Tips for a no garnish rule comp

I've done a couple of these.

My advice (had pretty good luck) is to just make sure your box looks neat and tidy. Try to wipe up any sauce and place them in there pretty much the samy way you would if you had them sitting on garnish.

FWIW, I like to include 8 servings in the box if they fit. I've heard from judges that it's nice for the last judge to be able to pick one rather than being stuck with the last one in the box.

Another tip. Line the sides of your box with paper towels and/or wax paper or foil before placing your bbq in the box. Then remove the foil before closing. This will greatly reduce the amount of sauce wiping.

TN_BBQ said:

Another tip. Line the sides of your box with paper towels and/or wax paper or foil before placing your bbq in the box. Then remove the foil before closing. This will greatly reduce the amount of sauce wiping.

Click to expand...

I have done that with cakes before but never thought about doing it for non garnish comps. Thats an awesome tip.

Diva Q said:

I have done that with cakes before but never thought about doing it for non garnish comps. Thats an awesome tip.

Click to expand...

Works for boxes w/ garnish, too.

Guess I was a painter in a previous life.

The overall rule of thumb for anyone participating in a NON GARNISH region is: You're BBQ must be three times better of course than a typical entry in a Garnish Region - I mean - its a given that it will be - well - more like a birthright.

Joking --- sorta, not really its a joke, but not really,,, seriously, I am kidding, but like it has a significant ring of truth, no... just a joke, except for the serious part... you know, the part about Texas versus the rest of the world... that was a joke, in a truthful sort of way.

View attachment 40862
Fellow Brethren Shot

TN_BBQ said:

Another tip. Line the sides of your box with paper towels and/or wax paper or foil before placing your bbq in the box. Then remove the foil before closing. This will greatly reduce the amount of sauce wiping.

Click to expand...

So your turn in would be your meat and lumps of wet paper towels or wax paper? LOL

U mean remove the paper towels. :icon_blush:

The only real difference is that you have to be extra careful with the appearance of the meat.
Nowhere to hide defects.

Good luck.

TIM

barbefunkoramaque said:

View attachment 40862
Fellow Brethren Shot



So your turn in would be your meat and lumps of wet paper towels or wax paper? LOL

U mean remove the paper towels. :icon_blush:

Click to expand...

I think my message was pretty clear.

FWIW, you forgot to put a question mark at the end of your last sentence.

Get creative and use meat as your garnish, fill the box. :wink:

Curious. Two questions:

Is appearance part of the judging criteria for this contest?

is appearance a DISTINCT, judged criteria for this contest?

TN_BBQ said:

I think my message was pretty clear.

FWIW, you forgot to put a question mark at the end of your last sentence.

Click to expand...

No, in fact, YFA, I was very precise with what I said.

My last sentence is a statement.

It looks like what you are saying, YLP, is in order to reduce the occurrence of little stains you would lay the mandatory foil down, then a curtain of either paper towels or wax paper around it. Then once the meat is down you would remove the foil... thereby you would leave a turn-in box with NO foil, meat and paper towels or wax paper in it. Unless there is some universe where an entry can have paper towels in the turn in box, I would say you meant - remove the paper towels and wax paper.

Of course, I bet what might have been IYFLM would be ALSO using a foil collar and remove it. However, foil is not absorbent and really paper towel works just as well.

Here is a box of ribs I made up in the past on a weekend, at home, just for fun. But we've not done a contest without garnish before. I would think this arrangement might score well in appearance if used.

That looks very good Greg! Box is clean which looks great.

barbefunkoramaque said:

lay the mandatory foil down

Click to expand...

Foil isn't mandatory.

TN_BBQ said:

Foil isn't mandatory.

Click to expand...

It is in IBCA

thillin said:

It is in IBCA

Click to expand...

I didn't think we were talking about IBCA? :crazy:

TN_BBQ said:

I didn't think we were talking about IBCA? :crazy:

Click to expand...

Nobody ever said we wern't either. I threw out foil is mandatory for no garnish IBCA comps.

I did one contest like this.

For my chicken I put shredded on the bottom and thighs on top of that.

Here is my brisket.

TN_BBQ said:

I didn't think we were talking about IBCA? :crazy:

Click to expand...

Come on TN, don't say you or I or anyone else is crazy just because you mentioned "no garnish competition" and we naturally thought it would be an IBCA comp because that's the most wide spread and popular non-garnish comp by leaps and bounds.

I think you will get further along with people answering your questions if you consider all ideas. You are speaking to THE ENTIRE nation and beyond so competing in a "non-garnish" event CAN mean many different sanctioned events (ones that even most of us have not ever heard of) or that may be irrelevant in the BBQ world near your neck of the woods. Not being KCBS. If your "event" is a non-sanctioned half baked event then STILL listening to those ideas that come from areas where we are more serious about it can help you. Heck--- I was just saying YOUR idea was a great one and one many of us used or still use.

Do I post a query that's not precise in nature... sure. At times I THINK its pretty direct but still some people get the idea and at times I have to be more precise too. Heck, take my thermometer and clock post for instance.

Here's what it boils down to: You asked about "non-garnish competititons" to many of us over MORE than half of the Nation, from Texas all the way to California, that means IBCA. OUR BAD!

[FONT=&quot]JUDGING TRAYS — IBCA recommends the use of a Styrofoam tray with hinged lid [/FONT] [FONT=&quot]and without dividers or the best readily available judging container which is approximately 8 inches square on the bottom half. (i.e. Dart 95HT1 or Genpak 200) A single sheet of aluminum foil should be supplied in each tray (i.e. Reynolds 710 foil sheets 9” x 10”). All judging containers shall be clean and free of any markings. Marked containers may be disqualified at the Head Judge’s discretion. Cooks are responsible for insuring that the containers they receive remain clean and undamaged.[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

Central Texas BBQ Assoc.

8. JUDGING TRAYS
CTBA recommends the use of a Styrofoam tray with a hinged lid and without dividers or the best readily available judging container that is approximately 9 inches square on the bottom half.
CTBA also states that silver foil must be used in the judging trays supplied by cookers.
All judging containers shall be clean and free of obvious marks. Marked containers may be disqualified at the Head Judges discretion. Cooks are responsible for insuring that the containers they receive are clean and undamaged.
If a judging tray become damaged it may be replaced when, along with the ticket attached to the lid, is returned to the Head Judge.

So... there is a whole big fat watery world out there man. You asked, we answered.

I once again think that wrapping your entry with Paper towels is a STELLAR idea and one that works real well and I have used even back in the days of the Taylor even BEFORE the Taylor (a 33 to 38 year old pageant depending on how you look at it) became an INTERNATIONAL event back in 1988. 33 years.... that's longer than 22 years (Jack Daniels) - which when I lived in nearby Decherd, Tn. in 1994, I don't recall them even having a brisket entry.

Thanks for your contribution and I am glad you are here with us. Nothing Personal at all.

If that entry was handed to me as a judge the judges after me would have gotten no ends. None... I would have gobbled them up man. Goshg Darn that looks good. Where was the comp Brew?

Brewmaster said:

I did one contest like this.

For my chicken I put shredded on the bottom and thighs on top of that.

Here is my brisket.

Click to expand...