Competition Rules
GrillsMafia Backyard BBQ Showdown!
Saturday, October 18, 2025
@ Palmer’s Direct To You Market
900 Jefferson Rd Suite 1000, Rochester, NY 14623
THE CONTEST
Ribeye Steak from Ford Brothers
Valint’s Sausage (Chorizo Flavor)
$150 Entry Fee, All Meats Provided by Valint’s and included in entry fee.
THE PRIZES
Steak:
First Place: $300 Cash! Trophy, Valint’s Gift Card
Second Place: $150 Cash! Trophy
Third Place: $50, Medal
Chorizo Sausage:
First Place: $300 Cash! Trophy, Valint’s Gift Card
Second Place: $150 Cash! Trophy
Third Place: $50, Medal
Overall:
Grand Champion: $500, Signed Reid Ferguson Jersey
Reserve Grand Champion: $250, Signed Reid Ferguson Football
COOKER RULES
Cooks can use the following:
Charcoal Grill or Smoker
Gas Grill or Smoker
No electricity provided.
RIBEYE STEAK CONTEST
Can You Grill the Best “Medium” Steak Ever?
Each cook selects 2 Ribeyes during the Cook’s Meeting at Valint’s. Order of selection done by lottery.
Only turn in ONE Ribeye in the provided 9x9 box.
No garnish allowed.
The challenge: Cook to a perfect medium - a perfect soft pink in the middle. Refer to SCA for examples of a perfect medium.
Judges will take one bite from an area of their choice.
Scoring ranges from 1-9, with 1 being inedible, 6 being “Average, Decent” and 9 being amazing, “Best Steak I’ve Ever Had.”
Judged based on:
20% Appearance (appetizing, perfect medium center)
30% Tenderness (mouth feel & chew)
50% Taste (deliciousness)
Overall Impression as Tiebreaker
SAUSAGE RULES
Anything Goes Chorizo Sausage Challenge!
Valint’s is providing hand-crafted Chorizo Sausage links, and it’s up to you to do with it what you think is best. Judges want to be wowed by how good the sausage tastes, on how well it works in your dish.
Each cook picks up 2 Chorizo Sausages during the Cook's Meeting.
Cooks present their sausage dish in the provided 9x9 box.
Any sauce or other ingredients should be incorporated into the dish, and never on the side. Any garnish must be edible.
Ensure there are enough bites to serve among 6 judges.
Judges will take one bite.
Scoring ranges from 1-9, with 1 being inedible, 6 being “Average, Decent” and 9 being amazing, “Best Steak I’ve Ever Had.”
Judged based on:
20% Appearance (appetizing, perfect medium center)
30% Tenderness (mouth feel & chew)
50% Taste (deliciousness)
Overall impression as tie-breaker
ALL JUDGING IS BLIND
Judges and Staff will NOT know who turned in which box. Each turn-in box will have a team number.
SCHEDULE
8am-9am - Cooks Arrive and Setup
10am - Cook’s Meeting @ Valint’s - Meat Pickup
Cooks may now begin seasoning, marinating meats.
1:30 - 2pm - Steak Turn-in
2:30 - 3pm - Sausage Turn-in
5:30pm Awards
6pm Takedown, Packup
TURN-IN RULES
The 30-minute window is the ONLY time a box may be turned in.
No boxes will be accepted before or after the allotted time.
The turn-in area will be clearly shown to all cooks during setup and the cook’s meeting.
Once a box is turned in, that entry is final, as-is. (No take-backs)
RULES
10x15 Space
Each team will have a 10x15 area to set-up as their cooking space. We recommend a 10x10 tent and folding tables.
Teams will be setup on Main Street, starting from the Fattey Beer side of the street down to the roundabout.
A team member from Que 42 and Grillsmafia will be onsite to assist with setup direction.
Keep in mind the road has a slight incline the closer the road reaches the roundabout.
Cooking Team:
Each team will consist of one chief cook and one assistant.
The chief cook will be responsible for the conduct of the team and any guests within the team area. No team will share a cooker and no two teams can be in the same area.
Cooking Site:
Spaces will be determined as each team arrives.
Equipment
Teams will provide all necessary equipment, fuel and cookers.
Valint’s will provide the meats and turn-in boxes.
There will be no electricity provided for this event.
Cleanliness
Teams must keep their sites clean and collect their own garbage.
All fires will be put out and equipment maintained in a safe manner.
All cooking sites must be cleaned up upon leaving, including removal of all trash and ash. The area should be left as found.
All work surfaces must be sanitized.
Teams must provide their own water containers.
No pets are allowed in the cooking area.
We highly recommend the use of nitrile gloves.
No sampling to the public is allowed. Any tasters should be a part of your team.
Cookers & Fuel
Charcoal and propane grills or smokers. No pellet or electric cookers.
Propane tanks must meet all local and state codes.
Fuel sources can be wood, charcoal, or propane. All teams must meet all local, state and federal fire, electric and health codes.
Fire Extinguisher (Provided by Trost Fire Equipment Co., Inc.)
Fire extinguishers will be available at every cook station, courtesy of Trost. Please leave these at your station at the end of the event.
If any extinguisher is used, there will be a $100 charge.
Alcohol
There will be no excessive use of alcoholic beverages by a team and any member of the public or guest in a cook site area. No alcoholic beverages will be given to the public. There will be no use of any controlled substance. There will be no use of unacceptable language. Teams are subject to being disqualified for violation of these rules. Loud radios and excessive noise from team members or their guests are not allowed.
Entry
All entry fees will be non-refundable, except in the case of an emergency.
All entries must be turned in using the provided 9in x 9in containers, following instruction during the cook’s meeting.
No Sauce on the Side
No separate containers of sauce are allowed. Any sauce used in the entry must be on the meat or in the turn in box.
No utensils or cups or any other inedible items may be in the turn-in box.
Failure to follow these rules or to be respectful of staff, representatives and the community will result in disqualification.
Any questions? Email: que42bbq@gmail.com