Taste question for the Rib Competitors

[bwatkin79]

I am tempted to enter my first competition this year just for fun and hopefully to gain some feedback on my ribs. I have a couple different sauces I'm making right now, but I'm curious about my second one for this post. I am making a sauce that has a similar taste to Sweet Baby Ray's. When my sauce is tasted by itself, I notice the celery seed in it. When it comes to competition BBQ, is a sauce like SBR even close to what competitors are producing? I am not using bottled sauce as a base for either of my sauces. The SBR story goes that they competed and beat like 700 teams. Is a sauce like that approaching what you find in competition?

How common is celery seed in the sauces and rubs in competition? Is it a noticeable flavor? What about when you play with flavors from bourbon or maple syrup? I know the maple recipe on this site says it shouldn't be used for KCBS or MCN competitions because the judges want classic sauces. Is that still the case? I'm interested to hear what you see in competition.

[smokin fool]

Don't know how common celery seed is in sauces but the few times I've used it I find it very strong to the point of over powering.
Most of the blame would rest with me for using too much probably but in the end I gave up on it.

[bbqLuv]

Celery seed is common to Harry Soo. He puts it into his rubs in theory to help with the smoke ring.

[Bad Hat BBQ]

Good luck....seed or powder.....I would consider grinding the seed or using powder

Would love to hear about your experience in the 1st competition.

[bmillin]

I don’t notice much flavor from it, as said above it might be more for a nitrate(nitrite?) boost than anything.

[CandySueQ]

There are 2 commonly used (in some fashion) sauces in competition BBQ. Blues Hog original and Head Country original. Both of these sauces can be found at many big box and grocery stores. Buy them and try them out. I have no opinion on celery seed other than it is very strong!

[CandySueQ]

Mine too @TripleB

Serious tip -- strain your Blues Hog Original. It helps take the grab out of the back of throat taste.

[bwatkin79]

So this comment is for you and TripleB. I have not seen either of these sauces, but I wasn't looking for them either. I'll have to see if I notice them around here. I'm in MA. I'm considering reducing the celery seed a bit. The sauce has 1 Tbsp and the rub has 1 tsp. Thinking about it now, it almost seems like it should be reversed because the celery seed is going to stand out more in the sauce since it's going on last. It's in both in helping the sauce and rub complement each other.

[bwatkin79]

Last comment ran out of characters. Other part of the comment was to ask about Sweet Baby Ray as a reference point since so many are familiar with it. As a judge or in competition, where would it fall for taste and sweetness versus what you see in contests? Right now, I think I'm comparable in sweetness. I wish I had some of my sauce right now to confirm, but I think the tanginess was about the same too.

[TripleB]

I'm a judge and I know that CandySueQ has held an officer's position with KCBS. Here are my 2 cents from judging primarily in California:

1. Don't over sauce your ribs. In fact you don't even need sauce. It is a meat competition and not a sauce competition.
2. A sweet glaze is, unfortunately, what everyone turns in because competitors believe a sweet sauce is what judges want. So sweet sauces usually win.
3. Sauce should compliment the meat not be over powering. Again, judges want to taste the meat. So a thin glaze, not a glop of sauce on the ribs.

FWIW....

[texastweeter]

Celery seed is in my beef rub. Honey glazed or glazed with a honey based sauce is very common. SBR is really gloppy, if using something of that consistency, thin it out some with ACV or bourbon, or stock so you don't leave brushmarks.