By Ann Brussow
Do your taste buds start to quiver when you think about eating really good barbeque? Does the smell of barbeque make your mouth water? Do you enjoy creating a special mix of ingredients and grilling your own tasty barbeque?
Barbeque is an important ingredient of Flour Power Family Fun Fest which is being held at the Abilene Fairgrounds on May 20 and 21.
You can approach barbeque at Flour Power in several ways: consume it, taste it to choose your favorite, or enter in serious competition. You may select one or more of these avenues for enjoyment, but whichever you choose, you will find it to be finger lickin’ good.
If you like to eat tasty barbeque, you’ll have the opportunity on Friday evening. The Flour Power community barbeque dinner begins at 5:00 p.m. and lasts until the food runs out. A $10 ticket buys a hearty meal of pulled pork, baked beans, cole slaw, bread, and iced tea. Children age 10 and under eat for $5. For your comfort, the meal will be served in air-conditioned Sterl Hall located on the Abilene Fairgrounds. Dine-in and carry-out will both be available.
The pulled pork for the community barbeque dinner is prepared by several of the serious barbeque competitors who volunteer their time. These are the same barbeque enthusiasts who will be competing the next day in the Kansas City Barbeque Society sanctioned Wheatstock Grill-off.
The community barbeque dinner is a fundraiser for the Memorial Health Foundation and proceeds benefit the Memorial Hospital Digital Mammography Equipment Project.
Would you like to be the judge of which barbeque is best? The People’s Choice portion of the community barbeque dinner is a fun way for you to choose which barbeque you like the best. This event is also Friday evening. A small donation allows you to sample a portion of barbeque from each participant and vote for your favorite. Top barbequing aficionados join with talented novices to compete for the People’s Choice prize.
If serious barbeque grilling is for you, teams are signing up now to compete in Flour Power’s Wheatstock Grill-off. This is the 4th year for this Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) sanctioned event. Winners of this state championship contest qualify to compete in the American Royal, the largest barbeque contest in the world.
Teams of four to six participants compete in four categories: Chicken, Pork Ribs, Pork, and Beef Brisket. Teams may also compete in the Dessert and Cook’s Choice categories. More than $5,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded for winners of the open contest as well as the Dessert and Cook’s Choice competitions.
Competitors in KCBS sanctioned events are serious about their barbeque. Each team uses their own cooking apparatus. These can be anything from a simple backyard charcoal kettle to opulent custom rigs. The cooks provide their own ingredients, often grilling through the night, to create their very best entry.
Teams may start arriving at the Wheatstock Grill-off on Thursday, May 19. Check-in opens at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, May 20. The cook’s meeting for registrants is at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Judging begins at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. The awards presentations begin at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
The Kansas City Barbeque Society is the world’s largest organization of barbeque and grilling enthusiasts with over 14,000 members worldwide. KCBS sanctions over 300 barbeque contests coast-to-coast throughout America and serves as a clearinghouse of barbeque information. Sanctioning by KCBS means the competitors have assurance the contest will be conducted in a professional manner, the prize monies will be awarded as advertised, and that the rules will be followed. Contest judges are certified by KCBS.
Further barbeque information, including registration forms, can be found at www.caringforyou.org/flour. The Wheatstock Grill-off is hosted by Memorial Health Foundation which can be reached at 785-263-6688. Alberici Health Care Constructors is a sponsor of the event.