Gallatin Grillmaster BBQ Competition

Inside Out Markets and Big Head Barbecue are proud to host our first amateur barbecue competition on Saturday, July 16th, at our Market at the Manor! Whether you are the neighborhood pit master or just starting to earn your backyard grilling badge, you are invited to show your skills at the Gallatin Grillmaster Competition! Check out the process in the rules section below, then complete the form to reserve your spot!

Definition of Terms

HOST: Inside Out Markets

CONTEST COMMITTEE: Individuals who are serving in official organizational capacity at this cook-off. 

HEAD COOK: The person designated by the cooking team to be in charge and responsible for that team. 

HEAD JUDGE: The person designated by the contest committee to be in charge of the cook-off judging. Inside Out Markets is proud to partner with Big Head BBQ for judging. The head judge is responsible for organizing the judging process to ensure fair and impartial judging. The head judge should advise their judges to refrain from tasting contest meats before judging. The head judge from the contest committee will make the final ruling on any cook-off related discrepancies.

CONTEST MEATS: Contest meats must be raw or uncured beef brisket, pork ribs and whole chicken.

General Barbecue Cook-Off Rules

1. This is an amateur cooking contest; all rules and regulations are stated here. 

2. Only ONE team per barbecue space.

3. Barbecue, for the purpose of this contest, is defined as raw or uncured meat prepared over a wood or charcoal fire, basted or not, as the cook sees fit.

4. No pre-seasoning or pre-cooking of the meat is allowed until it has been inspected and approved for cook-off use. Any meat found not in compliance with this rule will be disqualified.

5. Once meat and chicken have been inspected, approved and tagged, they must not leave the contest area. 

6. All entries must be prepared in as sanitary a manner as possible. All applicable local health department rules and regulations must be complied with. 

7. All applicable local fire department rules and regulations must be complied with. 

8. All fires used to prepare meat in this contest must be of wood, charcoal, or propane gas. 

9. Fires are not to be built on the ground. Holes or pits will not be allowed.

10. There will be no refund of entry fees for any reason and the decision(s) of the host contest committee head judge and judges are final.

11. Contestants will choose up to three categories of meat to compete in. Entry fee adjusts based on the number of categories. Categories include Beef Brisket, Chicken, and Pork.

  a.  One category - $50

  b.  Two categories - $65

  c.  Three categories - $75

Cook/Team Responsibilities

1. Each team is responsible for the maintenance and cleanup of its cooking area. The head cook will be responsible for the conduct and behavior of team members and guests. Any team leaving its space in such a condition that the space requires additional clean-up will be disqualified from participation at future sanctioned events.

2. Each cooking team will designate one person as head cook and one person as an alternate. There may be as many assistants as the head cook deems necessary.

3. Each team should be equipped with a readily available and visible working fire extinguisher. Minimum suggested is 5lb. ABC.

4. No amplified sound systems should be used throughout the cook-off.

5. No alcoholic beverages will be allowed on the property. Alchoholic beverages will be grounds for disqualification. 

6. Competing cooks are not allowed to judge and judges are not allowed to cook. Judges must not be associated with any cooking team or team member in any way that would cast suspicion upon the integrity of the judging process. These rules are intended to be fair and equitable to each and every contestant. 

Judging Turn-In Requirements

1. No sauces or garnishes will be allowed in the judging container. Sauces may be used during the cooking process but cannot be applied for entry presentation or judging.

2. Each contestant should submit sufficient product, sliced to facilitate adequate judging of the entry by 3-4 judges. Each contestant should prepare at least 20 bite size samples for the People's Choice judges who have pre-purchased tickets to allow them to judge. 

3. A blind judging system is based on a duplicate numbered ticket (e.g. theatre ticket) which will be utilized in all judging categories. Blind judging consists of one-half of the double ticket being enclosed in a small envelope and being secured (usually by duct tape) to the BOTTOM of the turn-in container. The second half of the ticket is placed inside the judging container. When receiving the judging containers, the head cook prints his name on his half of the ticket in the presence of contest committee personnel. Any container that appears to have been deliberately marked or altered will be referred to the head judge who will rule on disqualification. Damaged containers will be replaced by the head judge. Damaged containers and all tickets must be turned in to the head judge at this time in order to receive a new container.

4. All entries will be scored on a scale of 1 through 10 in each of the judging criteria, with 10 being the best.

5. Until announcements are made, the taped envelope should remain attached to the top three category winners' judging containers. At the time winners are announced, the taped envelope will be removed from the container (on stage) and opened by one contest official. A, second official will announce the number. The head cook or team member must present the corresponding half of that ticket to the head judge who will confirm that the numbers match, and announce the head cook's name and team name.

Prizes:

1.  Prizes will be distributed to first and second place in each division. First place will be a cash prize. 

2.  Prize value will be directly related to number of entries. 

3.  Winners will be recognized in social media coverage, local news coverage, and the Inside Out Markets monthly newsletter.