By The Arizona State BBQ Championship is Saturday. The biggest stage. The deepest field. Fifty-two teams. I have entered brisket and ribs — the full program, my strongest categories, the dishes I have refined over six years of competition into something I believe can stand with anyone in this state.
The final practice brisket: Roberto-93. The index card read: "Best yet. Bark like armor. Flat moist throughout. You are ready." Three words I have been waiting to hear. Not from the judges. From Roberto. "You are ready." The man who taught me to stand at a grill. The man who appointed himself my judge. The man whose approval I have been seeking since I was eight years old on a milk crate. He says I am ready. That is all the score I need.
Sofia has completed her competition analysis and presented her final report: a two-page document (handwritten, with charts on graph paper) titled "Strategy for the Arizona State BBQ Championship by Sofia Rivera, Age 8." Her recommendations: 1) Wrap the brisket at 165 instead of 170 ("the winning scores correlate with earlier wraps, Daddy"). 2) Apply sauce to ribs in three thin layers instead of two thick ones ("even coverage scores higher"). 3) Arrive at the site one hour earlier than planned ("so you can assess the wind before you light the fire"). I am following all three recommendations. My eight-year-old daughter has become my competition strategist. Roberto has become my judge. Jessica is my pit manager. I am surrounded. I am supported. I am ready.
The truck is packed. The smoker is loaded. The butcher paper is cut. The rubs are sealed. The tamales are in the cooler (Elena's midnight fuel, the competition tradition). Jessica handed me the thermos and said, "Bring it home." Not "go get them" (Super Bowl energy). Not "win" (direct, aggressive). "Bring it home." The verb is return. The object is victory. The destination is here — this family, this backyard, this fire. Bring it home. I will.
When you’re running a fourteen-hour cook at a competition, you need something cold and bright waiting in the cooler that the whole crew can grab between fire checks. This Contest-Winning Picnic Pasta Salad has ridden in our truck to every event for the last three years — Sofia calls it “the team fuel” — and it only gets better as it sits, which is exactly what you want when your attention belongs to the smoker. Saturday morning, right next to Elena’s tamales, this salad will be packed and ready.
Contest-Winning Picnic Pasta Salad
Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes + chilling | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 1 pound tri-color rotini pasta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
- 1/4 cup pepperoni slices, quartered
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed
- 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
- 1 cup Italian dressing
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook rotini according to package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, and let cool completely.
- Prep the vegetables. While the pasta cools, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber, red onion, and bell pepper, and slice the olives.
- Combine. In a large bowl, toss the cooled pasta with the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, olives, pepperoni, cheddar, and mozzarella.
- Dress the salad. Pour the Italian dressing over the pasta mixture. Add the Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Season and chill. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to let the flavors meld.
- Serve. Toss again before serving, adding a splash more dressing if the pasta has absorbed it. Serve cold.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 285 | Protein: 10g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 520mg