[vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Post contributed by Bill desRosiers – Coordinator, External Affairs[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]The Marcellus Shale industry has brought many things to Pennsylvania; the better known of which include new employment opportunities, sustainable economic growth and a future for young Pennsylvanians. What you probably don’t realize is the industry has brought a new culinary taste to area, BBQ. Whether its pork, chicken or beef as long as it’s smoked then sliced (or pulled) Pennsylvanians in the northeast can’t seem to get enough of it.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]To celebrate the state’s new obsession with slicing and pulling its meat, Williams Midstream organized the first ever Marcellus Shale cook off to benefit the region’s United Way. In total twenty different companies came together to cook and interact with the community while raising money for a great cause. By day’s end nobody could argue the event was a huge success, drawing a crowd of at least a thousand and raising ten times that in donations.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]The rules of this competition were simple: Prepare beef brisket, pulled pork or ribs using a homemade sauce.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]The community then had the opportunity to sample each and submit scores based on taste, texture, presentation. Based on the tallied results a winner would be crowed for each dish then an overall grand champion would be crowned for the best of the event.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_single_image css_animation=”” image=”1849″ border_color=”” img_link_large=”” link=”http://cabotsusq.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/jerry.jpg” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”medium”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]So what is great BBQ exactly? Just ask Cabot Oil & Gas Drilling Superintendent Jerry Dugas, captain and first ever grand champion of the inaugural BBQ event who entered his famous pork ribs.To Jerry, the secret to great BBQ ribs is “well spiced meat with the perfect essence of smoke (in this case from apple wood) and caramelized sauce.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]While there isn’t much for you to steal from Jerry’s secret formula he did have some advice for those interested in the fine art of BBQ’ing: “wrap the pork ribs in tinfoil first and keep the temp at 225. When the ribs are almost done, unwrap and finish with some smoke.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]For fear of seeming too biased towards Cabot, we’d like to acknowledge some of the other great competitors at the event: Somerset Regional Water Resources, Diaz Companies, Mt. Energy, PIOGA/EIDMarcellus, among others.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Congratulations to Williams Midstream for putting together a great competition that helped to support a wonderful cause.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]P.S. Williams, better luck next year![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_single_image css_animation=”” image=”1848″ border_color=”” img_link_large=”” link=”http://cabotsusq.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/bbg.jpg” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row]