooking process, when to turn/flip/spritz/wrap/remove/etc. and remember, mark it by time-to-zero.
If you go in prepared, you're gonna enjoy the heck out of yourselves and have a lot of fun. In fact, you'll even probably have a little time to get to know others, etc. If it's a complete cluster, it will consume you and you'll be worn out and beat down in no time.
Hope some of this helps, but above all, with some prior planning things will flow like water, and you'll have an outstanding time!
