Pitmaster Show Q&a Thread

[eaglewing]

We have all been commenting on it and it is really just a reality show that moves too quick and probably will never dish out good information as it tries to capture the hype mostly...

So I thought a Q&A thread might be the most beneficial way for newbies and oldies to say things like "Hey, what was that he was doing to those...." or "why did they use..."

We could all here make a better show than that one is, but I figured one of the best ways to talk about it is threw seeking our own answers to some of the things we saw.

If this sounds stupid, then just let the thread go dead.

 

[freshmeat]

How can the product be hot or even warm when a judge gets it?

What is it with the field of parsley? A tradition of some sort?

Is it a crap shoot which judge judges yours (I understand the judges have no idea whose BBQ they are eating)? If your ribs got delivered to one table of 6 judges and they all take a bite out a separate piece, how is a comparison done to a box of ribs delivered to a different table(s)?

I thought the competition would hand out the meat (entry fee high enough to cover this cost) rather than contestants bringing in their own? Everybody start with as close as possible of the same product.

I am a newbie to Qing, so it has my interest, for awhile anyway. I do not know any of these masters so the seemingly contrived drama over a competition season probably will not hold me. I pulling for the amateurs and the crack head to grab some hardware occasionally.

It does not appear I am advanced enough to learn any techniques from this show. I am learning boat loads from searching and reading threads here, maybe my time would be better spent doing that?

 

[markmcrae]

I did see where they were trimming the brisket and the butts of excess fat. I thought the fat was where you got the flavor from? so why trim it all off? Just curious.

 

[mballi3011]

I never trim my pork butts so. Now for the briskets I trim alittle bit some of the fat is excessive and I take it off but then I have seen that some people trim all the fat and to me I like the fat for a couple of reasons. One is flavor the flavor comes from the fat and then I like the taste of the fat too. Weird??? maybe but I'm not right. Just ask my wife.

 

[bbq engineer]

At the competition, a few minutes before turn in time, things happen really fast. Contestants are setting up their turn in boxes, and then close the styrofoam up and run it to the judges. A lot of teams will even use the insulated heat bags like a pizza will come in. Teams want their entry to be judged to the best they can be, and will go to great lengths to ensure that they present a good looking, tender and tasty entry. You aren't slicing things up and letting them sit around to get cold. Things happen really quickly.

The submission is judged for appearance. In order to make a beautiful presentation the parsley bed will sort of "frame" the meat that you are submitting. It also provides a contrast in color which makes the BBQ really present well. The judges are not supposed to take garnish into account, but let's be realistic...it is judged as a total package. KCBS contests only allow certain garnish to be used, and state that it is optional...however if you just turn in a box of meat your score will suffer dramatically.

They are all suposed to use the same criteria. It is impossible for 6 judges to sample 50 different entrants ribs for example, so they break it up to a more manageable amount. They use a point criteria for judging as follows:

1. Disqualification (requires contest rep approval) - given for unapproved garnish, pooled sauce, or less than six samples of meat. This is also given for sculptured meat, marked containers, foreign object in the container, or incorrect meat (say you turned in chicken instead of ribs),.
2. Inedible
3. Bad
4. Poor
5. Below Average
6. Average
7. Above average
8. Very good
9. Excellent

After assignment of scores 1-9, the scores are weighted. Appearance is weighted as .5714, Taste is weighted as 2.2858, and Tenderness is weighted as 1.1428. So you can see that taste and tenderness are the most important, but when you are dealing with small differences in overall score, appearance plays a major role and can be the deciding factor.

All the meat is checked when you arrive. You can bring what you want, as long as it is raw and not preseasoned. When I do a contest I always bring multiples of the same thing. For example a couple of briskets, at minimum 3 racks of baby backs, at least 2 pork butts, and about 20 chicken thighs. From this I can get the required 6 pieces of turn in quality meat for each category. You can see that the cost of meat can get expensive too. Throw in a Friday night party, supplies, beverages (BBQing is hard work, and you get mighty thirsty) gear, and your time, and it can be a large investment. I guarantee you are one tired person after putting on a party and submitting some competition quality BBQ.

