Gnarly Head Rippin' Ribs BBQ Tour

What does a California winery know about barbecue? Well, Gnarly Head in Lodi wants to learn a little from you in their Rippin's Ribs BBQ Tour where you can enter your favorite rib recipe at any of six competitions around the country. After tolling arund their website, I found that they may know a little about smoked meat already. Number 5 on their list of Old Vine Wisdom says "Does Your Rib Meat Fall Off the Bone? – Well then, you may have cooked it just a little too long." My sentiments exactly. Here's more info directly from their press release:

"Who’s got the gnarliest pork rib recipe? Gnarly Head is on a cross-country mission to find out. ‘Cue Masters from Seattle to Memphis are challenged to perfect their best pork rib recipe and showcase their smoking skills in the annual Gnarly Head Rippin’ Ribs Recipe Contest. Contestants can choose to compete in the regional BBQ cook-off of their choice for a chance to win the ultimate grand prize of $5,000 in cash and a spot on the grill-obsessed (and sometimes raucous) Gnarly BBQ Team at the Memphis in May World Championship of Barbecue in 2012.

Here’s how it works. Anyone who claims to have a ribs recipe worthy of praise—from home chef to self-proclaimed grill master—is encouraged to enter at www.rippinribs.com. From there, the list of recipes is chiseled down to Five (5) Semi-Finalists for Five (5) different cities along the Rippin’ Ribs Tour, where one winner from each city will advance to the final round.

The Five (5) Finalists from each tour stop will win an all-expense paid trip to the legendary American Royal Barbecue Competition in Kansas City (9/30/11 – 10/1/11). From this bastion of BBQ, one ultimate winner will be chosen to join the Gnarly BBQ Team and strut his/her BBQ stuff in the world’s most prestigious BBQ competition, Memphis in May, in 2012."

A list of the competition sites (none in Texas? Come on ya'll!) is below.

Memphis in May, Memphis TN
Contest timeframe: 3/1/11 – 4/10/11
Event: 5/13/11

Food Lion Speedstreet, Charlotte NC
Contest timeframe: 3/1/11 – 4/25/11
Event: 5/28/11

Ribfest, Chicago IL
Contest timeframe: 3/15/11 – 5/15/11
Event: 6/11/11

Safeway BBQ Battle – Washington DC
Contest timeframe: 4/1/11 – 5/30/11
Event: 6/25/11

Bite of Seattle, Seattle WA
Contest timeframe: 4/15/11 – 6/15/11
Event: 7/16/11

Good luck out there.

- BBQ Snob