Judging criteria


 

Jeff R

TVWBB Pro
So without going to a judging class, are there any criterias posted that one should strive to hit. I ask this because based on some of the other discussions here, winning Q may not alway be the best tasting. I find that to be confusing
icon_confused.gif
 
Jeff, I am a CBJ having gone to the KCBS training session. The one thing that they do not try to teach you is taste. They show you presentation, they describe correct texture, but taste is too individual. So comp meat is usaully judged by ONE bite per judge. Since the judges are judging 4 meats from many teams you do consume a considerable quantity of meat even if you only take one bite. The prevailing thought is, that one bite better grab the attention of the judge. In that regard, the taste concentration is usually a bit more than meat you would serve at your home to guests or family, where more volume is consumed per person ie. a whole piece of chicken or 4-6 oz of brisket etc.

One current and accepted taste criteria, at least in my experience, is that the pork should taste like pork, the chicken like chicken etc. The sauces, rubs and glazes should compliment not hide the meat flavor.
As a competiton cook one of the best classes I have taken was the judging class. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to compete. If you want to be a KCBS judge you have no choice but to take the class, if you want to be a Certified BBQ Judge by KCBS. In many comps there are not enough CBJs to go around and non-certified judges are also used.
Hope that helps.

Mark
 
Thanks Mark, great information. Yes, I think I will look into a class next year here. There is also another local comp in the area in a few weeks and I thought I would go and observe.

Would you say their is a particular taste profile that seems to be favored. I had heard and even experience in my couple of local backyard comps that sweet is favored.
 
Originally posted by Jeff R:
Thanks Mark, great information. Yes, I think I will look into a class next year here. There is also another local comp in the area in a few weeks and I thought I would go and observe.

Would you say their is a particular taste profile that seems to be favored. I had heard and even experience in my couple of local backyard comps that sweet is favored.

I have also heard that regional tastes dictate the overal flavor profile. Kansas City is known for sweet, Texas is known for salt and pepper, The south is know for vinegar, mustard or vinegar and tomatoe, depending on where you are. Calif seems to like some spice and not vinegar but tomatoes is good. I still believe that no matter what regional influences are present you gotta let the meat flavor shine.
Good luck in your comps, I leave tommorrow for my 8th this year. 2 judging, 2 back yard and 3 KCBS sanctioned.

Mark
 
I think Mark is correct in a lot of what he says.

The current prevailing thought is that the meat should taste like the meat, especially for brisket. I hate meat that is SO unbelievably coated in some 'out there' sauce that you may as well just have the sauce by itself on toast. At that point the meat just becomes the vehicle to hold the sauce. Ugh.

My personal opinion for appearance is that it must make me 'want' to try it out. I don't get all jazzed about pretty shapes. It must have a nice gloss, look juicy, and look clean in the box.

Tenderness is actually one of the easier categories to put a number to. There are several 'tells' to each piece that let you know about the tenderness.

Taste is the most difficult. I try to figure out what the cook was trying to do and does it taste good. My opinion is that there are numerous ways to cook barbecue and most are really good. Basically, if it tastes really good then they are going to get scored well. Sometimes the first bite is also the last bite. Once in a great while I'll even get what I call a 'spitter'. Most of the time I'll take a second bite from a different area of the piece just to be sure that I really did taste what the team wanted me to taste.

I think the comment that winning Q may not always be the best tasting is based in the idea that Comp Q is very often overdone. As Mark says, normally a judge will take one bite, so that bite had better have everything in it. Whereas at home yours and my BBQ that we serve to our family and friends is cooked to be eaten, not just tried on a single bite. My BBQ at home is much the same flavor as my Comp Q but very scaled back.

Russ
 

 

Back
Top