• working on DNS.. links may break temporarily.

Seperating Brisket

Stoke&Smoke said:
PORK: Pork is defined as Boston Butt, Picnic and/or ​



Whole Shoulder, weighing a minimum of five (5) pounds.
Pork shall be cooked (bone in or bone out) and shall not be parted.​

Not trying to pick a fight, but finding it hard to see what is hard to interpret here, or unclear.

You need to have some portion of the whole shoulder. The whole thing, butt, or picnic, that weighs over 5 pounds. It has to be cooked as a single piece (not parted). That means whether you start with a picnic, butt or shoulder, you must cook that piece whole from start to finish.

I have heard of folks sort of butterflying the money muscle to allow it to form a bark all around, and as long as it remains a single piece of meat, that seems to keep to the rule. But if you separate it into more than one piece, it's parted. What's unclear about that?

Also, what is all this talk about warming up? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that having your meat cooked on time was part of the challenge. Pork pieces will keep at temp for hours coolered anyway, so what reason is there to reheat? My butts are usually done between 9 and 11 AM and stay piping hot in a cooler or cambro (we use Carlisles) for hours after turn-in.

Seems like this rule is crystal clear. What part of it is hard to understand? If I'm "setting my sauce, it's likely on ribs not butt, as I don't sauce butt, or if I do it's after it's pulled. If it's on the ribs, I'm not removing them from the cooker, just removing the lid.

IMHO - If you aren't following the rules, you're breaking them


Back to Brisket.

We separate our before slicing the point, but after it's cooked. Seems a lot easier to do it then than when it's still raw. No parting rule on briskie!
Click to expand...


Thank you for your interpretation and understanding of this vague rule. You have added many variations of the rule to make it seem to make sense to you. This rule is based on complete interpretation and that is my point. Beside's not parting to cook, the rules sayes nothing else.
 
OC PIG ASSASSINS said:
I like to get the sauce hot and let gravity take it course directly on the piece of meat in the smoker to get everything hot as one.
Click to expand...

MY interpretation is that if you warmed the sauce in the cooker and applied it to your meat outside of the cooker you'd be legal.

I've got zero problem with someone returning a cubed up point w/sauce etc to a cooker to make burnt ends. The way the rule regarding pork is written, I think you are crossing the line.

To be clear...I AM NOT accusing you of cheating, because I don't believe that is your intent! I do believe that you ARE breaking the applicable rule for pork if this is what you are doing at a comp.
 
Scottie said:
I've had discussions with folks on this very subject... (Folks that interpret the rules.) If you slice, chunk or pull your pork, you can't put it back in the cooker. No matter what you are saying you are doing to it. As there is no difference in putting it in the smoker or a microwaver to "re-heat"....
Click to expand...

Do these folks have names ? What's the reason for this rule in the first place ? Is this one of those rules that came into play because some team was winning a lot and the people who attended the rules meeting were sick of getting beat ?
 
I wouldn't say he is trying to subvet the rules by thinking warming up is not cooking. I can see both sides of that arguement and each is viable. By reheating most meat you probably won't garner enough heat and time to change the cooked properties of a piece of meat however by returning it to the cooker for whatever reason can be considered cooking it if you interpet cooking as applying heat to food for consumption.
I agree with him that there are teams out there who do return the meat to the cooker. I have seen it myself.
 
We could go on for days, I hate pork anyway! I much rather eat brisket and ribs. Pork and chicken get wrapped for my dog!!
 
Jorge said:
I don't believe so, but you are free to make that argument.
Click to expand...


Just thinking that a team could then say, how about a cast iron skillet on a blasing hot grill then pull it off add sauce and mix your pork in there.

Is adding heat in any way to the pork considered cooking? The rule says nothing about where the cooking takes place (in / out of cooker).

I really just want to give the judges hot food. :cry:
 
YankeeBBQ said:
Do these folks have names ? What's the reason for this rule in the first place ? Is this one of those rules that came into play because some team was winning a lot and the people who attended the rules meeting were sick of getting beat ?
Click to expand...


