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RULES AND GUIDELINES FOR THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP BARBECUE COOKOFF, 2019

This event will be sanctioned by Lone Star Barbecue Society (LSBS) with all rules for judging as written by that organization. Membership in LSBS is not required of a qualified team to cook in the NCBC.

A contestant or team consists of one chief cook and no more than four assistants. Contestants may check into the Barbecue Cookoff Grounds beginning at 8:00 A.M Friday, October 25, 2019, and MUST be in place by 12:00 midnight on Friday, October 25, 2019 but please try to arrive by 10:00 P.M so our volunteers can get ready for Saturday also. Categories for the 2019 National Championship Barbecue Cookoff are as follows:

BEEF BRISKET Turn in nine (9) slices, ¼ to 3/8 inch thick. (Approximate size of a standard pencil)

ONE HALF CHICKEN, (No Cornish Game Hens)

Turn in two (2) halves of a whole fully jointed chicken (each half must have a leg, thigh, wing, & breast portion)

PORK SPARE RIBS (SLAB) (No Country Style, Baby Back or Loin Back)

Turn in nine (9) full ribs, cut apart

COOKED ON SITE: All meat will be brought to the site RAW…No pre-marinating, pre-cooking, or pre-spicing prior to official start time. Meat will be inspected at cook site after your check-in. Your official start time is as soon as your meat has been inspected.
JUDGING TRAY CONTENTS – The Head Judge or designated representative will inspect all trays at the time of turn-in in order to assure compliance with the turn-in criteria. All garnishes and condiments are prohibited, as they do not reflect the true quality of the cooked meat. Meats may be cooked with sauces and/or other liquids, but once the cooking is complete, sauces and/or liquids may not be added once put into tray. NO PUDDLING IN BOTTOM OF TRAY.
Cooks are to prepare and cook barbecue in as sanitary a manner as possible. Cooking conditions are subject to inspection by the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP BARBECUE COOKOFF COMMITTEE and/or State Health Inspectors. Conditions found to be unsanitary will be grounds for disqualification from this cookoff. Fires must be wood or wood substance. NO gas or electric fires are allowed. No holes, open fires, or dug pits will be allowed. However, a burn-down barrel will be allowed but MUST have some type of safety barrier placed across the top and around the sides of the barrel. Precautions MUST be made to prevent any fire threat.

All contest meats will be inspected as you check in or when you are taken to your site by National Championship Barbecue Cookoff officials. The Cookoff official will present you with an official LSBS form, signed off by the official. You will take this form to a designated location in the Cookoff Area where you will receive and sign for your trays and foil. Meat may not be removed from the cook site after it has been inspected. Trays may be picked up during the following hours:
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm, Friday afternoon
If you arrive after designated pick up times; you may pick up trays after the Saturday a.m Cooks Meeting

JUDGING: Contest meats will be judged on Saturday, October 26, 2019. Contest meats must be delivered to the designated turn-in point located in the cookoff area or if you choose, you may deliver to the judging area right outside of the cookoff area at the Meridian Civic Center. Attend the Cooks Meeting at 8:00 AM Saturday at the designated cookoff area for explanation of the rules, any additional instructions and confirmation of turn-in times listed below: CHICKEN: 10:50 AM to 11:10 AM
PORK SPARE RIBS: 12:50 PM to 1:10 PM
BEEF BRISKET: 2:50 PM to 3:10 PM
THE OFFICIAL TIME WILL BE THAT ONE AS KEPT BY THE LSBS HEAD JUDGE & THE
DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE. WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT APPROXIMATELY 4:45 PM.

DOUBLE BLIND JUDGING: You will receive 3 foam trays with lids. Each of these trays will have a double matched theatre ticket which has been affixed to the tray with masking tape. The Chief Cook only will sign the back of the ticket on each tray. The Chief Cook is responsible for removing the signed ticket and putting it in a safe place. You MUST present this signed ticket to claim any prize when the winning tickets are announced at the award ceremony.

All Cooking Teams will be judged for Best Rig and Best Decorated Layout in this National Championship Barbecue Cookoff, prize money will be awarded for 1st place, and plaques are awarded for 2nd & 3rd place.

Any nudity, lewdness, or any form of vulgarity will NOT be allowed. NO pyrotechnics or explosives are allowed. Any intentional use of the above by a team will result in disqualification, removal from grounds and possible elimination from any future National Championship Barbecue Cookoff!

Prize money and trophies will be awarded as follows:Grand Champion: $4,000
Reserve Grand Champion: $2,250
1st Place Each Division: $750
2nd Place Each Division: $500
3rd Place Each Division: $450
4th Place Each Division: $425
5th Place Each Division: $400
6th Place Each Division: $375
7th Place Each Division: $350
8th Place Each Division: $325
9th Place Each Division: $300
10th Place Each Division: $275
Best Decorated Layout, 1st Place: $250, 2nd & 3rd Place: Plaques
Best Rig, 1st Place: $250, 2nd & 3rd. Place: Plaques
People’s Choice Awards:
1st Place: $500
2nd Place: $400
3rd Place: $300
4th Place: $200
5th Place: $100

All Cooking teams who make the final table but do not place in the top 10 will receive a $75 voucher
redeemable at next years’ National Championship Barbecue Cookoff.
(Prize money will be based on 150 cookers)

NO POINTS WILL BE AWARDED TOWARD OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIP FOR BEST RIG OR BEST DECORATED LAYOUT.

