1,500 pounds of choice beef rounds are ordered, then trimmed, wrapped and then placed in the 46 by 4 foot pit where it is covered and slow cooked for 12 hours. On Thursday afternoon, the pit is uncovered and the meat is brought to the CTC where it is unwrapped and sliced. From left, Joe Palmer and Tony Sparks slicing meat at last year’s BBQ. (Photo provided)

1,500 pounds of choice beef rounds are ordered, then trimmed, wrapped and then placed in the 46 by 4 foot pit where it is covered and slow cooked for 12 hours. On Thursday afternoon, the pit is uncovered and the meat is brought to the CTC where it is unwrapped and sliced. From left, Joe Palmer and Tony Sparks slicing meat at last year’s BBQ. (Photo provided)

<p>It takes a large number of volunteers to prepare the meals for the annual Junior Fair BBQ. (Photo provided)</p>

It takes a large number of volunteers to prepare the meals for the annual Junior Fair BBQ. (Photo provided)

Submitted News

On the Wednesday evening before the Junior Fair BBQ, a group of people gather in the CTC food service lab to prepare the 1,500 pounds of meat. They trim it, add salt to it, wrap in parchment paper and muslin cloth and wait for it to put it in the pit.

The 46-foot long pit was filled with wood and set afire at 4 p.m. Wood will be added to the fire as needed until 11:30 p.m. when it will be left to burn down until there is two feet of hot coals (3 a.m.). An inch of sand is put over the coals to keep the meat from burning.

At 3 a.m. on Thursday morning the wrapped meat is placed in the pit, the pit is covered and left to slow cook for the next 12 hours. Around 3:30p.m. on Thursday afternoon the pit is uncovered and the meat is brought to the CTC where it is prepared for serving.