First Attempt at Turn-In Boxes

Jeff_in_KC

Jeff_in_KC

somebody shut me the fark up.
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Man, that ain't easy! I definitely need some practice and coaching! Not happy at all with either the way the two boxes turned out OR how long it took my wife and I to get it done! Suggestions anyone? I'm embarrassed to even post them but without experienced folks seeing them, I can't learn my shortcomings...

Also posting a couple of photos of my new 10x20 canopy for competitions. My step-dad helped me put it up this afternoon and string my lights for a trial run at set-up.
 
Wally-World. Only one in the entire metro KC area I could find too... $147 for the entire thing.
 
Jeff... The boxes look pretty good. The brisket box is a little lopsided on the right side, and I'm not sure about the parsley in front like that. The pork is a little lopsided at the top left corner and the left side.
 
Thanks, Ron. I also didn't like the way the sauce glaze looked on the top slice of brisket. I also didn't care for parsley in front of the brisket slices. It was like it was hiding something. I also thought my wife went a little heavy on the parsley on the pork. Tried to make sliced AND pulled in the box but the danged sliced meat fell apart at the fat lines! The lettuce is overflowing the brisket box and not enough in the upper left corner of the pork box. Those are some of my first thoughts about it.
 
Thanks, Jay... What would you suggest? 8 or more? By the way, this brisket was farkin HUGE... and the slices towards the middle where it was most moist were around a foot long, too long to go into the boxes... so what do you do in this instance? I'm assuming you don't ever want to cut the slices shorter. Would you just choose a smaller cut of meat in the first place?
 
spicewine said:
You need to send up more than 6 slices of brisket. Don't forget the table captains!!
Click to expand...

I read that if the rules call for 6 slices, never turn in more. Reason being is the 7th piece can go to someone who makes a bad comment and influences a voting judge. Does the table captain vote?
 
Jeff - I would definately put more meat in the box. A box that is full of meat simply looks better than one that is skimpy. More meat = less lettuce and parsly. You also might want to display some of the bark on your pork. Sliced pork usually does well in the KC area - you just can't cook it as long as you do your pulled pork. Good fist try though - deffinately looks better than some I have seen!!

Be sure you have a way to hold your canopy down in the wind. We lost 2 easy-ups this weekend. They were both fastened down and didn't blow up - the wind simply flattened them in place!

I haven't checked the ARBBQ site yet but they were supposed to have the space assignments done today.
 
spicewine wrote:
You need to send up more than 6 slices of brisket. Don't forget the table captains!!


I read that if the rules call for 6 slices, never turn in more. Reason being is the 7th piece can go to someone who makes a bad comment and influences a voting judge. Does the table captain vote?
Click to expand...

Table captains don't vote and I don't think any talking goes on during judging. At least not while you're in the middle of judging something.
 
In KCBS at least six portions are required - with nice slices from a thick flat 6 is enough. I shoot for a nice box even if it takes 8 or more slices and maybe some chopped/pulled point meat to lift the slices up out of the lettuce.

FBA requires 8 portions and we usually do more - no garnish is allowed in FBA so we really pack out the boxes (not "overstuff" but plenty of meat).
 
That is a nice canopy, not to repeat TK or anything.
 
Just make sure that everything you put in the box is judge worthy. The judges can pick and choose what they eat if you give them more than the required six.

At one contest I judged, there were what appeared to be six beautiful ribs. The judges started taking their pieces and two of the six ribs were not cut completely through, so that counts as one piece. The cook however used two more ribs to prop up the six beauties. Well, these last two ribs were pure POOPIE, but one of the judges had to eat it. His scores tanked.
 
Thanks for the pointers, everyone. However, I'm also still wondering about large briskets and foot long farkin slices! Cut the slices off or use a smaller brisket?

Wayne, I tried to put sliced pork in the box but it didn't work out... the slices fell apart due to the tenderness and right along the fat lines. Can you turn in partial slices? Do judges expect pork butt slices to fall apart at the lines or not?

Finally, as for the canopy, I read in the Royal rules that no tent or canopy "spikes" are allowed. I'm thinking of taking those large galvanized nails (hey, they aren't spikes... they're nails!) people use in landscape timbers construction and drive them in. Much less visible plus the front canopy feet can be hidden.
 
if you have room, 4 cinder blocks tied to the top corners above the legs and dangling at ground level will hodl you down. if you dont have room to carry them, then use your coolers and some tiedowns if the wind kicks up. Strap the cooler to each leg.


regarding more meat.. i dont anymore, unless you have extra perfect pieces. This past time around, rob needed more meat to even out the brisket box. I had to slice them off the second brisket and they werent as good as the first. unless you can guarentee the 6 judges take the first 6 pieces, I think you are taking a risk.
 
Jeff_in_KC said:
Finally, as for the canopy, I read in the Royal rules that no tent or canopy "spikes" are allowed. I'm thinking of taking those large galvanized nails (hey, they aren't spikes... they're nails!) people use in landscape timbers construction and drive them in. Much less visible plus the front canopy feet can be hidden.
Click to expand...

Just be prepared in case you draw a lot on pavement.

Fill the rods with sand or cement.

That'll weigh it down.

IMO
 
Thanks for the pointers, everyone. However, I'm also still wondering about large briskets and foot long farkin slices! Cut the slices off or use a smaller brisket?

Wayne, I tried to put sliced pork in the box but it didn't work out... the slices fell apart due to the tenderness and right along the fat lines. Can you turn in partial slices? Do judges expect pork butt slices to fall apart at the lines or not?
Click to expand...

There is a way to trim the brisket before you cook it that solves that problem and makes even slices with a smoke ring on three sides but it would be hard to describe in an email. If you will be at Blue Springs I will show you.

With the pork, we have turned in sliced "medalions" sometimes when the big slices fall apart. You can take one of the bigger muscles and slice it across the grain. Makes nice little tasty slices from just one muscle.
 
Good idea on the medalions, Wayne. My original plan was to lay pork slices down into the lettuce and make a ring of it surrounding the pulled pork. I saw someone else do similar and liked the presentation myself. But when the slices started falling apart, I decided to skip it this time. But medalions would work even better.

I do plan to be at Blue Springs to visit Brethren. It isn't much farther for me to drive from Pleasant Hill as it will be for you to drive. I'll be sure to drop by to see how you cut the brisket. What time will I need to be there to see you do it?
 
I'm thinking of taking those large galvanized nails (hey, they aren't spikes... they're nails!)
Click to expand...
Those are what spikes are, by definition. They do not want you driving anything into their blacktop. You will need some weights as mentioned above. I have seen several solutions for this from water jugs to hunks of metal, to you name it.

Back to thenumber of turn in slices. My mother was a flower arranger at one time. She, (as well as anyone else in the business), will tell you that an odd number of pieces are the rule of thumb. I know that this works best when talking 1,3,5 versus 2 or 4, but don't see much of a differencewhen you hit 6 or more pieces. Still, worth thinking about though. I keep it to 6 if 7 makes the box look crowded. otherwise I go with 7.
 
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