The prospect of contracting salmonella is far greater when patronizing local restaurants. Funny, HD is all over our butts at some contests, most usually in counties where restaurants are swarming with rats and cockroaches -- which I haven't seen in any BBQ camp.
Getting garnish is more difficult for you. So? Getting sauce and rub is more difficult for me -- we make our own. Hell, getting TO a contest is more difficult for us -- we drive up to 17 hours one way to find one. Everybody's got their own hurdles, and the only place the playing field is perfectly level is inside that 9x9 styrofoam box.
As for improvement -- well, now we finally come to the "meat" of the matter. I find that as meat scores improve, concerns over garnish diminish. Nobody turns in 100% perfect meat every time not even Myron. Perhaps that's more difficult than arguing about garnish in the off-season.
I, for one, am not arguing. It really doesnt matter to me. I merely
posed the question (reference at the very top):
Is it time to ditch garnish? There honestly is no way to ignore it.
The others have it gone...
> Getting garnish is more difficult for you. So?
You were the one making the statement. I was merely pointing out
that your statement was off and false, at least in my case. I wasn't
whining. I was, in essence, addressing your point.
> Hell, getting TO a contest is more difficult for us -- we drive up
> to 17 hours one way to find one.
I believe ya, and we can't do it. No way, no how. Dont have the
luxury of that much time away from work. If we cant get to it within
a 2 or 3 hour drive, we can't get there... But, that's us. That's about
99% of the reason why I work with city leaders, project managers, etc
who organize these so as to *grow* more cookoffs (because I enjoy
competing and can't drive that far).
> Getting sauce and rub is more difficult for me -- we make our own.
I special order the meat, and I have all the spices/rubs ordered and
delivered (Pendereys, etc). Come to think of it, I cannot think of a
competition we've competed in within the last 5+- yeas where we
used ANY consumable product purchased at the local store (other than
chuck roast we use in chili). No biggie. Always make my own sauce,
but I'm trying a combination of Blues Hog & BH Tennesse Red for
giggles... No local store carry that. Hell, I dont think it's carried
anywhere in the state... Always my own rub, using Pendereys and
Mild Bills spices (I'm not in Texas, they ship them to me). What, is
this now a "compare who jumps through more hoops to compete"
thing? That's silly, unnecessary, and completely off topic.
Wait. My bad. I use chicken thighs purchased at the local store
for the KCBS cookoff. My bad. Ok, chicken thighs and chuck roast
used in chili. That's it. Not even so much as black pepper is purchased here....
I merely asked "Is it time to ditch garnish?".
Somehow this was mistaken as an assault to the
very foundation of KCBS. It's not, nor was it intended to be. It's not
even a gripe about ordering and fetching greens. It's not.
I'm done. I'm tired of defending myself vs. talking about a topic.
Really. Simply this: The way the rules read (for judges), it's
impossible to do what they're being asked. As a result (of this and other
stuff), many teams either despise judges or the judging process (not
me). I posed a question as to whether it should be reconsidered.
No more; no less.
I'm done trying to discuss something when it's apparent very
few will actually discuss the topic. I'll drop it. Matter of fact:
Moderator, is there a way I can delete this whole topic/thread?