I'm a judge in the Florida BBQ Association, which was founded by a group of KCBS judges. There were certain aspects of the KCBS system that they didn't care for, and one of them was garnish. Therefore, on the FBA circuit, any garnish in the box is not just discouraged, but it is considered a foreign object and the entry will be DQ'd if there's any of that useless green stuff in the turn in box. I've never judged KCBS style, but I like not having salad in my BBQ.
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Our CBJ instructor last weekend told us that some competition cooks can get really picky. He said one time he saw a competition cook, just before turning in a chicken box, use a pair of tweezers to carefully move pieces of black pepper around on the surface of his chicken thighs so the pepper looked uniformly spaced.
Wow.Comment
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I’ll keep updating with some (possibly) interesting facts about the CBJ class. I hope I'm not boring anyone.
Question: What should a CBJ do if his sample of meat has a hair or a bug on it?
Answer: Eat around it. It’s OK to remove the hair/bug first if you wish, but KCBS expects judges to sample meat even if it has a hair or bug on it.
The rationale given was that the hair/bug may very well have gotten on the meat after the cook turned it in, and so KCBS doesn’t want to punish the cook in that case.
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Someone spoke up in our class and said the average cook team has $1000 invested in every event they cook, not counting their time. I'm guessing this is for professional competitions, vs. backyard competitions.
Travel expenses, entry fees, meat/rubs/sauces, etc. I guess it adds up pretty fast.Comment
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I'm hoping KCBS will eventually eliminate (illegalize) the use of garnish. IMHO, if it's truly "all about the meat" (as KCBS says), then only meat should be in the turn-in box.Originally posted by JPGators17 View Post
Even the KCBS rep who taught our class seemed to think that garnish is a headache for everyone involved, from cooks to judges to table captains to KCBS reps.Comment
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As a Master CBJ and Table Captain, I feel compelled to say a few words about the KCBS judging process. First, congratulations to TBoneJack on completing the class. Now your adventure begins! My husband and I have been judging for several years now and have found there are some misconceptions about judging. There are those that think the only reason we judge is to get a free lunch. With what we spend in travel costs even to the closest competitions, our "lunch" is certainly not free, and while the cooking teams have at least a chance at a little recovery in the form of a prize purse, we do not. Our participation is completely on our dime. That's not to say we don't get to sample some really great BBQ, we do. As a matter of fact, we are totally spoiled and have a hard time going to BBQ restaurants because of the quality we are used to having at the contests!
We were taught not to compare one entry against another, and not judging by what we prefer, but by the standard outlined by KCBS. It's not easy sometimes, especially when we get a particularly spicy entry, but we do our best. Many of the mistakes that have been cited can be chalked up to either newness or not paying attention to the rules, which are clearly explained at the cooks meetings prior to the contest.
When we can, we enjoy staying for the awards to see whether a team we know has gotten a "call", and if they'd possibly make it to the top, proudly cheering them on.
It takes all of us to make a great competition experience, so get out there and have fun!Comment
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The judging opportunities are more plentiful than I thought. I've got five booked so far (the first is next weekend), and it looks like I'll get more soon. The organizer of a State Championship event is giving me an opportunity as well (all my other gigs are Backyard competitions).Comment
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Mentioned above how expensive these competitions can be, though we can't afford to go all out on the best meats when we compete, I know some teams that do. Here's how it adds up fast:
1. Snake River Farms Gold brisket (some teams do 2 of them): $200 each, Total: $400
2. Compart Duoroc competition rib pack (8 racks): $200
3. Snake River Farms Kurobuta Pork Shoulder: $130
4. Chicken is usually the cheapest,: $50
5. If you're going off the shelf injections, rubs, sauces, that's easily over $100.
6. Entry fee: $200
Then you got a bunch of other smaller expenses, charcoal/wood, cleaning supplies, etc.
There are a good number of teams these days on the pro side going all out on this stuff (and even the backyard side is doing higher end meats, e.g. I see some doing Wagyu tri-tips), and for some them, it's just a business expense, good publicity for their catering services for example, others it's a very expensive hobby.
One thing to also note - I've seen teams do well without going high end on all their meats, but it does increase your chances.
One other note - our best finish was 2nd in a competition where the organizers provided the meat. Those are rare, but it really does help level the playing field.
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I've often thought it would be a lot more fair, and a lot less hassle and expense, if the event organizers provided the meat for their events, to be blindly draw for by contestants at the cooks' meeting on Friday night. Choice briskets, St. Louis spare ribs, pork, and cheap chicken. From Costco or Sam's. Only one of each (but say 10 pieces of chicken). All the meat as close to the same as possible, and within a reasonable cost.Originally posted by BBQbot View Post
If everyone is on the same playing field, then no one is at a disadvantage, so Choice vs. Prime vs. Wagyu wouldn't matter.Last edited by TBoneJack; March 12, 2017, 09:53 AM.Comment
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CandySueQ what meat prep are you allowed to complete ahead of time? I was under the impression you had to have your meat inspected in the original packaging before you could do any of the prep work. I guess I have been watching too much TV.
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Congratulations on the class TBoneJack interesting hobby, and free food!!.
I'm kind of too much of a free spirit to be much good at judging.
MY own personal criteria is definitely taste above all else.
I understand the need for the uniformity as a criteria for judging, and I understand a well presented plate is a prelude to a good meal. But I'm a taste guy first.
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