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View Full Version : How long before turn in should I start slicing meat?


elvis67
07-28-2005, 07:54 PM
I entered my first competition last weekend and was real paranoid about my meat cooling off. Was trying pick nice slices and everything but I felt I took too much time and my meat cooled. Any thoughts??

BrooklynQ
07-28-2005, 08:39 PM
Worry more about the meat drying out, not cooling off. The judges are used to eating room temperture meat.

Solidkick
07-28-2005, 09:10 PM
Brisket turn in for us is 1:30....I take the meat out of the cooler at 1:10, slice both or all three, decide which is best, cut 8-10 slices the thickness of a pencil, and send it inside the camper to be put in the presentation (turn in) box.
So, what I've done above takes approx. 10 mins., which leaves 10 mins. to run through the juice, sauce, decide which pieces will get in the box, arrange the box, clean up anything you don't want showing and carry to the turn in station.
Of all 4 turn in catagories, we generally cut this one the closest.

BrooklynQ
07-28-2005, 10:07 PM
That's about what we did in NJ too. we aimed for the middle of the turn in window - get the meat to the presentation person 10 minutes or so before that.

Solidkick
07-29-2005, 06:00 AM
Not to take your thread away from your original question, but of the steps above that I mentioned, with the 100+ degree temps outside last weekend, I forgot to run the slices through the juices of the cooked brisket. Tired, hot, and just plain old not thinking clearly, when I got home, I was running through my head what I did or didn't do in the past that caused the brisket scores to drop.
That was it, forgot to run the slices through the juices. Don't know if it had an effect on the scoring or not, but I did deviate from my routine.

chad
07-29-2005, 06:06 AM
With 30 minute turn-ins "when" kind of takes care of itself! We're usually glazing chicken 15-30 minutes out. And as soon as the box is ready we start unwrapping ribs - and when the rib box is ready we already have the pork butts unwrapped, etc. etc. etc. I find the big crunch is chicken and ribs - I don't know whether it's the "hand work" and glazing that seems to slow things down or whether it's just that you get into a rythm by the time you get to the pork.

kcpellethead
07-29-2005, 07:30 AM
Wait as long as you can without chancing a DQ for late entry. At first this will seem hectic and stressful, but eventually you'll get the hang of it and even catch the front end of the turn-in window often. You mentioned slicing, so I'm guessing you're thinking about brisket. We wait until ten minutes (1:20PM) before turn-in to slice and test our briskets. Briskets dry out very quickly when sliced, especially out in the wind. We wait so long because we want hot food for the judges. Although they are instructed not to judge based on temperature, which tastes better, cold/room temp beef or hot beef? They may not do it intentionally, but psychologically they will like the warmer product if all other things are equal. Above all else though, don't get a DQ. You've got no shot to win a contest without that score.

Rod
Pellet Envy

jminion
07-29-2005, 08:26 AM
Rod is right on, one other thing to consider is the size of the competition and how far you have to go with the turn-in box. At the Royal you would start earlier because of the distance and crowds you have to go through.

parrothead
07-29-2005, 08:36 AM
At the Royal you would start earlier because of the distance and crowds you have to go through.

When I did mine, I grabbed a stopwatch and leasurly walked to the turn-in area to see how long it took to get there. It wasn't long, but at the royal, it just may be. If you have a 3 minute walk to turn in, set your clock 3 minutes faster than the turn in clock.

Solidkick
07-29-2005, 12:17 PM
Wait as long as you can without chancing a DQ for late entry. At first this will seem hectic and stressful, but eventually you'll get the hang of it and even catch the front end of the turn-in window often. You mentioned slicing, so I'm guessing you're thinking about brisket. We wait until ten minutes (1:20PM) before turn-in to slice and test our briskets. Briskets dry out very quickly when sliced, especially out in the wind. We wait so long because we want hot food for the judges. Although they are instructed not to judge based on temperature, which tastes better, cold/room temp beef or hot beef? They may not do it intentionally, but psychologically they will like the warmer product if all other things are equal. Above all else though, don't get a DQ. You've got no shot to win a contest without that score.

Rod
Pellet Envy
And this folks, is a testimony as to why Rod finished first in brisket at the BoCo Fair, congrats! We'll bring our A game the next time in brisket, for sure!

kcquer
07-29-2005, 12:33 PM
Wait as long as you can without chancing a DQ for late entry. At first this will seem hectic and stressful, but eventually you'll get the hang of it and even catch the front end of the turn-in window often. You mentioned slicing, so I'm guessing you're thinking about brisket. We wait until ten minutes (1:20PM) before turn-in to slice and test our briskets. Briskets dry out very quickly when sliced, especially out in the wind. We wait so long because we want hot food for the judges. Although they are instructed not to judge based on temperature, which tastes better, cold/room temp beef or hot beef? They may not do it intentionally, but psychologically they will like the warmer product if all other things are equal. Above all else though, don't get a DQ. You've got no shot to win a contest without that score.

Rod
Pellet Envy

Rod, very nice post. Stop by the Cattle Call Forum and introduce yourself.

elvis67
07-29-2005, 08:31 PM
Thanks alot you guys input is very helpful

BrooklynQ
07-31-2005, 10:57 AM
Hey Rod - Nice to see you posting here. Get over to cattle call and introduce your self.

Elvis - At Asbury, we were working pretty well. We didn't have any problems with turn in times. No one ran to the judges table at this contest.

I was arranging the boxes and shooting for turn-in right in the middle of the 10 minute window. The turn-in table was maybe 150 feet from our booth, so distance wasn't an issue. I'd start yelling at Phil that I wanted the meat about 10 minutes before the window, which meant that I'd get it about 2 or 3 minutes before. That gave me 5 minues to arrange and primp the meat, which included any last minute glazing or juicing.

So to answer your question about slicing, we started slicing about 1:15 0r 1:20 which is about 10 to 15 minutes prior to turn-in. Worked out pretty well.