Oh no... You aren't taking me down that road!!! My sources are confidential!!! :icon_shy:icon_shy:icon_shy

But I can't say I disagree with your thinking... Probably because Smokin' In the Boys Room were beating everyone's butts, hence the rule... :icon_smil
 
goodsmokebbq said:
Isn't that technically cooking / warming the meat (with sauce)?
Click to expand...

No matter how many intermediate steps you take you are still taking thermal energy from your cooker and applying it to your pork. How is this technically different from putting your pork on the cooker to warm up?

I am getting so confused:icon_smil
 
You farkers got it all figured out:)

Have you ever seen a smoke ring all the way around the money muscle?
I have parted the money muscle at home and it cooks well separated in the oven so I can imagine that it has been attempted in competition by others. (might cut down on cooking time) HUH I'm guessin thats the purpose of the rule.

The fact is I pull my pork right after chicken turn-in and place it in a half pan arranged so that building my pork box will be easy when the time comes. I foil the pan and then back in the hot box. I have several times put the pan back into the cooker right before turn in to heat up the pork before building the box. This will back fire if the cooker is too hot…..burnt fingers! O and keep the foil on the pan cause it may dry out the pork (you think) Anyway guess I’ve been cheating. I think you guys are missing the purpose of the rule. By the way I’m guessing that’s where Skip seen it done before! Go ahead fire away farkers no one is perfect and until I read this it’s never crossed my mind.
 
Wow, that's a lot of discussion for one day. Thanks for all of the advice both on pork and brisket. I would much rather cook a whole brisket and sepearte after cooking but I've found that I loose the smoke ring on the portion that's covered by the point. For that reason I've lately been parting before cooking. I'm glad you guys talked about pork, since I've been unclear on rules regarding it. It's all clear now, Pete
 
Last edited:
In regards to pork, can't you ask the reps at the cooks meeting for a clarification of the rule? Seems that would end some confusion at that particular contest.

In regards to brisket, I part the flat and point after cooking prior to slicing.
 
Its clear as mud now Pete!I guess I will be asking the reps at each contest if I ever get to another one.
 
If your smallest slice of money muscle weighs 5+ pounds, I say go for it. If it doesn't it shouldn't go back in the cooker based on the rule.
 
OC PIG ASSASSINS said:
Intent of the rule as per who? You? read the rule as it's written. You have your interp and I have mine. Call me what you want. Looks like I struck close to home!!! The KCBS better take back a lot of trophies over this one.
Click to expand...

They won't take mine:!:

I've won first place pork and I believe reheating is a direct violation of the rules.
 
not only do I not seperate my BRISKET, I also inject....oops sorry I thought this was a brisket tread........:icon_devil
 
Rule #16:
g) After cooking, all meat:
i) Must be held at 140° F or above

If after pulling the pork it cools down below 140* what do you do?
 
Lakeside Smoker said:
Rule #16:
g) After cooking, all meat:
i) Must be held at 140° F or above

If after pulling the pork it cools down below 140* what do you do?
Click to expand...

Honestly, you're screwed. You can't turn that meat in anyway. If you cooler it properly, you will have at least 5 hours flex-time before the pork approaches this temp, even more if you invest in a Cambro/Carlisle. If you need more time than that, you should probably work on your timing.

Oh, and I separate my briskys right before carving and turn-in time.
 
musicmanryann said:
Honestly, you're screwed. You can't turn that meat in anyway. If you cooler it properly, you will have at least 5 hours flex-time before the pork approaches this temp, even more if you invest in a Cambro/Carlisle. If you need more time than that, you should probably work on your timing.
Click to expand...

What I meant was: when you 'pull' or slice the pork for the turn in box, and it gets cold (below 140*) what do you do?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
K.I.S.S Brisket
Replies
5
Views
479
Big George's BBQ
Big George's BBQ
J
Brisket tastes a little like stew beef
Replies
16
Views
972
JCBII
J
snadamo
Well, I pharked up a brisket
2
Replies
24
Views
2K
ssv3
ssv3
S
Keep misjudged brisket tenderness
Replies
8
Views
530
toys4dlr
toys4dlr
J
Texas Chili on my Traeger
Replies
16
Views
1K
JCBII
J
Back
Top