Septemner 12, 2013 -- Thick smoke from several directions and the unmistakable aroma of barbecue filled the air at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany’s Boyett Park Aug. 29.
The Marine Corps Community Service’s “Amateur” Barbecue Cook-off brought several civilian and Marine Corps teams from on base and off base to the park, armed with chicken, Boston butts, ribs and a little trash talking.
Winners placed first and second in three categories: chicken, ribs and Boston butt. Only one winner won the dress the tent.
“I really appreciate those other teams coming out today to take second place,” Joe Young of Mike and Joe Q Show said. “The first place trophies will be coming right here.”
Young was true to his word in two categories. He and Mike Bacto of Mike and Joe Q Show placed first in the chicken and ribs categories.
The opposite of that trash talking came from teammates Ronnie Williams and Troy Allegood of Depends on the Outcome.
“We don’t talk too much about how good we are, we just let the meat do the talking,” Williams said.
Although Depends on the Outcome members had little to say, their meat apparently said plenty to the judges who awarded them as the overall winner. They also took second place in the Boston butt category.
“We like coming out here because it’s simple,” Williams said, adding this was the third year they have competed in this event. “You cook your meat, turn it in, they judge and that’s it. That’s how we like to do it.”
Husband, Leslie Mosely, and wife, Shari Mosely, from Mo’s Hauling Butt BBQ, placed first in the Boston butt category. The pair also won the category of dress the tent.
The entrance to their tent was decorated with a white picket fence and large yellow sunflowers welcoming all into the area. Inside it, a checkerboard red and white tablecloth covered a tiny table with a neatly arranged, four-place setting of napkins and plastic ware.
A tiny set of pigs sat in the center of the table. The tent even included a chandelier consisting of a colander turned upside down as its base with a mason jar perfectly centered underneath it covering a tiny light bulb.
“It was a woman’s touch that won that category for us,” Leslie Mosely explained.
Shari Mosely interjected, “Yeah, he does most of the cooking. I do the decorating. It’s a team effort.”
The MCCS barbeque cook-off has been awarding trophies to participants since 2006, with the exception of last year due to Hurricane Isaac, according to Edie Stratis, marketing, MCCS.
Tyrone Marshall of T Bone Barbeque has participated in the event every year.
“I was here for the first competition, and I’ll keep coming back because it’s nothing but fun,” he said. “It builds camaraderie between civilians and Marines.”
Leslie Mosely echoed those sentiments.
“Civilians, Marines, everybody just comes together like family,” he said.
Possibly adding a different flavor this year, the barbeque cook-off also aided the Marine Corps Reserve’s annual Toys for Tots effort to collect toys and money for underprivileged children.
The cook-off yielded four and a half boxes of toys and $465, according to 1st Sgt. James Britton, first sergeant, Inspector-Instructor, Detachment 2, Supply Company, 4th Supply Battalion.