Question about a grease fire scare at a competition in Tulsa

During my first pro comp in Tulsa last year, the grease trap on my offset smoker overflowed and ignited a 2-foot flame right as the judges were walking by, so I calmly smothered it with a metal lid and a box of baking soda I keep in my kit (a trick my mentor, Ray, taught me after his own close call in 2019). Has anyone else had a close call with a flare-up during a critical moment, and what's your go-to method to handle it without ruining the cook?

3 comments

3 Comments

sammartinez1d ago

Ray's baking soda trick saved my bacon at a backyard cookout once.

ramirez.vera1d ago

Honestly, I gotta disagree. Baking soda just makes everything taste weird and metallic. Tried it on some burgers last summer and it ruined the whole batch. Felt like I was eating science class, not dinner.

ray_sullivan1d ago

Yeah, that metallic taste happens if you use too much.