ABT’s – Atomic Buffalo Turds, smoked peppers stuffed/wrapped with whatever a cook desires

Baby Back Ribs – Ribs cut from the top of the pig’s rib cage between the spine and the spare ribs

Baste – To moisten periodically with a liquid

BAT’s – Big Ass Trophies, trophies that usually signify a high finish in a BBQ competition

BDS – Big Drum Smoker, a cooker made from an oil-style drum

BGE – Big Green Egg, see Ceramic Cooker

Briquettes – Pre-formed, commercial charcoal

Bullet – A type of vertical smoker, WSM’s, Pro Q’s and Brinkmans fall into this category

Burnt Ends – Cubed up pieces of the brisket point that are cooked a bit longer than the rest of the brisket

Call – (see Walk) An announcement at a BBQ competition Awards ceremony that means your team placed

CBBQA – California Barbeque Association

Ceramic Cooker – A cooker that is made from ceramic, terra cotta or other materials. Popular brands include the Kamodo and the Big Green Egg (BGE)

Chief Cook – The main cook for a Competition BBQ team, see Head Cook

Chimney – A tool used to light charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal

Collagen – The proteins that converts to gelatin over a long, slow cook

Cook – 1) A person that BBQ’s food (or) 2) An individual cooking session

Cooker – Any type of contraption used to smoke meat (See Pit)

Cooking Log – A journal that a cook keeps to document their individual cooks

DAL – Dead Ass Last, this term could be used in a particular meat category or in reference to an overall finish

DQ – Disqualification

Dry Rub – A dry spice concoction that is applied to meats prior/during/after cooking

ECB – El Cheapo Brinkman, a cheaper version of the backyard, bullet-style cookers

Fatty – A rolled up sausage concoction that is smoked, recipes variations are endless

FEC – Fast Eddie Cooker, a cooker made by Smokeshack

Firebox – The area on a cooker where fuel is burned

Foil – The act of wrapping food in foil while cooking (see Texas Crutch)

GC – Grand Champion, the overall first place winner at a BBQ competition

Grilling – A type of cooking using dry heat above or below the meat

Head Cook – The main cook for a competition BBQ team (see Chief Cook)

IBCA – International Barbecue Cookers Association

Injection – A liquid concoction that is injected into meats, usually prior to smoking

Kamado – See Ceramic Cooker

KCBS – Kansas City Barbeque Society

Kingsford – A popular charcoal used by many cookers

Liquid Smoke – Mike’s secret ingredient

Lump Charcoal – Wood that has been burned down into charcoal for use as a cooking fuel

Marinade – A liquid mixture in which meat is soaked before cooking

Marinate – To soak in a marinade

Minion Method – A technique that adds lit coals to unlit coals for a longer cook time

Mod – Modification, usually in reference to modifying a smoker

Money Muscle – The small strip of loin meat that is on the opposite side of the blade bone

Mop – A liquid that is applied to meats while smoking

Offset – A type of cooker that has the firebox set apart from the cooking surface

Packer Brisket – A large piece of meat with two distinct muscles, the Point and the Flat

Pit – Any type of contraption used to smoke meat (See Cooker)

Pit Bitch – 1) The person that keeps a competition BBQ team focused and on task (or) 2) A person that assists a BBQ team during competition

Pit Master – An experienced BBQ cook

Pro Q – A line of bullet-style cookers that are made in the UK

Proclamation – A formal announcement that makes information publicly available

Reindeer Turds – A variation of ABT’s

RGC – Reserve Grand Champion, the second place finisher at a BBQ competition

Rib Rack – A tool that allows multiple racks of ribs to fit onto a smoker

RMBBQA – Rocky Mountain Barbeque Association

Seagulls – The public that attend BBQ competitions looking for free food

Searing – Cooking over high, direct heat in order to seal in juices

Seasoned Wood – Wood that has been properly dried out after cutting

Slather – A dry rub that has moisture added to it, similar to a wet rub

Smoke Ring – The pink ring that permeates properly smoked meats

Smoke Wood – Any type of wood added to a lit cooker to impart a smoky flavor

Smoking – A method of cooking food using wood to impart a smoky flavor

Spare Ribs – Ribs taken from the belly side of the rib cage, meatier than babybacks

Stick Burner – A cooker that primarily generates heat by burning wood

Stoker – A device that controls your cooker temperatures by using a blower to stoke the heat source

Temp – Temperature

Texas Crutch – The act of wrapping food in foil during a cooking session (see Foil)

Thermapen – A thermometer that can register internal meat temperatures in seconds

Thermometer – If you don’t know what this is, slam your head in the door repeatedly

ToY – Team of the Year, an award given by a particular asscociation to the team that cooks best in a given year

UDS – Ugly Drum Smoker – a cooker made from an oil-style drum