Need competition advice


 
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Darrell Hill

TVWBB Member
I'm going to try my first KCBS Backyard cooking contest next month in Slidell LS and I've got a few questions for you more experienced smokers. I'll only be cooking two items, chicken and ribs.

1. What do you recommend for the chicken entry, whole (carved), halves (carved), thighs only, separated leg quarters, or skinless/boneless thigh fillets?

2. The rules state I must provide adequate samples for 6 hungry judges. How much is that for chicken and ribs.

3. What do you recommend for a sauce/glaze. Sweet seems to be favored over hot or sour, but are you better off trying to doctor a store brand, or just use a brand that is commonly selected at the grocery store.

Any advice on these areas or just any advice for my first attempt at a contest would be greatly appreciated. Since there are very few Bullets down here, I'd really like to do well against the big boys with their wheeled monsters. Thanks
 
HL:

I've judged one competition and cooked in one (3rd pork, middle of the pack in ribs), so take this info as one comp newbie to another (oh, and if you get any advice from JimM or Konrad, you should listen to it....) /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

1. I would recommend you do whatever you feel most comfortable cooking and presenting for the chicken entry. Most competition cooks seem to turn in skin-on, bone-in thighs. Most likely because they are the easiest to cook without having to worry about moisture, and it's easy to fit six of them in the turn-in box.

2. Not sure if the backyard rules are different from the main contest, but for the main event, you need six pieces (separate and identifiable.) For instance, six thighs, or six ribs (must be separated from each other, not in a "slab".)

3. Sweet seems to win. I'd give you my sauce, but it didn't score well, so you probably don't want it!! /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

Side notes...... Go into it with the mindset that you're going to have fun and learn a lot. It's a lot of fun, the people are great, and you'll likely be pretty hooked.

Oh, and I bet you see a fair number of WSMs. I'll be doing the Vegas contest on the same weekend with a few other folks from this forum.

GOOD LUCK!

Rich G.
 
Things picked up at my first comp this past weekend;

1. KISS - keep it simple; if you've got your chicken and ribs where you want them, cook'em that way.

2. Most teams turn in bone in, skin on thighs, with a sweet sauce. Now you're going to Louisiana, you might want to consider playing to your audience and have a rub or sauce with a little heat and sweet.

3. As far as sauce, do you make your own? Do you like it? Do most folks like it? If so, use it. If it is sweet you might want to consider adding a little heat. Remember Louisiana (IMHO) Or, you can use your favorite commercial sauce and doctor it up.

4. 6 individual, identifiable pieces. NOT, 5 on top and 1 underneath that can't be seen. All must be visible.

5. HAVE FUN! Talk to people, ask questions, and soak in what they tell you like you are a sponge.

Good Luck!
 
You hav gotten some good clear advice already so the only thing I would add is... Do all four catagories. Half the fun is cooking all night. If you have access to another bullet bring it and you can easily take on the big boys. If you dont you may concider adding a third rack to yours (you can find out how in the modifications section). It is a little tight but you can do a brisket flat on bottom, a butt center and ribs and chicken up top. As far as cuts, rubs, sauces... Thats the thing everyone who competes is trying to figure out (and only a few have). Start with what you like and tweek it from there contest to contest. Have fun and bring plenty cold ones!
 
Like I heard so many times at Nelsonville, You take your best shot, you roll the dice and once the judges get it...it's all luck!

"It ain't BBQ if you don't cook all night." Larry, Smokin' In the Dark BBQ Team
 
I agree with everything that people have posted above. I was able to judge in Frisco, Colorado this year and for the most part most of the entries were chicken thighs. There were some good white meat entries but it seemed like not many people spent alot of time on the chicken (at least not the entries I judged). Ribs were a mixture of baby backs and spares. Most of the rib entrees that I judged had no sauce on them at all.

Up until I found the TVWB I was all set to get a big Klose smoker to compete with. But reading this board and using a WSM have made me think that my competition setup is going to be 3-4 WSM's and a 22" Kettle. Now if Weber would make the WSM in a 22" model I would be set.
 
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