Thread: rep advisories
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Old 03-31-2012, 12:33 AM   #24
Skip
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Join Date: 07-24-07
Location: Wantagh, NY
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Why is it that we can't understand the intent of the rule. It wasn't to limit your saucing technique, it wasn't to offer you the opportunity to butterfly out the butt into a 2 ft long slab of meat, it wasn't to promote the near separation of the money muscle it was to offer a legitimate starting point that all could achieve. A weight to make sure it wasn't suckling and a large dense cut to showcase technique.


Somehow the "voices of BBQ" have turned this rule into something its not. For some reason people tend to think that the parting rule was meant for all time. Cradle to grave so to speak. Unfortunately that makes you wonder when in fact you can actually dismantle the pork to put it in the box. In fact the only way the rule, as it was written for so long, can be interpreted as they say would mean that the whole entire butt be placed in the box unmolested. Because it states "and not parted". Don't tell me thats foolish because grammatically that is the only interpretation. If you feel that at any point in the process, even at the time of box building, that the pork can be dismantled then you must accept that when the butt has been cooked and removed with possibly resting it can be dismantled. At this point your only issue is to keep it warm. Some will say "You can cheat that way" and I will reply that I could cut my butt into 16 pieces cook it however I liked and probably get away with it. Does that mean I will? In the end our trust in our fellow competitors integrity is the only thing that makes any of this work. We can't approach this as a law to be enforced but rather a guideline for competitors to follow. Which is what all of our rules are. For some reason this one has really blown up because of many different perceptions of the rule. A real powderkeg. But when all is said and done we have to realize that this society was founded by friendly people with a friendly set of guidelines to ensure as fair a contest as possible. The competitor was charged with ensuring their own integrity. The large prize pools and lucrative sponsorships and ancillary winnings have some looking for more restrictions. Something they feel will ensure a better outcome. Unfortunately it will probably only create a different outcome and in doing so may change the face of a society many like just the way it is. The membership as a whole needs to decide if we want to hold dear the traditions set forth by the founders or if we want to go forward being more of a contests then a BBQ showcase with prizes. If its all about the money then everything else falls away.

Lastly may I say that removing the pork parting rule completely would be devastating to the category and to the integrity of the rules set. Integrity is based on consistency not only in measure and principle but in action and expectation. The rules tend to inspire technique whereas the removal of a challenge such as this will dumb down the category. The need for a defined portion of meat changes if the parting rule is removed as well. Why limit to a shoulder, or part thereof, if there is not expectation of cooking it whole in a traditional manner?
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