First pro boxes - comments,suggestions, anything please

[indianagriller]

Here are my first pro boxes and scores, any help or comments appreciated.

Chicken 9 9 9 / 9 8 9 / 9 8 9 / 9 8 9 / 8 7 9 / 97 8

Ribs 8 6 6 / 8 7 8 / 7 8 8 / 6 7 6 / 7 7 6 / 8 7 6
I cannot seem to find the other picture but there was two more ribs in the box

Pork 7 7 7 / 7 7 7 / 8 8 8 / 9 8 8 / 7 7 7 / 8 6 7

Brisket 8 7 6 / 7 7 6 / 7 7 6 / 9 7 6 / 8 6 6 / 9 8 7

Thanks!

 

[Alexa RnQ]

Chicken -- your appearance scores are better than mine from this last weekend, I'd better not say anything!

Ribs -- darker than I'd like to see, with visible streaky brushmarks.

Pork -- chunks look appetizing, pretty bark display, pulled seems to be trying to wander out of the front of the box.

Brisket -- burnt ends look just tossed in, neaten them up. Brush the little stray gloppy bits off the front of the slices.

 

[BRBBQ]

Ribs look a little burnt
pork is close a few more bark chunks
brisket is close as comment above, strighten chunks
Chicken scores say all

 

[monty3777]

That chicken looks great. Makes me want to try cooking breast!
I'm going to be honest so please don't be offended. These are great for first boxes - but here is what I noticed, take it for what it's worth:

Ribs were really dark (too much sugar in your rub? Too much time on white smoke?) Also, it would be nice to see a more symmetrical look to the ribs in the box)

Pork, O.K., be cool about this - this looked like you simply threw it in the box. Almost looks like the box was up-ended before it was opened. I'd say keep the pork in discernible piles or rows rather than dumping the stuff in the box. The parts with the bark looked good, but the pulled pork portion was begging for a "6"

I like the brisket - but you should clean up the slices that are visible. That first slice has visible dark spots and it would be easy enough to clean those up before turn in. If you slide the slices closer to the front of the box you'd have more room in the back to present your burnt ends. After your chicken, your brisket is your best box.

I find that criticism is more helpful than praise when I post my own meat for critique - that why I offer it to you. Hope I didn't come across to harsh. You really have fine looking boxes!

 

[Smitty250]

I agree with what's already been said. Ribs look too dark, Pork needs to be better organized, burnt ends need to be better organized as well. The brisket slices look a little thick to me from the side, maybe it's just the angle of the shot? You got me a little confused on the chicken?!!? I have never seen anyone turn-in two boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Don't get me wrong they look great and it apparently tasted great as well I have just never seen that in my limited competition experience. You got me thinking now!!

 

[Lake Dogs]

What they all said above, plus: Looking at the scores in pork, and then the bark
to me seems a tad dark. Did it get a bit of creosote on it? Too much smoke? Mind
you; I LOVE BARK. However, too dark is too dark. Hey, those chicken scores;
C O N G R A T S !!!! Actually, for your first comp, these were all pretty darned
fantastic.

 

[indianagriller]

Thanks for the input and responses, im not offended at all, the caliber of competition cooks here is why i posted these in order to get better. On the brisket box i think it is the angle of the pictures that made them look thick they were about the thickness of a no.2 pencil. the chickens didnt start out as a skinless chicken breast, i actually cooked split chicken breasts and then deboned them once they were cooked, as far as the skin i made a last minute decision to trim it off. while they were really good apparently i turned them in at the beginning of the turn in window so they wouldn't sit around and have a chance to dry out. the other stuff that looked dark, i didnt use foil at all so i think i got way too much smoke on them. i will try and use foil next time when i get the color i want.

 

[markpmc]

Good looking chicken. I think those are pics of my pork box, I know I have the scores to prove it.

I usually run my ribs north-south in the box and make sure you show the 'bone' up so the judes can see that the meat has pulled back from the end.

Mark

 

[rookiedad]

interesting that your chicken scores were highest and they weren't thighs! and no skin! i liked the presentation, congrats!

 

[Capn Kev]

I agree with all the information mentioned above. One thing I'll add...

Are those dark streaks in the brisket slices from your injection points? If so, change your injection, and avoid anything with worcestershire sauce in it. Find out what's leaving those marks and avoid it like the plague.

 

[Bbq Bubba]

I LOVE that chicken!

 

[SaucyWench]

Agree with all the above, and I'm always happy to see something besides super-sauced thighs in chicken! Go, griller!

 

[daedalus]

First let me say that these boxes are really impressive for a first time. Clearly you know what you are doing. Having said that, here are my thoughts.

Chicken:
Bold move going with breasts, but from the scores it is clear you pulled it off. Great work. I really like the angled display and I think that the color is good considering there is no skin. I am a bit concerned about the crusty end pit on the top breast. If a judge had picked that piece, it might have been pretty dry. Consider leaving the end bit off of each piece. Remember, if it is in the box, a judge might pick that piece to try. Also, it seems a bit cramped, so leaving off that piece might allow it to fit better(The bottom breast is touching the box which has left some smudges). Lastly, your sauce is a bit gloppy in a couple of spots.
I would say 8 in appearance

Ribs:
I dont think that the angled display works very well here. I would consider rotating the ribs 45 degrees so they are in line with the box. I agree with others who have said that they are a bit too dark as well.
Depending on how it looked with the other ribs in it, I would say 7 in appearance

Pork:
the pork itself looks pretty good, but the layout needs work. The pulled looks like it was just sort of thrown in. I think there should be a more defined space between it and the box. Also, I am not sold on the chunked being wadded up in one corner of the box. That could work if you had a third element to put next to the chunked...sliced for example, and then the pulled is below it along the entire box, but as it is it sort of looks accidental.
I would say 6(maybe 7) in appearance.

Brisket:
I think it looks pretty good, but there is one big thing, and a couple of nitpicky things I noticed. The biggest thing is that the slices are too far back in the box. If you were to move them closer to the front, you would have more room to make your ends neat and tidy. The nitpicky things include flecks of something on the slices, streaking in the meat, and the ends look a bit dry.
I would give an 8 in appearance.

These are just my opinions, so take them with a grain of salt. BTW, with chicken scores like that, did you get a walk?

 

[indianagriller]

5th place chicken

1 Ricks's Pit Stop
2 Kentucky Kookers
3 De'Boners
4 Ole Man Larry's
5 Big JT's Smokin BBQ
6 Que'n Stew'n N Brew'n
7 Music City Pig Pals
8 Smokin' Hose Grillin'Tea
9 Team Allegro
10 Vern's BBQ
11 Bronze Star BBQ
12 Florida Skin & Bones
13 Smelly Butts
14 J Mack Cookers
15 K&K Kookers
16 Paul Davis: Lil Red Barn
17 WarrenCountyPork Chopper
18 Shade Tree Cooks
19 Tennessee Tailgaters
20 Redneck Grillers
21 Cancer Sucks BBQ
22 Blues Hog BBQ Co.
23 Do Rag Q
24 Squealing Pigs BBQ
25 Magic Valley
26 MoonSwiners
27 Smokin With Papa
28 Ruff Stuff Grille
29 Smokey's A&M BBQ
30 Steel Smokin BBQ
31 Rollin' Rumps
32 Pappy Q
33 Jake and The Fat Man
34 Smokin Swine BBQ
35 Son Seekers BBQ
36 Verner's Barnyard BBQ

Thanks for the comments keep them coming!

 

[Solidkick]

Everyone has pretty much covered it...

but....that farkin' chicken looks awesome!