Competition Brisket: Sauced or Sauce on the side

[dougmays]

hey all,

i'm gearing up for a bbq competition in Oct in SW Florida and this is only the 2nd time i've done brisket. I was curious what your thoughts were about saucing them before "turn in" or putting sauce on the side?

Do judges want to taste the pure beef flavor of the brisket slices and THEN try the sauce. Or should you surprise them with your sauce recipe on your brisket?

any advice/experience here would be great

 

[jarjarchef]

I would check the rules, but I was reading and some don't allow sauce on the side.

I personally like to taste the beef and use the sauce as an enhancement.

 

[jirodriguez]

Most competetions I have seen use a different sauce on the brisket than they would on ribs or chicken. It is usually more of slightly thickened beef broth with seasonings. Then they just brush a very thin layer onto each slice of brisket before they arrange it in the box.

 

[dougmays]

hmm...see i've got a pretty good (or so i think) texas style bbq sauce and i think it compliments the beef well. so one side of me says lightly sauce it before entering...the other side says dont sauce and allow them to try before and after sauced..
 

 

[pit 4 brains]

While your brisket is resting, use the drippings from the same brisky and make a simple finishing sauce. Use  a brush and lightly apply it to all of the slices. The idea (in my opinion) is to enhance the presentation with a little glossy look (that gives depth like a good paint job), and presents the judge with a thin layer of moisture that matches the flavor of the meat. It also helps to keep the meat from drying before being tasted. I would not use any sauce recipe that doesn't start with the original pan juices. Anything heavy or off-taste will look like a cover up. I'm no judge, but I do eat my own briskets, and I have a little hardware too..

 

[chef jimmyj]

Most competetions I have seen use a different sauce on the brisket than they would on ribs or chicken. It is usually more of slightly thickened beef broth with seasonings. Then they just brush a very thin layer onto each slice of brisket before they arrange it in the box.

 I have not competed but I did live in Texas for several months, a school in Arlington and work north of Abilene, and ate a lot of Q. While Pork ribs and Beef ribs were sauced, Tomato based with South West spices and Chiles. The bulk of the Brisket I ate was Dipped in a seasoned , slightly thickened Au Jus. Very shiney and delicious but not a Sauce per se. I watch a ton of Foodnetwork and saw all three seasons of American Pitmasters and don't recall anybody Saucing Brisket, other than what was posted above, and I don't believe anything is allowed in the Box but Meat and the approved Greens Garnish. You should review the rules they provide...In any event, Best Of Luck and bring home a Trophy and lots of Pics for the rest of us...JJ

 

[dougmays]

Great advice guys!

Maybe if I simmered the juices with a dab of my Texas style sauce that might give the natural glass with a hint of the tomato and chillis

 

[mike johnson]

I would just brush with the saved juices boiled down with a bit of butter to help the shine. I wouldnt add any sauce as it might detract from the taste of the brisket itself. You just want the look to be GREAT . Its 1/3 to 1/2 of your score.

 

[chef jimmyj]

I would just brush with the saved juices boiled down with a bit of butter to help the shine. I wouldnt add any sauce as it might detract from the taste of the brisket itself. You just want the look to be GREAT . Its 1/3 to 1/2 of your score.

 The Butter is a Great idea! It is a classic technique in French Cuisine to reduce sauces then swirl in Butter to add Shine. The sauce has to be hot to get the butter to melt but Do Not let it boil or it will break and you will just have an Oil Slick on your Au Jus...JJ

 

[bruno994]

Several great ideas above, but as JarJar pointed out, make sure and check up on the rules.  Every organization has different opinions on sauce.  Most allow saucing, just as long as there is no pooling in the box.  Some BBQ comps even have sauce turn ins as well.  I usually slice my brisket about 30 minutes ahead of time and lay them down in a pan with the au jus from the brisket cook.  It really does give it a nice sheen and helps the meat retain it's moisture while it's waiting to be judged.  I don't sauce my brisket per say, just use the au jus.  John Mueller of Mueller BBQ (famous in Texas), stated that if people leave your restaurant raving about your sauce, then your meat wasn't quite good enough.  Good luck in your upcoming comp and remember to take lots of pics to share with the rest of us.

IMG_0246.JPG

• bruno994
• Sep 20, 2012

This is a pic of mine after soaking in au jus.  My only mistake here was not wiping off the bits of rub that stuck to the slices during the soak.  I should have strained the au jus to eliminate any particles. 

Booze Fighters Cook Off 016.jpg

• bruno994
• Aug 21, 2012

And here is a turn in from my last comp where I was trying a few new methods and chose to not soak my slices.  Just not as pretty to me. However, I didn't place top 10 with either, but to me the au jus just makes it stand out a bit more. 

 

[dougmays]

thanks all! pictures to come!

 

[mdboatbum]

What about including burnt ends in the box with your naked slices? You could sauce the burnt ends so the judges get a taste of it, but they'll also be getting the unadulterated beef flavor from the sliced brisket. I don't compete, so this is purely speculative.

 

[jirodriguez]

What about including burnt ends in the box with your naked slices? You could sauce the burnt ends so the judges get a taste of it, but they'll also be getting the unadulterated beef flavor from the sliced brisket. I don't compete, so this is purely speculative.

Depends on the rules of the competition, some allow other stuff in the box others do not.