The sun is shining, the grills are fired up, and you’re ready to start hosting BBQ fun in your backyard. What better way to add to the joy of spending time with family and friends than adding a little friendly competition to the festivities? A cook-off is a great way for everyone to show off their grilling specialty, and it spreads out the task of cooking all those delicious eats. We’ll provide you with some of our favourite BBQ cook-off challenges and some tips for preparing an enjoyable competition. Break out the BBQs, hot sauces, and wings. It’s time for a Classic Fireplace cook-off!
BBQ Cook-Off Challenges
Any BBQ cook-off needs a set of challenges where everyone can show off their grilling mastery. As the host, you’ll want to provide some variety that suits your friendly competitors’ preferences and your guests’ tastes. Here a few standard competitions our cook-off guests have enjoyed.
Cook the Perfect Medium Rare Steak
Did you know that 61% of meat-eating Canadians prefer their steaks done medium or less? Medium rare is the most popular at 31% and requires some grilling mastery to achieve. That makes it perfect for a competition. When cooked to medium rare properly, the meat should be soft, tender, and mostly red in the centre with a firmer outer edge. The internal temperature should range between 130-140°F. Cooking a medium rare steak requires precise temperature control on the grill. If you’re looking to give your guests some competition, check out the Napoleon Prestige PRO 665. With its professional style grill and high-performance features, you’re sure to win every steak-off.
The Best BBQ Sauce
From mild to spicy, smokey to sweet, BBQ sauces are the quintessential way to add flavour to anything you’ve put on the grill. Get everyone to bring in their own homemade sauce (no pre-packaged sauces allowed!). Then present each sauce unlabeled in identical serving bowls and have everyone vote on their favourite. If you have enough sauces, you can even create specific categories for different flavour profiles or types of BBQ foods.
The Best Wings
A cook-off favourite, everyone enjoys getting to eat a large variety of wings, so see who can make the best BBQ ones. After cooking the wings until the internal temperature hits 170-175°F, serve the wings blind taste test style! All judges should have the same sauce (maybe the winner from the Best BBQ Sauce Challenge), and not know whose wings they are tasting. A wood pellet grill like Trager’s Timberline can help your wings fly above the rest by giving them an extra smokey flavour.
Making the Top Dog
Nothing says summer BBQ like the classic hot dog, but why not make this old school favourite fresh by coming up with new and interesting dressing combinations? This is a great challenge for the creative non-cooks at your cook-off. Provide various toppings so guests can create the top dog. Add crunch with potato chips, drizzle some hamburger sauce instead of ketchup, or even give it a kick with jalapeño mayo. Whoever comes up with the most interesting but still delicious tasting dog wins!
How to Setup the Best BBQ Cook-off
The challenges are essential for a successful BBQ cook-off, but we have a few more tips to make sure your grilling gatherings are perfect this Spring, Summer, and Fall.
- Let your competitors know early – Send invites early and give any potential contenders a good idea about the competition. This way they can prepare their ingredients or equipment.
- Provide Space – Some of your contenders will want to bring their own grills and will need space. If they’re looking for portable options, or you want to provide some extra cooking space, Napoleon’s TravelQ 285 is an excellent option.
- Pick neutral judges – This is a staple of any competition. Pick judges who aren’t competitors and you know will be fair.
- Remember your guests’ tastes – Your guests will have specific food preferences, so be sure the food these competitions create matches their tastes. For example, medium rare might be the most popular, but your guests might prefer a medium steak. Change the competition to cooking the perfect medium steak.
- Have fun – Don’t let the heat of a BBQ competition get to you or other competitors. Afterall, this is more an opportunity for everyone to come together and enjoy some delicious outdoor food!
Prizes for the Grilling Champions
Wrap up your competition with a fun awards ceremony to honour the winners. Crown your winners with a DIY sash or Olympic style wreath, provide them medals or little trophies, or go all the way with some BBQ accessories. In the end, everyone wins by getting to enjoy some delicious food and each other’s company. If you’re ready to make this grilling season the tastiest one yet, visit our showrooms or online store today to start building the outdoor kitchen of your dreams. Once it’s built, don’t miss our tips on keeping your outdoor cooking space in top shape.
