My first ever turn-in box!!!

OK, ok....it was only for a backyard ribs contest, but it WAS at a KCBS event. The event was Wine, Brew & BBQ Too!!! at New Palestine, IN. I hung out with Big JT's Smokin BBQ and have him an extra set of hands Friday and yesterday for his pro stuff. There was also, however, a rib backyard competition for this event that I was excited to try my hand at.

Baby Backs was my weapon of choice. Here's the box just before I closed it and walked it in.

I'd appreciate any HONEST opinions from you experienced folks. I didn't think the ribs stacked up very evenly, and although the glaze and ribs looked farkin beautiful when I pulled them off the smoker, I tore the glaze up pretty good on most of the ribs while slicing.

There was no garnish requirement or limitation on this event. So I could have used tomato, fruit, whatever. But, even though I wasn't ONLY limited to green leaf lettuce, I thought it would score better since that's what the judges were used to looking at. The BY ribs turned in after all the KCBS meats AND the sauce, so it was very last.



Anyway.....I WON!!! Out of 8 teams total, I was CHAMP!!!!

I scored a 165.714 total. I assume (but I don't know) that the same certified judges were scoring the backyard ribs too? Here was my 6 scores:
8 9 9
9 7 8
9 8 9
9 8 8
7 7 8
9 8 9

SO......what improvements could I have made on my box? Obviously, you can only give me presentation advice, but.......? Anything I should work on?

Thanks!

Yeah, you know.....I'd never really ever thought about the actual cut before slicing for the box. I've seen others cut for their box and it just looks so easy when YOU are not the one with the slicer/knife!!!

I had a hard time getting evenly between the bones. I'd either go 1/2 way and then hit the bone and the cut would be crooked/not straight, etc. I do agree that they aren't the same width.

I had 3 racks total and they all came off real purty, but once I hacked at 'em with the slicer, suddenly, I was out of good ribs. At home, I usually put the rack upside down so I can see the bones better, but when I tried that at the comp, it totally trashed the glaze. It was a REAL sticky sauce, so that didn't work.

My gloves were sticky too, so when I handled them, I'd pull some of the parsley out or slime up the clean meat.





Yes, Chris.....I'm hooked. I'll be thinking about comp BBQ for at LEAST a week now.


JT: Thanks for letting me hang out and help these last 2 comps. Sorry I can't make it to Jasper this weekend. We'll see if you miss me or not.:becky: Or at least miss my ribs....:laugh::boxing:

Chopjaw said:

Is there a rule about having the green stuff in the turn in box?

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I'm not sure that there's a REQUIREMENT rule for official pro boxes in KCBS comps or not. I believe that the only garnish you CAN have is green leafy garnish. Could be lettuce or parsley. Most of what I've seen that gets turned in is parsley over a lettuce bed.

In THIS comp, since it was only a backyard, there was no requirement for or against it. So I could have just turned in the ribs in an otherwise empty box. There was also no limitation on garnish. So I could have used any kind of lettuce, or fruits, or veggies like tomato wedges, etc.

I believe that anything OTHER than a green leafy garnish in a KCBS box is considered an unqualified substance and will get you a DQ. A piece of foil is a good way to get you DQ'd, for instance.