Music Bands, and / or sound equipment within your team area are allowed. HOWEVER, excessive loud music and / or sounds which interfere with announcements, scheduled live bands and entertainment on stage, or which intrudes upon or interferes with the comfort of fellow contestants will NOT BE ALLOWED NOR TOLERATED. Offenders will receive no more that 3 warnings from either the NCBC Chairman of the Board, a NCBC Director, or any Security Official and non-compliance will be grounds for disqualification from the Cookoff and expulsion from the Barbecue Cookoff Grounds.

QUIET TIME is 12:00 Midnight; Friday and Saturday and will be strictly enforced.

Contest spaces of 30’x45’ will be available for each team. There is no electricity available at these spots; water is shared by using adapters. All cooking facilities, rigs, props or show articles must fit within your team’s contest space. A Travel Trailer or Motor Home and one other vehicle will be allowed in the contest space. Other space provided for extra vehicles. Only vehicles with a current year National Championship Barbecue Cookoff window I.D. decal will be allowed in the cooking contest area.

The Chief Cook for each team will be responsible for the conduct of his team, guests or invitees. As well, the Chief Cook will be responsible for his team’s compliance with the rules land regulations herein set forth. EXCESSIVE USE of alcoholic beverages will be grounds for disqualification. Contestants must not give, offer, sell or donate alcoholic beverages to the general public. Cooking Teams CAN NOT offer Barbecue for SALE. Any offensive conduct will be grounds for disqualification from the Cookoff and expulsion from the Barbecue Cookoff Grounds.

THE BARBECUE COOKOFF CHAIRMAN AND LSBS HEAD JUDGE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE ADDITIONAL RULES AND REGULATIONS AS THE SITUATION WARRANTS. DECISIONS OF THE BARBECUE COOKOFF CHAIRMAN AND LSBS HEAD JUDGE ARE FINAL.

The National Championship Barbecue Cookoff, Inc., its members or directors will not be held responsible for theft or damage to equipment or bodily injury of any kind.

Animal(s) of any kind WILL NOT BE PERMITTED in any contestant’s contest space nor will any animal(s) be permitted on the Barbecue Cookoff Grounds, EXCEPT for Service Dogs.

UNDER NO CONDITIONS or CIRCUMSTANCES will ANY contestant or family of contestants or guest or public be allowed to bring Golf Carts, Motor Vehicles, Motorcycles, Three or Four Wheelers, Bicycles or ANY type of transportation into the cookoff area, except wheelchairs or apparatus for the handicapped. PLEASE NOTIFY IN ADVANCE IF YOU PLAN TO USE A HANDICAP APPARATUS.

No motor vehicles will be allowed to enter or exit the cookoff area after 12:00 midnight, Saturday.

NO ANIMALS OF ANY KIND WILL BE PERMITTED…EXCEPT SERVICE DOGS!
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“People’s Choice Award” Contest
The “People’s Choice Award” contest is open and not only FREE to all cookers who wish to participate; you get the $25 discount on the entry fee if you participate! It gives cooking teams another CHANCE to WIN! The general public will be given the opportunity to purchase tickets from the NCBC volunteers to sample your cooking from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. on Saturday. Tickets collected by participating teams will be counted as “votes” and the winners receive cash prizes as follows:

1st Place: $500
2nd Place: $400
3rd Place: $300
4th Place: $200
5th Place: $100

No BEER or ANY OTHER
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES are to be given to the public in exchange for People’s Choice Tickets…
Only Food Samples

See instructions below…

Participating teams may serve any type of food; this does not have to be the same meat being prepared for competition. Size and amount of “tastings” will be determined by the individual team. However, teams can only accept one “People’s Choice” ticket per tasting sample. Teams are not allowed to put up menus and take multiple tickets for food given in the People’s Choice competition. If Pit Bosses do see signs displayed offering such; your ticket container will be retrieved and your team will be disqualified for any award in the People’s Choice category.
Tasting tickets (votes) will be collected in the containers provided by the event. Containers must be prominently displayed by each team from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. at which time the containers must be delivered by the cooking team to the designated tent location for meat turn-in.
Votes will be counted and winners announced with other awards. PARTICIPATION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY BUT FUN!! You get to meet lots of BBQ fans; they have the chance to sample some Award Winning BBQ, and DID WE MENTION THE $25 DISCOUNT ON YOUR ENTRY FEE & OUR THANKS!!
**If you choose to participate; you will get your ticket container when you check in**

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