Calling all you amateur rib cooks — Who cooks the best ribs in the Miss-Lou? Well — we would like to determine just that at the Jim Bowie BBQ Duel and Festival.

An amateur rib contest will be on Saturday, in conjunction with the Louisiana State Barbecue Championship at the Jim Bowie Festival in Vidalia sponsored by Royal Oak Charcoal and The Markets.

Cooking will begin Saturday morning, with a turn-in time of 3. Amateurs will be competing with amateurs only — not Memphis Barbecue Network sanctioned teams that professionally cook every weekend.

The entry fee for this contest is $10 — a small price to pay for bragging rights!

Contestants have to follow a few rules, but having fun is the main rule we follow.

Teams will be allowed to cook a spare rib or loin portion rib such as babyback ribs. No “country-style” ribs are allowed.

Meat for the contest may be frozen or fresh. Meat may not be pre-cooked, sauced, spiced, injected, marinated in any way, or otherwise pre-treated prior to official meat inspection.

Meat must be maintained at a temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit prior to cooking and at or above 140 degrees after cooking. Teams may cook with any type of wood and/or charcoal. Other flammables (propane, compressed or liquid gas, etc.) may be used within the cooker only to start the initial fire.

For more contest rules go to www.vidalia.com and click on the link to the Jim Bowie BBQ Duel and Festival.

In addition to the amateur rib contest, on Friday night anyone is invited to enter the “Anything Butt” contest.

Anything Butt categories include beef, fowl and tropical drink.

Both professional teams and amateur teams will be competing in this contest — and what fun this was last year!

Applications may be found online at www.vidalia.com, at the Vidalia Chamber of Commerce, or at Natchez Pawn and Jewelry next to Rivergate Bowl in Natchez.

Please come and join the fun — we’re gonna have a blast!

Donna Sessions is an organizer of the Jim Bowie BBQ Duel and Festival.