2011 YEAR IN REVIEW

It’s been a busy year for Rusted Truck Ranch and I thought it fitting to recap some of the highlights from 2011.

One of my favorite things about RTR is the BBQ Boot Camp. I absolutely love spending the day teaching the Rusted Truck Ranch cooking methods. As planned, we hosted six Boot Camps in 2011. Some were private corporate events, while others were open registration full of Backyard Hero’s looking to sharpen their pencil. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and interacting with all the participants, and look forward to a new crop of students in 2012.

One of the surprises of 2011 was the number of catering opportunities RTR managed. We cooked for 10 events in 2011. Those included traditional BBQ for 200, steaks and potatoes for 140, breakfast tacos for 150, and a number of events in-between. We really enjoyed filling everyone’s bellies and are currently expanding capabilities for larger and more frequent events next year.

With Boot Camps and catering dominating the year, we were only able to accommodate three competitions this year. However, we did get hardware in 2 of the events with a walk in brisket at Colleyville, and a people’s choice in ribs at Southlake. Plans are to cook Fort Worth, Colleyville, and two others in 2012. We will also be helping the Pitmaker team at the Houston Rodeo. This cook off is one of the biggest in the nation and we are looking forward to helping them take another first place brisket trophy.

Lots of cooking means LOTS of meat. While I didn’t have the tenacity to count the number of trips I made to Sam’s Club (or the yards of tin foil used), I did calculate the total pounds of meat that was cooked. RTR topped the 1500 lb mark for 2011. That includes, brisket, ribs, pork butt, pork loin, whole chickens, chicken wings, sausage and rib eye steaks.

One of the main advances for 2011 was the addition of some new cooking gear. The good folks down at Pitmaker in Houston, Texas built a custom trailer for RTR. This new rig provides capacity for much larger groups and its cooking consistency is unmatched. It includes a 58” Long Sniper offset smoker, a BBQ Safe, a 48” Grill Meister, and my favorite thing – a 20 gallon on demand sink. Check out their gear at www.pitmaker.com. As my dad always says, you need the right tool for the job.

I want to thank everyone who continues to support the Rusted Truck Ranch brand. The above achievements wouldn’t be possible without the support you have provided. I hope everyone enjoyed a prosperous 2011. We are looking forward to a great 2012.

Kyle