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BBQ Ops University

How to buy, prepare, cook and turn in, taught the way one cook tells another. Start with the written lessons, which are free.

6 lessons to read now. The videos are being made, track by track, and they come with Learn and the team plans. Each video below says what it will cover. See what each tier includes.

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New to competition barbecue? What a contest is, how to get into one, and how to become a judge.

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Buying and preparing

The cook starts at the meat counter. Where to buy, what to pick, and the weeks before the contest.

Coming soonVideo

How to shop for a contest

From the timeline to the shopping list: how much to buy, in what order, on what budget.

  • Turning your plan into a list: how much of each meat, and the spares
  • Fuel, ice and supplies: how to count them so you do not run short
  • A budget for the weekend and a way to keep it
  • What to buy first and what to buy last

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The meats

Brisket, pork, ribs and chicken, from the trim to the rub.

Coming soonVideo

Trimming a brisket

Square off the flat, shape the point and leave the fat where it helps.

  • Reading the brisket: where the flat ends and the point begins
  • The cuts, in order, with the knife you need
  • How much fat to leave, and why
  • Trim waste, trim time and what the rules say about trimming

Coming soonVideo

Cooking pork: the butt and the money muscle

From the butcher’s cut to a plate of tender, slicable pork.

  • Cutting out the money muscle and what to do with the rest
  • Injection, rub and the time they need
  • The cook, the wrap and how to know it is done
  • Resting it, slicing it and building the box

Coming soonVideo

Prepping chicken thighs

Trimming, skin and the sauce, for six matching pieces in the box.

  • Choosing thighs and trimming them to a shape
  • Getting the skin right: bite-through, not rubbery
  • Injection, seasoning and glaze
  • Matching six pieces for the box

Coming soonVideo

Ribs from the rack to the box

Trimming, cooking and slicing ribs that bite clean off the bone.

  • Trimming spare ribs to a St. Louis cut
  • Seasoning, the cook and the wrap
  • Judging doneness without a clock
  • Slicing the rack so every rib is the same

Coming soonVideo

Seasoning: rubs, injections and what the rules allow

Building layers of flavor without breaking a rule, and when each layer goes on.

  • Rubs, injections, marinades and sauces, and the job of each
  • What goes on before inspection and what waits until after
  • Salt, sugar, heat and how long they need
  • Writing it down so you can do it again

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The turn-in box

Building a box that looks as good as it tastes, for each sanctioning body.

Coming soonVideo

Building a turn-in box

Garnish, portions and presentation for KCBS, IBCA and MBN.

  • What each sanctioning body requires in the box
  • Garnish beds and what is allowed in them
  • Choosing and arranging the best pieces
  • Practicing so the box takes the same time every contest

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The cook itself

Time, sleep and the weather: running a contest weekend without losing your head.

Coming soonVideo

Managing time on the cook

How to run a plan on the day, and what to do when it slips.

  • Working back from the turn-in times
  • Who does what, and when the hands run out
  • Recovering when a cook runs long or short
  • Using the timeline, the calculator and the log together

Coming soonVideo

Resting before and during the cook

Sleep is part of the plan. How to get it, share it and use it.

  • The week before: sleeping ahead of a long night
  • Shifts on the cook night, and who watches the pit
  • Eating, drinking and breaks so you are sharp at turn-in
  • What a double asks of a crew, and how to plan for it

Coming soonVideo

Keeping cool, warm, dry and safe at the site

Heat, cold, rain, wind and fire: the setup that keeps a crew and its meat out of trouble.

  • Shade, fans, ice and water for a hot weekend
  • Heaters, layers and wind for a cold one
  • Tents, weights and tarps for rain and wind
  • Fire safety, food safety and first aid at the site

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Gear and upkeep

The cooker, the trailer and the tools, kept ready for the next contest.

Coming soonVideo

Keeping the cooker, the trailer and the tools ready

The checks and the cleaning that keep a weekend from going wrong before it starts.

  • A cooker check: seals, grates, burners, fans, fuel and probes
  • The trailer: tires, bearings, brakes, lights and hitch
  • Knives, thermometers and the small tools that fail at the worst time
  • What to do after every contest so the next one starts easy

Coming soonVideo

Tools to always keep in the truck

The short list that saves a contest, and the spares that earn their space.

  • Knives, thermometers and the kit at the cutting board
  • Power, light and fire starters
  • Spares for the things that break
  • A packing list that lives in the Checklist

Coming soonVideo

Staying organized and ready for the next contest

The habits that turn one contest into the start of the next.

  • The hot wash: what to write down while it is fresh
  • Unpacking, restocking and cleaning in an hour
  • Keeping the records: times, scores and what you changed
  • A season calendar so nothing sneaks up on you

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The big ones

Getting ready for the contests that matter most, and being the best cook you can be.

Coming soonVideo

Getting ready for the Jack or the American Royal

What changes when the contest is the one you have worked toward.

  • Reading the invitation and the contest’s own rules
  • Practicing under the same clock and the same conditions
  • The crew, the plan and the nerves
  • What to leave alone on the weekend that matters

Coming soonVideo

Being the best version of what you do

Getting better one meat, one cook, one contest and one season at a time.

  • Keeping what works and fixing what does not, with the cook log
  • Reading your scores for what they say
  • Practice that moves the number
  • Staying in it for the long run