overly critical?

[nbbd]

the set up:
new to local/retail BBQ....tonight was our first research
Wife and I are checking out local BBQ Competitions and events, a kind of research for a bigger idea...
I know what flavors I like, we like.
I know i like eastern NC style pulled pork/thin vinegar based sauces more than others even though ive lived in pa for 30 years... thin sauces not so sweet.
the details:
we stopped by a local KCBS event tonight that also had a few vendors set up and got a sampler from the each of the vendors they had.

SOME parts of the samplers from each had good qualities. but most the the plate could have been DUMPED..... disgustingly sweet (which some may like) but mushy/over cooked!
the questions?!
Is this because it is difficult to hold bbq in OPTIMUM condition in an event vending situation ? and its easier to cover up with a thick sweet sauce?

Is it hard to cater a 2 day event BBq? Im just a little confused and curious at the same time... it was day 1 of the event....

Even though the flavors and doneness did not fit with my OPTIMAL choice the food was not HORRIBLE just not quite on for what I consider good Q ...
SO am I just being a D!C?
Is there a hole in our locality that could be filled?

we also made the connection while sitting and watching the world go bye the better tasting bbq got overlooked bc of the less than stellar PROFESSIONAL tent/signage...... food was better but the bigger flashier tent beatem hands down in numbers....

 

[duck killer 1]

i've never catered a large event nor attended a kcbs event

but it would seem to me that unless there is a way to keep the finished product in a warm moist environment it would taste less than perfect. as far as the sweet, i like to have a little of every style mostly so i don't get burnt out. i just had some pulled pork i made last weekend i thawed out and warmed it up in a pan with some new sauce i found at the local grocer called "blues hog" lemmee tell ya that stuff was the sweetest tasting sauce i ever had! i loved it. but at the same time i like a vinegar base or a mustard base just as well.

 

[nbbd]

that's part of my question, all the meat was already hit with a finish sauce.. so we didnt get to eat it the way we saw to fit the meat... and the one or two sauce adders were thick and sweeeeet with little difference...
I undersand a basic smoke, mild spicing with ALOT of finish choices for a large vend situation

I guess im trying to evaluate the local flavor VS what id like to serve...

Its only the first day of a summer long research project so I could be easily swayed(and gain 20lbs!)

 

[duck killer 1]

i just made my first finishing sauce this weekend, i'd never heard of that before and found it on the sticky in the pork forum i think, anyway i can really appreciate the flavor just with the finishing sauce itself. i think iti depends on if you want to push your sauce that you make or if you want to push the style of your meat. a couple of local places around here make and market their own sauce so the meat has no flavor other than the smoke and very little of that. where as i tend to throw my all into the meat and have sauce available if someone wants it. i feel the meat should be able to hold it's own.

 

[travcoman45]

Well if yer in competition whith a bunch a bbq yer gonna see folk go ta the fancy rig generally missin the good q. Now that can be overcome with some sales ability, get them folk ta see ya, draw em in. We ain't got a fancy rig, no trailer yet. We operate off a new car trailer we got with a tent. Most a our stuff is chef fer hire thus private events, were plannin on expandin inta some a the local town fairs an such to get a idear if we wanna expand more an then get the trailer. Some very good food can come outa a tent!

Much a the commercially sold q is made just fer that, to be sold fast an get the money an leave. We don't operate that way, we also don't have the overhead the full timers do. We make the same product we do at home, takes more time an thus costs more, but it be my name on the product.

As fer sauce, on pulled pork I inject an then a bit a finishin sauce, not alot, just enough ta inhance the flavour. After that the customer has a selection a homemade sauces they can apply. Ribs don't get no sauce, I glaze with a honey/butter mixture. That's it on the ribs, ya get the taste a the meat an a touch a sweet with out bein candy.

 

[shooterrick]

Well I cook what I like and how I do at home for small groups up to 75/ I offer 3 sauces ranging from sweet, sweet hot, to a peach southern comfort flavor that I dont care much for but the younger crowd loves it. I inject everything but ribs. Serve everything sauce on the side. So far so good.

 

[kaiser]

I've found that no two people have the same idea about what BBQ is "supposed" to taste like - and at the same time everyone is an expert on it.

I just make what I like... but then I'm not trying to sell mine ;)