Will the Grill
Well-known member
Our team just finished cooking both the KCBS and back yard grilling comp at Oinktoberfest in Clarence, NY (suburb of Buffalo). We didn't do as well as hoped in the KCBS 37/65, but finished 5th out of 28 in the back yard grill comp. When we picked up our results packet we noticed there were 7 comment cards. This was the 1st time we had ever received comment cards so we were eager to see what they said. Here is what they had to say and what concerns us.
Ribs
Judge 1, beautifully done, bang on tender and firm, good flavor and tang Judge 2, Lighter fluid ruined the taste, perfect cook, nice looking.
Fish (corn flake crusted, pan seared sea bass with balsamic cherry glaze)
Judge 1, Mushy and over cooked, nice crust.
Judge 2, cooked perfectly, and taste fantastic
Pork (tenderloin stuffed with bacon, scallions and moz cheese)
Judge 1, Excellent
Judge 2, Lighter fluid taste , would be 9 without it. (scored 9,7,9)
Judge 3, nice flavor, but chewy
We can live with one judge thinking the fish was perfect and one said it was overdone and mushy. We can live with 3 judges scoring it a 9 in tenderness and one saying it was chewy. What has us concearned is two seperate judges eating two seperate meats said they tasted lighter fluid. Here is what I can tell you. Our smoker is 3 years old and lighter fluid had not once ever been in it or around it. What could cause two seperate judges to say that. We have a custom built offset reverse flow smoker like a Lang. We only burn lump charcoal and apple wood and somtimes we add a little hickory or mesquite. We did use mesquite on sunday but not a lot. Any thoughts on what would be causing a lighter fluid taste.
Ribs
Judge 1, beautifully done, bang on tender and firm, good flavor and tang Judge 2, Lighter fluid ruined the taste, perfect cook, nice looking.
Fish (corn flake crusted, pan seared sea bass with balsamic cherry glaze)
Judge 1, Mushy and over cooked, nice crust.
Judge 2, cooked perfectly, and taste fantastic
Pork (tenderloin stuffed with bacon, scallions and moz cheese)
Judge 1, Excellent
Judge 2, Lighter fluid taste , would be 9 without it. (scored 9,7,9)
Judge 3, nice flavor, but chewy
We can live with one judge thinking the fish was perfect and one said it was overdone and mushy. We can live with 3 judges scoring it a 9 in tenderness and one saying it was chewy. What has us concearned is two seperate judges eating two seperate meats said they tasted lighter fluid. Here is what I can tell you. Our smoker is 3 years old and lighter fluid had not once ever been in it or around it. What could cause two seperate judges to say that. We have a custom built offset reverse flow smoker like a Lang. We only burn lump charcoal and apple wood and somtimes we add a little hickory or mesquite. We did use mesquite on sunday but not a lot. Any thoughts on what would be causing a lighter fluid taste.
