Q for judges: Can meat be too shiny?

Lake Dogs

Quintessential Chatty Farker
Joined
Jul 14, 2009
Messages
5,892
Reaction score
3,619
Points
0
Location
Lake Sinclair, GA
We talk a bit about making the meat shine. I'll agree, to a degree,
a little glisten/shine looks more appetizing (to me) than just a flat
finish. However, question:

Can it be too shiny?


I saw a few pictures (haven't seen this come across the table yet)
a little while back where the meat was so shiny it looked... fake is
the only word I know. Honestly, to me, it wasn't appetizing. The
shine, in this case, if it came across the table like that, would've
actually taken away a point. It really looked.... I'm trying to find
the words... It didn't look like BBQ. There. I dont know what it
did look like, but the look wasn't BBQ. To me, not judging the "what
looks like BBQ", but taking simply "is it appetizing", the answer in
my mind was that "it was a turn-off; Unappetizing". For that matter,
it was IMHO gross; maybe 2 points off.
 
I'm not sure because I've never gotten mine too shiney, although I've tried. I guess I just can't imagine something with so much shine that it was not appetizing.
 
I have seen photos where the meat looked like a plastic window display!

BUT
the operative word there is photo -- lots of variables there, including ambient light and flash, that have no bearing on how the box looks *in real life*, in the dimmer light of the judging tent.
 
I think your making referance to the brisket posted down a few pages, which I can't find now, but it had a shine like a new car all buffed out, at 1st I thought the same, man thats shiny, now I think it looks cool. As I remember that shiny brisket took 1st place.
 
I agree, yes, it can be to shinny...

Generally I see this happen when the sauce hasn't really set. It was just put on last minute and to me as well this is a bit of a turn-off. I also agree with Diva in that it could be a flash on the photo and I don't judge enough to see it come across a table.

When I sauce my meats, I like to get a 'semi-gloss' finish. To glossy, looks fake, not enough gloss and it looks dry... I like to be some where in between...
 
Diva hit a better description; the shinny plastic window display... Thanks, I guess
that answered my question. I'm not too far off. I like/prefer a nice semi-gloss as
does Divemaster; could err a little more shine.

I haven't seen the shinny beyond all imagination come across a table. Probably a
result of the flash / lighting, but also possible it self-remedied after 10 or so minutes
of turn-in wait...

Thanks.
 
Back
Top