Cooking in different regions of the country

[georgiasmoke]

Just a question I had thought of earlier and I wanted to see what other people had to say about it. Say you are from the west coast and you or your team compete on the far east coast, do you totally change your recipe's(ex. rubs, sauces, etc.) to match what people are used to eating in that specific area or do you just always keep true to what your used to producing? That is one thing that I seem to be a little confused on what to do. Thanks.

[TooSaucedToPork]

For KCBS no. But moving from Georgia to Texas you might notice a score dip...just adjust to the local style after 3-4 contests in your new home.

When I moved to New York from Tennessee a few years ago my scores took a dive, Figured out Memphis tastes are different from Buffalo tastes and adjusted.

good Luck!

[JS-TX]

If you want to win, then that would be a yes. Every region likes their BBQ a little different.. sometimes a lot different.

[bbq.tom]

Having judged mainly in the Southeast, but also in KC, Arizona, and Ohio I can tell you that I have only experienced ONE flavor profile difference - chilli powder in Arizona. ALL the other comps have been pretty much identical. Maybe it was just the table I was at, but it sure seems to me that MOST teams cook about the same wherever they are.

[glenntm]

I'd say no. If you have a strong and balanced flavor profile you can compete in any region. We've cooked all over and cook the same no matter where we are.

[RangerJ]

I'd say no. If you have a strong and balanced flavor profile you can compete in any region. We've cooked all over and cook the same no matter where we are.

^^^^ this.

Now, sanctioning bodies can be different but I don't change my profile when I travel.

[Wampus]

We wondered the same thing last year when we decided to go down to GA and AL from IN. We scored well in both places, in fact we won pork in AL and chicken in GA and we didn't change a single thing.


I know it's not as far as west coast to east coast, but it's still a different region. We have more KC style Q in IN, at least as far as restaurants. We did see a lot of people using different stuff than we usually see around here at comps (vinegar mops specifically) and we were thinking we may be screwed, but not so for us.


NOTE: these were all KCBS comps.

[9Q1]

Just my $.02 worth...key is to remember you're not cooking for what you like, you're cooking for what judges like who are from that particular region of the country. Took us a while to really adapt to that thought process....might not be much of a change, but it makes a difference.

[YankeeBBQ]

From my experience changing things up is a mistake. I've won awards from coast to coast. Good food is good food. Go with what you do best.

[Scottie]

I have cooked in 37 states and have never changed my flavor profile.

Good bbq is good bbq