I need help with my test boxes.

Divemaster

Divemaster

somebody shut me the fark up.
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I did a test cook this weekend complete with turn-in boxes. Please let me know what you think.

Chicken...
DSCF2309-1.jpg


Ribs...
DSCF2311-1.jpg


Pork...
DSCF2316-1.jpg


Brisket....
DSCF2318-1.jpg


Thank you for your honesty!
 
Mind you, I've only done one competition, but here is my feedback.

The meats all look real good. The only part that we did differently was to have more parsley lined up around the edges. If you look at the pictures I posted in the De Forest thread, you can see the parsley is higher around the edges and you can't see the white of the lower part at all.

We cut 1/4-1/2" slices of iceberg lettuce and laid those on the bottom, then stuck the parsley around the edges beforehand. The meat was laid on top of the lettuce and covered up most of it from plain view.

I can't say if that is the only reason, but we did score pretty well on appearance in all four categories even when the meat didn't hold its own.
 
Chicken itself looks wonderful, maybe a little more parsley around the edges to even it up. pork looks good but I would lose the strands of Pork in the middle and go with all chunks, or all chunks and slices. Ribs look good, maybe even out the parsley around the edges of the box, and the brisket looks great other than the thick fat on the left and right sides on the top.

chicken 9(if you fix the parsley around the edges)
Ribs 8
Pork 7
Brisket 8
 
Im in agreement, meat looks great and while it shouldnt matter it will...you have parsley upside down and not enough to make it look "nested"...

Find your feminine side and pretend your a florist :-D
 
I actually like the pork box the best........your brisket box, well, you needed to wipe the gunk off the sides of the box, slices look off center, more to the right, maybe put a slight curve in your slices if longer than the box.

I agree with Char on your parsley stems..

Chicken 8
Ribs 8
Pork 9
Brisket 7
 
MY first thought was that a lot more parsley around the sides would set off that great looking chicken. I also like the uniformity of the brisket pieces (especially the bark) vs. the more random assortment in the pork box. The upside down parsley is also a good point. Good cookin'!
 
I knew some of the comments were coming when I saw the pictures... Isn't it amazing how a photo can change your perspective (and add 10 pounds... I wish those 5 guys would stop pointing cameras at me)
 
Flip your brisket over, so you don't display the fat...

As for ribs, I do not like to dsiplay a side view of them, unless they are dripping with juices or have a real nice looking smoke ring, which is does not appear that these ribs have either. Not saying they are dry, they don't have the appearance of juicy ribs...
 
Dive,
My $.02 FWIW:
Chicken - Pieces are evenly shaped, evenly sized, evenly colored (and look great). Only detraction was the greens. Needs to be more even and "fuller". Score: 8
Ribs - Evenly sized, great color and shine. Again, the greens. Score: 7
Pork - I like the looks of this. Only thing I would do would be to lose the "stray" strings in the lower left and upper right. Just a tad more greens around the edges. Score: 9
Brisket - I like the slices with the burnt ends, but the greens are seriously missing on the left side. It looks like the fat is up, which O would reverse. Score: 7.

My biggest question, how was it? It all looks great and I am farking starving!
 
You need more green. What I do for our boxes is a "putting green." I will usually use lettuce on the bottom of the boxes for coverage and then fill the box with parsley, making sure that the stems are all faced down, make if fairly tight.

All the meat looks great, but like the others, I would flip the brisket over so the fat doesn't show.
 
I think all the meat looks great, the fat thing on the brisket, doesn't bother me at all, fat's where it's at! lol

As far as the parsley, it needs to be more even, as everyone has commented and stems down.

On the pork, I would put some bark on that pile of inside meat, it kinda freaks me out, OR, take out the darkish pieces of inside meat and leave it all pinkish.

Now, I want a brisket sandwich.
 
More parsley...in box 1,2&4. They were all 7's or above to me.
 
Harbormaster said:
My biggest question, how was it? It all looks great and I am farking starving!
Click to expand...

To be honest, the spare ribs were a little over done and ended up a little dry. I didn't foil them and I'm glad I didn't... I pulled them after 5 1/2 hours and if I had done the 3-2-1 method they would have fallen completely apart.

The chicken was some of the best I've cooked. I need to scrape the skin more and then pin them next time but they came out moist with a nice smoke ring. This too surprised me since they were done in about 1 1/4 hours. I'll have to watch them closer.

The pork was dead on. I pulled it at 180*, foiled (with Apple Juice and JD) and coolered for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. When I checked the temp just prior to pulling it, it was sitting at 155*. It was moist but not in the least bit mushy.

I was happy with the brisket. I ran into a problem that it was still a little frozen when I went to trim it so determining the thickness of the fat became an issue. The seasoning was dead on.... I pulled it at about 185*, foiled (with A/J & beef stock) and just let it sit in the cooler with the pork butt. The texture was right there and it was very moist. I should have pulled the burnt ends a little sooner and put them in the cooler rather than leaving them on the smoker for the extra 1/2 hour...

All in all, I'm happy with the results and feel better about going to my first comp this weekend in Fort Atkinson. I did the test without any help so I know that I can pull it off....

I just hope I don't end up DAL....

Thanks again gang, your comments really do help alot...
 
Just my not so humble opinion, but when we are taking points off because a piece of parsley is "upside down", I think the judges have lost track of what it is that they are supposed to be judging. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, or criticizing those cooks who try to keep their parsley right-side up, but we should not be judging the parsley.
 
MAsQue said:
Just my not so humble opinion, but when we are taking points off because a piece of parsley is "upside down", I think the judges have lost track of what it is that they are supposed to be judging. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, or criticizing those cooks who try to keep their parsley right-side up, but we should not be judging the parsley.
Click to expand...
Totally understand your point.....
What Dive has the advantage of here by posting pics and taking the criticism of his presentations by people that collectively have probably a hundred contest cooks behind them can only make him a stronger competitor. Are we being a little "picky", probably so....but the little tips could mean the difference between an 8 to a 9 in presentation....I like seeing 9's! :biggrin:
 
MAsQue said:
I'm not saying it doesn't happen, or criticizing those cooks who try to keep their parsley right-side up, but we should not be judging the parsley.
Click to expand...

Solidkick said:
Totally understand your point.....
What Dive has the advantage of here by posting pics and taking the criticism of his presentations by people that collectively have probably a hundred contest cooks behind them can only make him a stronger competitor. Are we being a little "picky", probably so....but the little tips could mean the difference between an 8 to a 9 in presentation....I like seeing 9's! :biggrin:
Click to expand...

This site does offer me a HUGE advantage. There are things that I'm going to take with me such as Harbormasters point on the strands of pork that were out of place, re-arranging the pork and adding slices, and yes, I'll be a lot more careful of the parsley stems.... Other points I'm going to have to think about such as boxing the brisket fat side down. I personally think that it looks better up but I may try it down next time.

I posted the boxes in hopes that you all would be picky about them. I know that we only get 3 to 5 seconds in front of a judge (if that) and a single piece of parsley out of place isn't going to make that much of a difference. But a whole lot of them out of place, does. It gives me something to work on rather than just relying on my own judgment. A second (or 15th) set of eyes is always better.

Actually I'm lying... I posted the boxes in hopes that Ford would get over confidant for the comp this weekend....
 
Go with some produce with a more even color if you can. Think of it as a nice backdrop for a picture. You want to highlight the meat. Uneven distribution or color tend to draw my eye away. I like a little darker green color for a box done with parsley, but you have to go with what you can lay your hands on.

Best of luck!
 
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