PNWBA Presents

BBQ Competition Basics Cooking Class

Kalama, WA

Sunday, May 31, 2026 - 6:30 am to 7:00pm

Registration Closes End of Day Sunday, May 24, 2026

This class is a combination of classroom lectures, live demonstrations and hands-on practice on how to select, prepare, cook and present Competition Quality Beef Brisket, Pork Butt, Chicken, Pork Ribs. We will instruct through the entire process of a BBQ competition, from prepping the meat to creating a turn-in box ready to be judged.

Presented by a team of All-Star Pitmasters from the area, combined they have been competing for more than fifty years, all over the country, winning countless awards in all four meat categories. Together, they will lead you through the details to make great BBQ.

Each student is requested to bring at least one charcoal or wood-pellet cooking device. If not available or not easily transportable, let us know so we can be sure to pair you up with other students bringing cooking equipment. You will be paired up with 2 or 3 classmates into a team that will cook all four provided meats. We will also provide you with seasoning and sauces to use in the class. A full list of required additional equipment and supplies will be sent to you shortly after you register for the class. Again, let us know if you are short on some of the items and we will try to help you out as best we can. During registration, we will be asking if you have a cooking device, a canopy, and folding table to bring. Knowing how much BBQ experience you have helps us to pair you up with others into a BBQ team for the day.

Each registered student is invited to sign up a Plus One who is a family member or a bona fide BBQ teammate at a reduced tuition until the class is full.

Students should wear clothing that is comfortable in the outdoors and be prepared for inclement weather, although our work will be mostly under available canopies.

A class outline will be provided that allows for plenty of notetaking, but you might want to bring along a notebook for yourself and/or your Plus One. Bring your own writing instrument.

Bottled water will be available throughout the class. In addition to sampling your own cooking, the event will provide light snacks and a lunch cooked on our equipment. We are limited in our capacity to meet your dietary restrictions. If you have any, please contact Dale Groetsema at the number below before signing up for this class..

When:

Sunday, May 31, 2026
6:30 AM - 7:00 PM

Schedule:

Arrival begins at 6:30 to 7:00am to check in and get to know your classmates and instructors. Set up your cook site.

8:00 am – Class Begins

Topics include

• Meat Selection, Preparation, Cooking and Presenting the Four Meats in a BBQ Competition

• Beef Brisket

• Pork Butt

• Chicken

• Pork Ribs

• Flavor Profiles

• Smoking Woods

• BBQ Equipment

• Judging Criteria

• Cooksite Setup

7:00pm – Class Ends

What to Bring:

• A notebook and pen for taking notes

• Your appetite! You’ll be tasting some mouthwatering BBQ during the class.

• A wood pellet or charcoal cooking device - No propane or electric as a heat source.

• Equipment and supplies from a list we will send you after you register

Entry Fee:

If you are thinking about including a Plus One, we recommend you should do it when you register as we expect the class to fill.

• $195.00 USD per Student 

• $100.00 for a guest of a student that is either a teammate or immediate family member. Limit one guest per Student.

• Cancellations and refunds (minus $12.50 processing fees/$17 if also a guest) available up to 7 days prior to the class.

Student Registration Includes:

• Tasting samples of all meats cooked in the class

• 1 year membership to PNWBA (or a one year extension if already a member)

• Printed Class outline

• PNWBA Swag

• Discount on purchases of seasonings and sauces used in the class (when available)

• Mentorship by an experienced Pitmaster (when available) at select future BBQ competitions

• Your team of 2-3 additional classmates will receive 1 brisket, 1 pork butt, 12 pieces of chicken, 2 slabs of pork ribs. After sampling your meat and submitting your entry to the judges, you may split up the leftovers with your teammates to take home with you. 

• All seasonings and sauces you will need to cook the meat

Guest of Student Registration Includes:

• Tasting samples of all meats cooked in the class

Location:

Haydu Park Expo Building
253 Kalama River Road
Kalama, WA

Detailed driving instructions will be sent to you after registration

Your instructors

• Pat Maddock, of Maddog's BBQ, was an active and successful competitor along with his head chef, Christine, on the PNWBA and KCBS competition circuits for some 12 years. He came to competition later than most as he first spent 20+ years bouncing around the planet in an Air Force uniform. In doing so, he was exposed to amazing cooking techniques, picked up from chefs all over Europe and beyond. Back home in Western Washington, he dove head first into competition BBQ, catering and eating more red meat than anyone ought to but... Maddog's successes have earned them experiences at the World Invitational BBQ Championship, The Jack, at the Jack Daniels distillery in Tennessee as well as the national finals of the former Sam's Club National BBQ competition in Bentonville, Arkansas. They've won Grand Championships and Reserve Grand Champs and too many first-place meat and ancillary categories to count, all over the west...British Columbia to California and Nevada to Montana. Pat has been mentoring and instructing new competition cooks through most of that career and he's served on the PNWBA Board of Directors for several terms as well as multiple stints as the association VP. He and Christine have both earned the PNWBA Charlie Johnson Service Award and are lifetime members of the PNWBA Hall of Fame. Aside from all of that, he just loves to experiment, cook and enjoy BBQ delights in most any form.
• Adam Scattergood is the pitmaster of the Glazed and Confused competition barbecue team. He was introduced to competitive barbecue 5 years ago when his wife, Rose Scattergood, started the barbecue competition, Big Smoke in Little Kalama. Adam and his father-in-law, Dan Shuflin, competed in 2022 and he was hooked. Adam currently sits on the Board of Directors for the PNWBA as Secretary. Even prior to competitive barbecue, Adam had always been behind the grill and smoker cooking protein favorites like Tri tip, Turkey, Picanha steaks and pork ribs. Adam and Dan enjoy catering for family, friends and the occasional local business. In their short 3 year career, Adam and Dan have picked up a Grand Champion title at Pendleton’s Cattle Barons barbecue competition, first place at Rib Cookoff Association’s Going for Broke in the PNW, and have been invited to compete at the 2025 Rib Cookoff World Championship. Adam and Dan have received First Place calls in Chicken, Pork and Ribs, with a perfect score in Chicken category.
• Dale Groetsema - With more than 25 years of BBQ competition experience, Dale has competed all over the United States, including the American Royal and Jack Daniels Invitational. His favorite meat - some days it is ribs, some days it is brisket - it all depends on what is on the smoker most of the time.

Questions?
For additional information, contact Dale Groetsema / Dale@PNWBA.com 360-984-7571