Competition Cooking

[funk]

So I decided that this summer I am going to enter my first competition. This is something that I have wanted to do for some time now but always found an excuse not to. I am doing it for the experience, and hopefully to make a good showing. I do not know the first thing about it, except I do have a copy of the rules. I live in Upstate NY, so I have plenty of time to work on my cooking for the summer.

What I do not know is how much meat to bring, how many smokers I will need. I have a chargriller offset and I just ordered a WSM. My cousin also has a WSM that I will use. Anybody mentor newbies? I would be greatful to any tips or recommendation. Especially what to expect. Thanks.

 

[gene111]

we did our 1st comp last summer one of the things that we had to study up on was presentation of the box. the 1st thing to do before the competion is make you a time line of when to do what & that will save a lot of confusion.

 

[kurtsara]

Is it a KCBS comp or a rib fest or some other comp, what kind?

 

[silverwolf636]

I like this thread already. I myself have been toying with the idea of entering a contest. So whatever you smokin old timers (I'm not meaning your actual age, just the years ya'all been doin this) can fill us on would be greatly appreciated. Maybe a link or two for rules and regulations.
OOOPS! Just found this: http://www.kcbs.us/
Thanks gang.
--ray--
(0||||0)

 

[funk]

KCBS is the format

 

[tn_bbq]

A rough suggestion for amount of meat would be. This is probably a little on the light side (some folks cook a bunch more than this)


10-12 pieces of chicken
3 or 4 slabs of ribs
2 or 3 pork butts
1 or 2 briskets

You'll probably want/need a couple smokers unless you've got a fairly large cooker. Also sorta nice to have a couple so you can run them at different temps (lot of folks cook chicken at higher temp)

If you can pull it off, consider volunteering at a cookoff. Might even look into becoming a BBQ judge. Anything to expose yourself to competition BBQ would be helpful.

Biggest tip: PRACTICE

Do a complete, simulated run through in the backyard (keep a notepad handy for when you think of something). Really try to give yourself some hard turn in deadlines (amazing how the difficulty level increases when you HAVE to turn your food in at a preset time).

 

[funk]

TN,

Thank you for the advice. Regarding the chicken, should I do legs, thighs, half chickens, whole? Well thinking about it I guess it would depend on if I wanted to pull or chop the pieces. I thought I would have to by a dozen or so pieces of butts, brisket, ribs. Thanks again.

 

[gene111]

should use thighs.

 

[tn_bbq]

Yep. Cook chicken thighs. I love whole/half chicken, but there ain't enough room in a box for 6 chickens

and if you cut it into 6 pieces, the guys getting the wings are going to feel slighted.

Do some research on recipes and techniques.

CHeck out Google for competition box BBQ photos to give you an idea of what some folks are doing.

Did I mention... PRACTICE???

 

[fatback joe]

Atleast once - more is better - before the competition, take everything you think you will need outside and sit in your own backyard with it. Have the goal of not going in the house for anything. Run through the whole "competition"; building your turn in boxes, everything.......take tons of notes...what did you need that you forgot........how long did it take you to build your box, how much charcoal did you use, did your back hurt because your work table was too low..........so on and so on.

Practice, practice, practice...........when you get to the competition you should already know exactly what time you need to put your ribs on........what time you need to start your fire.........prep work is the key to a smooth contest IMO.

Then don't panic when your well oiled plan goes to chit.

LOL Something will always go wrong, but if you have a game plan for the basics, problems won't derail the whole contest.

Go out and have fun!!

 

[mikey2gunz]

My buddy, Herb, and I will be cooking for a team in May to get our KCBS Master Judge Rating, I will take notes for you!

I'd say the easiest way to win, or do well, at a KCBS sanctioned event, is to take a judging class & judge contests and then practice cooking. Learning what KCBS instructs their judges is as simple as going to their website, signing up for CBJ (certified barbeque judge) Class. After 5 or 6 competitions, you'll know FIRST HAND!

Having judged almost 30 contests I feel more than qualified saying that KCBS Judges are a STRANGE ANIMAL!!!! Every one of them has his or her idea about judging. I've sat next to a judge that actually had the cojones to tell me, "I don't give 9's." and he meant it. I've witnessed a judge eat BBQ leftover from an earlier KIDS Q contest BETWEEN categories at the judging table.

Important*** Sometimes family members will tell you that your BBQ is GREAT when it's actually just average.

Things I've learned about judges:

1. They HATE when the chicken skin pulls off in one big chunk.
2. The colder the sample the lower the taste score.
3. 9 for 'appearance' is easy if your pieces are the same size, shape, and color. Anything that varies is bad.
4. One bite is what many judges take! Make it count.
5. A sample that doesn't taste like the other samples often scores HIGH.
6. Smoke flavor is GOOD.
7. Some judges "taste lighter fluid" when they might be tasting the charcoal, their brain linking fluid with charcoal? Who knows? (Me? I'd NEVER use anything but wood as a competitor knowing this fact.)
8. Many judges think that if you use more than a little sauce, that you're trying to hide something.
9. Slice your brisket about the thickness of a pencil. It should pull apart without much effort.
10. Burnt ends are a judges best friend!
11. 6 pieces is good. 7 or 8 is better. That 6th piece might be the 'runt' that the other 5 judges pass over. I've heard judges discussing getting a choice of samples rather than that last piece---- perception.
12. 5 pieces is not 6. It's happened to me 4 times- automatic DQ if I don't get a sample. Count the pieces.
13. Deboned chicken thighs is all the rage in chicken right now. (I secretly LOVE when someone offers legs!)

