My take on the Pork Rule
 

Pork: Pork is defined as Boston Butt, Picnic and/or Whole Shoulder, being one piece, weighing a minimum of five (5) pounds (bone in or bone out).

I have been reading and listening to everyone say they can part the pork out after inspection. Where does it say you can do that? If its not 5lbs its not a pork butt. If you piece it up into the MM and tubes it can't be 5lbs, so you admitting you are willing to cheat to win.

Please chime in and help me read the rule in a different way, cause I don't see it the way most are.

No offense taken and no offense to you...

Do you submit burnt ends?

We don't plan on changing anything.... although pork was our weakest category this past season. I think what people are arguing is the fact that it doesn't say you cannot separate it like the rule used to read. So the burnt end comments and the grilling/ sausage making etc. will keep on being discussed. Without any reps actually policing these rules I don't think much will change.... we have witnessed things that we have questioned being legal but again without someone actually checking sites there is nothing to keep people from doing what they will do

David, since it will not be prohibited by rule in 2014 after inspection, anything goes in all 4 meat categories. There will be nothing to prevent butchering any of the cuts of meat in any way the cook chooses before, during or after cooking.

This rule gives the appearance of acquiescing to the cooks that have been “bending” the rules in the pork category and lend an air of legality to their methods. A vast majority of the cooks do not do this and only wanted to have a change in holding and reheating, but, alas, the BOD, threw the baby out with the bath water.

I agree and it will depend on what the BOD states the five pound statement means. So far it has been stated in a couple of ways. They, and we, have a year to talk about it. LOL. keith

Brisket does not have a weight rule so burnt ends does not relate to the pork rule well. keith

The implication of my statement is EVEN IF one believes that the pork should be cooked first, there is nothing that prevents someone from "cooking it" and then grilling it. It was the intention of the board to allow pork to be separated to finish cooking.

If some one "cooked it" before separating it, any one should think twice before calling them a cheater or implying as much. Even if they interpret the rule as strictly as David does (which I can not).

Again, no offense taken or intended.

I'm with Butcher... A Butt is a Butt... it's not tubes, its not MM... it's a butt. 5 Lbs or more. Cook it...

I won't tell you what I think, but I will tell you why I think some people interpret the new rule to mean Pork can be legally separated after inspection.

The 2013 rule contains language that requires pork to be cooked whole, as well as prevents meat from being returned to the cooker once it's parted. Both items were removed from the 2014 rule.

Regardless of intent, I don't think it's unreasonable for a cook to interpret that parting is now legal since language that prohibited the practice has been removed.

I don't believe the rule needed changing. One BOD member initially posted on the "ask the Board" thread that the rule was only changed to allow the meat to go back on the smoker (for warming and settign sauce) after being cooked whole. However, two other BODs posted on this site that anything goes after meat inspection.
So, maybe some BOD members thought one thing but actually approved something else. We'll see how this plays out over the year.

Benny

I agree with what you typed, David, but there is also nothing in that rule that prevents cutting it up. It doesn't say that it has to stay in one piece, so that is why folks are interpreting it that way. It is too vague.

I don't think that is a good comparison. There is nothing in the brisket rule that says that a brisket has to meet a minimum weight requirement.

The big question in my mind is.....IF teams start parting out the MM or tubes and start winning, then are those that do not part out missing the boat?

In other words, if parting DOES offer a distinct advantage (and I'm not necessarily saying it does), who'll follow the crowd? Is being a "purist" only leaving points on the table?

If you know how to cook it pork it doesn't matter if you separate or not.

I have no intention of changing the way we do our pork. It has been a strong category for us the past couple of years. If you cook it right and have the right flavor profile, you will score well. I think people will separate after inspection and try all sorts of things to try and gain an advantage, of course I'm sure there are cooks that already did this, or were on the brink of doing this legally. Cream always rises to the top..this will be no different. It will be that much sweeter to beat the teams that "bend" or loosely interpret the rules

So they got a chance to re-write a confusing and possibly ill-advised rule. But they didnt actually make the new rule clearer or less ill-advised.

I dont have a problem with rule changes, but it seems like this one was done to appease a certain group of cooks instead of rules changing to support to traditional bbq.

RonL, do you disagree with my subsequent post?