Mister Bob
Babbling Farker
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2009
- Location
- Scituate...
This first box took 2nd place at an approximately 80 team competition last year. the brisket was a Wagyu from Snake River Farms and the rub was my own, Mister Bob's Blue Ribbon Spice Rub. It was injected with 10oz of Butcher's Injection, mixed with water, per the instructions. I used Royal Oak lump charcoal with 3 chunks of cherry added with each chimney while the brisket was in the cooker. I cooked at 275 degrees. The brisket was wrapped at 165 IT and taken to 202 degrees then rested for about 3 hours in the Cambro. The sauce was a beefy brown sauce (secret recipe), mixed with 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid from the brisket. These were the scores:
Appearance: 9,9,8,9,8,9
Taste: 9,9,8,8,9,9
Tenderness: 9,9,9,9,8,9
Here's what it looked like:
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This next box was turned in recently at a competition with a few more than 100 competitors. I will withhold the name of the competition because I don't want to give any negative feedback on what I consider to be a great event run by really great people. I just would appreciate some comments on the turn-in and discuss the inconsistency of the judging at many contests lately.
This brisket was also a Wagyu from Snake River Farms, approximately the same size as the first. Once again the rub was the same, my own Mister Bob's Blue Ribbon Spice Rub. I injected with the same amount of Butcher's injection, used the same Royal Oak charcoal and cherry chunks. Again I cooked at 275. I wrapped again at 165 and pulled it at 202. The sauce was the identical recipe from the first. The only difference was the burnt ends. These I took from the point, soaked in the sauce and put back in the cooker for about an hour. Last year I just made some cubes from the flat and put them in the box.
Here's a picture of the box (please ignore the shadow):
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I tasted it and did the pull test. It was in my opinion as good or better in every way than the first one. I'm also a CBJ, and I like to think I know what I'm talking about.
The brisket came in 76th overall, these were the scores:
Appearance: 9,8,7,7,9,9
Taste: 8,6,6,7,6,8
Tenderness: 8,6,6,8,7,7
This first chicken box is from the same 80 team event last year. They were Bell and Evans air chilled thighs, meticulously trimmed as you can see. I used the 'butter bath' method and the sauce was a mixture of one part each of Blues Hog Original, Blues Hog Tennessee Red and my own sauce. No marination. The chicken was cooked at 275 one hour uncovered and one hour covered. Sauced and put back in for fifteen minutes to set the sauce.
This was the box:
.
It came in 4th overall. These were the scores:
Appearance: 9,9,8,8,9,8
Taste: 9,8,9,9,9,8
Tenderness: 8,8,9,8,8,9
So this year, the chicken was once again Bell and Evans. The method was identical, same temperature, same time, same brand margarine (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter) and the sauce was exactly the same mix. I cooked once again at 275, an hour uncovered and an hour covered. Set the sauce for 15 minutes at the end. I believe I did the same careful job of trimming and arranging, you tell me.
Here's a picture of the box:
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This chicken came in 63rd place. These were the scores:
Appearance: 9,9,8,8,9,9
Taste: 8,8,8,6,8,6
Tenderness: 5,7,9,6,8,8
Taste scores from 8 down to 6 can happen, but tenderness from 9 to 5?
I'm not a sore loser, I'll take the scores and move on. I'm just a little disappointed and felt the need to vent my frustration, and I'd like to hear some comments.
Appearance: 9,9,8,9,8,9
Taste: 9,9,8,8,9,9
Tenderness: 9,9,9,9,8,9
Here's what it looked like:
.
This next box was turned in recently at a competition with a few more than 100 competitors. I will withhold the name of the competition because I don't want to give any negative feedback on what I consider to be a great event run by really great people. I just would appreciate some comments on the turn-in and discuss the inconsistency of the judging at many contests lately.
This brisket was also a Wagyu from Snake River Farms, approximately the same size as the first. Once again the rub was the same, my own Mister Bob's Blue Ribbon Spice Rub. I injected with the same amount of Butcher's injection, used the same Royal Oak charcoal and cherry chunks. Again I cooked at 275. I wrapped again at 165 and pulled it at 202. The sauce was the identical recipe from the first. The only difference was the burnt ends. These I took from the point, soaked in the sauce and put back in the cooker for about an hour. Last year I just made some cubes from the flat and put them in the box.
Here's a picture of the box (please ignore the shadow):
.
I tasted it and did the pull test. It was in my opinion as good or better in every way than the first one. I'm also a CBJ, and I like to think I know what I'm talking about.
The brisket came in 76th overall, these were the scores:
Appearance: 9,8,7,7,9,9
Taste: 8,6,6,7,6,8
Tenderness: 8,6,6,8,7,7
This first chicken box is from the same 80 team event last year. They were Bell and Evans air chilled thighs, meticulously trimmed as you can see. I used the 'butter bath' method and the sauce was a mixture of one part each of Blues Hog Original, Blues Hog Tennessee Red and my own sauce. No marination. The chicken was cooked at 275 one hour uncovered and one hour covered. Sauced and put back in for fifteen minutes to set the sauce.
This was the box:
.
It came in 4th overall. These were the scores:
Appearance: 9,9,8,8,9,8
Taste: 9,8,9,9,9,8
Tenderness: 8,8,9,8,8,9
So this year, the chicken was once again Bell and Evans. The method was identical, same temperature, same time, same brand margarine (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter) and the sauce was exactly the same mix. I cooked once again at 275, an hour uncovered and an hour covered. Set the sauce for 15 minutes at the end. I believe I did the same careful job of trimming and arranging, you tell me.
Here's a picture of the box:
.
This chicken came in 63rd place. These were the scores:
Appearance: 9,9,8,8,9,9
Taste: 8,8,8,6,8,6
Tenderness: 5,7,9,6,8,8
Taste scores from 8 down to 6 can happen, but tenderness from 9 to 5?
I'm not a sore loser, I'll take the scores and move on. I'm just a little disappointed and felt the need to vent my frustration, and I'd like to hear some comments.