Mike

 

[jeffj]

Hey are there any of these in Iowa? Preferrably on the western side? I would like to watch one of these competitions. I have been watching them on TV and it looks like a person sure could learn a lot watching the competitors. I am new myself, so any time I can learn something it is appreciated.

 

[kurtsara]

From the KCBS site


05/07/10
to
05/08/10 BBQ in the Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Contact: Steven Gorman, 203 5th Ave, Council Bluffs, IA 51503.


05/29/10
to
05/30/10 Smokin' in the Junction West Des Moines, IA
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Contact: Brian Sweeney, 217 Fifth St, West Des Moines, IA 50265.

06/11/10
to
06/12/10 O'Town BBQ Showdown Ottumwa, IA
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Contact: Kathy Speas, 102 Church Street, Ottumwa, IA 52501.


06/18/10
to
06/19/10 State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship State Center, IA
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Contact: Trish Taft, 2439 Binford Ave, State Center, IA 50247.


06/25/10
to
06/26/10 Iowa State BBQ Championship Marshalltown, IA
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Contact: Liz Ferguson, 418 SE Sharon Drive, Ankeny, IA 50021.

to
07/17/10 BBQ'Loo & Blues Too Waterloo, IA
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Contact: Cindy Wells, 329 W 4th St., Waterloo, IA 50703.


07/17/10
to
07/18/10 BBQ in the Park La Porte, IA
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Contact: Roy Porter, 318 6th St, La Porte, IA 50651.


07/23/10
to
07/24/10 Up in Smoke BBQ Mason City, IA
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Contact: Ruth Miller, PO Box 271, Mason City, IA 50402.

07/30/10
to
07/31/10 2nd Annual Pleasant Hill Summer Fest BBQ Championship Pleasant Hill, IA
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Contact: Jan Higgins, 5160 Maple Drive, Suite C, Pleasant Hill, IA 50327.

08/27/10
to
08/28/10 Nevada Kiwanis Club BBQ Contest Nevada, IA
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Contact: Kenna Jo Lambertsen, 722 4th Street #5, Nevada, IA 50201.

 

[mikey2gunz]

Here's the update!!

To earn ones KCBS Master Judge Certification, in addition to participating in at least 30 documented contests as judge/table captain, you must assist a BBQ Team in a KCBS sanctioned event. That team will officially document your performance. After completing these two requirements, a judge will mail the docs to the KCBS, and they'll return a test to you. Pass the test & you're a "Master Judge"


Herb & I left Williamsburg at 5am Friday. Arrived at "BBQ in the Bluffs" (Council Bluffs, Iowa) at 8am and went straight to work for Team Operation BBQ.

We were extremely lucky as we were required to perform EVERY aspect of of the cook. Meat inspection, prep, cooking, running, box presentation, time management, taste testing, and yuck, clean-up. Tom & Shar really worked our butts- (LOL). We learned more about competition BBQ in those two long days than in all the judging we've participated in combined.

The original poster was looking for help in learning competition BBQ. I suggested taking the judges class & judge some events- I'll formally change that suggestion here and now! FIRST & FOREMOST act in the capacity of BBQ Team Member where you are required to take part...and, take a judging class if you are able.

I was the official "Temperature Attendant." Tom gave me the remote temperature indicator and some guidelines about adding coal/wood, and opening/closing vents & actually trusted me NOT to fall asleep and/or allow the temp to spike. He gave me NO instructions to wake him! Man was I nervous.

In the end, we didn't get a "walk" or score very high, but the excitement created by being an actual team member and having actual responsibility for the bbq entries is immeasurable.

Find a BBQ team that will NOT just make you an observer & GET AT IT. You'll learn so fast it'll make your head spin.

Mike

 

[denver dave]

Cooking and judging go hand in hand. When I'm not judging, I working with a team.
I to would recommend taking a judging class. It will help you understand what is expected from your product and why. It will help greatly in your competitions.
If you have a chance to work with a team, jump on it. You will be very surprised at all the things you may not have thought of. Time management is very important. Also helps you come up with a recovery plan if something goes wrong. Our last comp we went into cold smoke mode in the middle of the night

. Had to finish up hot and fast. Still took 7th overall.
Practice, practice, practice.

 

[eman]

Thanks to all the competitors that are willing to give advice to us noobs.

:PDT_A rmataz_01_37:

 

[mikey2gunz]

Hello, again everyone.  Back for a look-see.  Wow things have changed!

My buddy Herb and I earned our Master CBJ Badges last year and judged the Royal again...

Started right in with the competition cooking when Pitmaster Bubba Knapp of Bubba-Q's invited us to come along on some contests and cook with him.  Went to the Med-City BBQ with him and won Grand Champ.  Learning from a Champ who's willing to take you under his wing is awesome.  Bubba is a heckuva guy and man can he cook.

I've decided to start my own BBQ trailer vending.  Starting the build shortly.  Maybe I'll take pics and start a thread! 

My buddy Smokin' Herb Kane started BBQCritic.com and has a great place you can post your competition boxes for CBJs to judge for appearance and talk with judges to improve your scores!

I'm also looking to buy a new smoker-  Thought of the forum here as the BEST PLACE to start!!!  I really miss talking with everyone!

Mike

 

[ada bbq]

Hello everyone,  I just formed a new competition BBQ team and I'm looking for some advice.  What do KCBS judges look for in each category?  I was planning to attend a judging class, but there are none in my area this year.  Any tips?