 

[fire it up]

I trim my meats down to about 1/8" fat but I just might give my next brisket a try fully trimmed.
Really don't like the guy with the white hair, the one who won the comp. A bit too full of himself, needs to be a little more humble and not speak like a teenager, don't get me wrong I cures quite a bit but when it comes to BBQ I don't see a need for anyone to act the way that guy does.
That said, evidently he does know his stuff to win so many comps so many times.
I still don't think I would cook just one brisket for a big competition just because you never know, not like you're not going to eat what you don't send to the judges anyway.

 

[smokebuzz]

Go to the KCBS site if you have questuions on rules

http://www.kcbs.us/index.php

You may have to register or maybe "join" their group to get the info that was once free.

They are driven by money VERY badly. Do the math on it, 200-300+$ entry,amount of entrants sets pay outs. If memery serves me, 40-80 entrys pays 3K for grand and 250-50 for 1st-10th place.

 

[alx]

Its the connective tissue and fat content in the meat(marbling) that is most important IMO.Some folk cook at 300 degree plus so outsied fat would be irrelevent at these temps...I know of classes that teach trimming ans some do not trim much at all...

Most of the big boys in these comps have deals with high end meat producers.We compete against Tuffy(cool smoke) from the show and he has 2 large bbq joints.Needless to say he has the pick of the litter,so to speak....

The quality of average storebought meat is poor...Mutant ribs is a term used alot on the tour.

 

[freshmeat]

Thanks for the information, interesting stuff. If you compete in Memphis or Lynchburg and need a grunt to scrub pots, haul wood, talk smack and drink beer give me a holler

 

[richoso1]

You've made the same observations I made when i watched the show. I really didn't find enough interest to watch it again. It may be for a different audience?

 

[eaglewing]

Exactly!!! that is kinda why I thought the show was best represented by a Q&A right here rather than informative viewing from watching it. The level of good knowledge here is better than any show.

Lots of good stuff so far...

 

[smokeon]

+1. I don't know what annoys me more. The fact that he's an insufferable jerk, or that he's an insufferable jerk that brings the game to cover the checks his mouth writes.

I don't even know if I care that he's not humble. I see nothing wrong with being self confident. But there are gracious ways to go about being self confident. I'll put it this way, the character that TLC has created in Myron is not likeable at all -- perhaps that's what TLC was going for. I find myself rooting for all the rest of the cast.

I do like Johnny Trigg and Tuffy Stone. Trigg seems to have the class that Myron lacks.

 

[smokeon]

Does anyone wonder if the "cupcake" chicken thigh technique is a joke to see how many noob smokers they can catch with it? Or is it a legitimate method?

 

[csmith2884]

Looks like the cupcake is a big part of next weeks show. In a competition I guess it would make them the same each time. Seems like air *read smoke* all around would be more important but ???

 

[TulsaJeff]

I did not like the cupcake method.. I think round cupcake shaped chicken just has zero appeal. Maybe the judges like it but I would never serve chicken that way to my guests.

 

[kurtsara]

I agree with you, I am a certified judge, I took the class just to take it but have not judged yet, but to me I would not like the thighs that way, it don't look natural

 

[smokeon]

Next question. Why are they cooking thighs? Seems the cookers have the choice. Why not breasts, or if uniformity is what is desired, drumsticks?

 

[bbqmaverick]

I have never competed and am a beginner myself but from what I have heard and read there is more flavor in the thighs and they can present them better. Someone correct me if I am wrong on this.

I do want to say one thing Johnny Trigg's pit is sure nice looking. He takes better care of it than I do my personal vehicle. I wish they would show it a little closer like they did Myron's rig.

 

[bbq lover]

breast tend to dry out thighs are with bone and will have a bit more flavor as for the cupcake chicken we have used it for a second place at a comp .. and as a judge you are told to taste texture and the looks I would never give my guest cupcake chicken most people like crisp. skin and why take the time to make bite through skin for folks that dont like it lol heck i dont like it but the judges do for some reason just my 2 cents on the same note trigg said in the first comp on tv he did nt like his ribs he likes a little salt pepper and no sauce but the judges dont like that and he cooks for the wins and does what he has to for the judges miron talks a lot of bs. but call it like you see it he wins and is damm good at his job

 

[bbq lover]

if uniformity is what is desired, drumsticks?[/quote]
and yes uniformity is key and in kcbs its thighs in icbs its chicken whole and or any pieces i beleave