Competition Brisket Roundtable...

All other competition related questions or comments about recipes, techniques, and related topics.

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Re: Competition Brisket Roundtable...

Postby GRailsback » Tue Nov 06, 2018 4:10 pm

Great looking turn in box rus.
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Re: Competition Brisket Roundtable...

Postby rus_bro » Wed Nov 07, 2018 11:52 am

GRailsback wrote:Great looking turn in box rus.


Thanks Brother. Definitely my best looking slices to date. Looking back at the pictures, I should have added one more slice to cover up the smudges under the meat and make the box look more consistently full. :)

rb
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Re: Competition Brisket Roundtable...

Postby allenayres » Mon Nov 19, 2018 3:39 pm

It does look good. The bottom reminds me - my most difficult part is getting the fat side trimmed evenly - do y'all just do your best and cut it evenly after slicing? I've done that but it removes the bark on that edge.

My father-in-law sent me a link to this trimmer: https://www.bigpoppasmokers.com/qwick-t ... et-trimmer - have any of you used this? Maybe it would help even out the fat side trim.
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Re: Competition Brisket Roundtable...

Postby rus_bro » Wed Nov 21, 2018 12:21 pm

allenayres wrote:It does look good. The bottom reminds me - my most difficult part is getting the fat side trimmed evenly - do y'all just do your best and cut it evenly after slicing? I've done that but it removes the bark on that edge.

My father-in-law sent me a link to this trimmer: https://www.bigpoppasmokers.com/qwick-t ... et-trimmer - have any of you used this? Maybe it would help even out the fat side trim.


Allenayres, I saw the same thing once i looked back at the pix. The following weekend I was in another competition and actually just slide the knife across the bottom fat of the first slice to give it a nice squared look. Of course w/ the thin side of the flat its still triangular shaped, but it looked better. Also looking back the bottom was covered with some greens so mattered less.

As for worrying too much about how evenly its trimmed, I do my best and move on. the only slice that REALLY matters for even fatcap is the first one. Thats the only one that is going to get judged for looks. The rest usually have a small fat layer at the bottom that i think adds to the flavor.

For sh!ts and giggles.. here is the box from that following weekend. Took third.
Image

rb
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Re: Competition Brisket Roundtable...

Postby allenayres » Fri Nov 23, 2018 10:38 am

Nice... good point about the first slice, I didn't think about that. I saw some turn in boxes from some other competitions and from the same person who placed first in several comps in a row the fat either was gone completely and squared off or looked like he nawed it off with his teeth :lol: I guess appearance of the fat doesn't really matter all that much.

To see something amazing, check out the brisket at this link: https://youtu.be/wdmFolG5YA0?t=320 - even at the Jack it looks like he didn't trim the fat cap at all, but the marbling, fullness and cut of the flat is :shock:
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Re: Competition Brisket Roundtable...

Postby Slippy » Sat Jan 19, 2019 6:16 pm

Regarding aesthetics.... I see a lot of meat turned in with just foil, and some with leafy stuff.... Are there rules as to how it needs to be turned in at each comp? Do you bring your own leaves or are they supplied? How long are the slices sitting in the container before they are eaten? Do they get oxidized and/or cold?
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Re: Competition Brisket Roundtable...

Postby TwoGuysBBQ » Sat Jan 19, 2019 6:31 pm

Your greens in your turn in boxes are mainly for KCBS
The associations down in Texas are mainly IBCA which don’t require salad in your box. I’ve personally never cooked KCBS but I think you have to bring your own. As far as your meat getting cold? It all depends on how many teams are entered in the cook off, and how many judges tables there are. We usually wait to as close to the turn in times as possible. Just because you turn in early doesn’t mean your entry will be tasted first.
An old pro once told me, if you practice at home you need to cook your bbq to taste good cold. If it taste good cold than you’ve got a real shot at making a walk across the stage. If it tast good cold you know it dang sure taste good hot.
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Re: Competition Brisket Roundtable...

Postby Slippy » Sat Jan 19, 2019 6:37 pm

Ahhh, cold brisket.... Are you allowed to do your own presentation style? Something unique to stand out, or are they expecting them to all look the same in the box?
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Re: Competition Brisket Roundtable...

Postby TwoGuysBBQ » Sat Jan 19, 2019 6:49 pm

All the same, usually 9 slices placed in the box horizontally.
With no sauce puddled in the box. Just like the pictures in this thread less the salad 8)
Sound like your getting ready for a comp?
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Re: Competition Brisket Roundtable...

Postby Slippy » Sat Jan 19, 2019 8:02 pm

I am tempted to give it a go. I do not have a trailer pit, so never really considered it... But my buddy is a steel fabricator and he is building a new smoker, and we've been discussing giving it a go. I do a lot of smoking and have taken lessons from a seasoned competition guy, and I think my brisket is better than his.. His tasted artificial to me.. too many non-meat flavors for my taste, which has me a bit hesitant. If that is what the judges like, I may not fair too well. I saw a video of Aaron Franklin traveling to KC to do a KCBS competition and he placed in the middle of the pack...We all know his was the best there.... So maybe authentic Texas barbecue is too subtle of a flavor for Joe Schmo off the street...

https://video.klru.tv/video/bbq-frankli ... mpetition/
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Re: Competition Brisket Roundtable...

Postby Rambo » Sat Jan 19, 2019 8:45 pm

The only true judging at a rodeo are the events based solely on a stop watch. judges are Human beings that have their own preferences and have the possibility of outside influences, if known.

I look forward to my family enjoying my BBQ and could give a Flying Flip what an Outsider has to say. It hurts me to hear someone I care about say that it didn't taste good.

The competition world is different. I'd seek advice from Members KAM, Limey, Papa Tom, and TX1911, Grailsback and more to discuss
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Re: Competition Brisket Roundtable...

Postby allenayres » Tue Jan 29, 2019 9:49 am

Slippy wrote:Ahhh, cold brisket....


KAM would say it better taste good cold because most will be judging cold meat :)

As far as flavors... most of the judging in IBCA is done by general public invited to help with judging. They're instructed on what's expected/how to give a score, but in general flavors that are too far out there don't usually do well, the majority have to like it. Perfectly cooked plus good flavor places well.
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Re: Competition Brisket Roundtable...

Postby js-tx » Tue Jan 29, 2019 11:05 am

Slippy wrote:I am tempted to give it a go. I do not have a trailer pit, so never really considered it... But my buddy is a steel fabricator and he is building a new smoker, and we've been discussing giving it a go. I do a lot of smoking and have taken lessons from a seasoned competition guy, and I think my brisket is better than his.. His tasted artificial to me.. too many non-meat flavors for my taste, which has me a bit hesitant. If that is what the judges like, I may not fair too well. I saw a video of Aaron Franklin traveling to KC to do a KCBS competition and he placed in the middle of the pack...We all know his was the best there.... So maybe authentic Texas barbecue is too subtle of a flavor for Joe Schmo off the street...

https://video.klru.tv/video/bbq-frankli ... mpetition/


It's important to remember to that competition BBQ whether it's IBCA or KCBS is a different ball game than normal good eating BBQ. It's one bite BBQ, it needs to be really tender and needs to stand out with flavor, it's going against many many other entries and often the judges taste buds are somewhat muted because of all the sampling (especially true with IBCA). Not saying a good "Franklin" style brisket can't do well, but it needs to be amped up a little if anything. It's about appealing to as many judges as you can, so balanced but flavorful BBQ is what most aim for. "Swinging for the fences" with over the top flavor often backfires. Knowing the area and what type of judges that will be sitting at the tables can be helpful but even then it's often a crap shoot on who shows up to judge.

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