Turn-in Meat Temperature

[Trainwreck]

I am new to contest cooking and I am pretty sure my food was close to cold at my first contest and warm at best at the last one. I think the cool down actually helped my brisket firm up a bit in the last contest.

[KC_Bobby]

I've judged a handful of times and honestly, I've never even considered the temperature of the meat. If it were less then luke warm I'd probably notice.

But like said before, it likely no more then warm by the time a judge puts it in his/her mouth.

Here's the process after you drop it off at the table - in case you don't already know:
1) goes from turn in table to another table where the number gets changed
2) when the next 5-6 turn ins are ready to go to the judges, the tray gets handed off to the table capt
3) The table capt rights down the numbers and puts the boxes in order from low number to high number. Sometimes comps will make sure the same competitors entries don't go to the same judges in following catagories so table capts trade turn in boxes
4) The table capt takes the tray to his/her table and announces the box numbers to the judges
5) The table capt opens the first box and shows it to all 6 judges at the table for appearence. When they get the look they need, the box gets closed back up. Then the next entry gets opened for appearence. This gets down for all the entries of that catagory.
6) The table capt goes back and opens the low numbered box and gives it to the first judge to get a sample and hand around.
7) As the first entry is going around, the table capt gets the next one and so forth. Buy the time the last judge has the first entry the first judge has about 4 or 5 of them.
After a judge has all the entries on their plate, they can taste the first entry for taste and tenderness. Then each judge rights down both of those scores before biting into the next entry.

So all in all, each entry has likely left the cooks set up for about close to 15 minutes before it gets it's first bite taken - likely longer.

[Jacked UP BBQ]

We have actually taken our lettuce we be under the meat and heated it up before we put it in the box, I have no idea if it worked but we gave it a shot. You could feel the difference when running the box up to the turn in window.

[ssbbqguy]

One trick I've used for years is a warm container, usually rectangle, filled with warm water to pre heat the lettuce, parsley to lessen the temp. shock. I like to deliver entry as close to hot as possible. In K.C.B.S. contests, they can be delivered to table quickly. At the resturaunt when the food is delivered warm to cold, do you like it or send it back? Same thought with judges.Even if the turn-in is 100 feet away, it is still delivered in insulated caddy. Never know, standing in a line, and shower pops up cooling your best que? Bottom line. temp affects taste. Just my way, works for me, Steve.

[Stoke&Smoke]

As a judge, I have been served cold food several times. I'm not talking cooled down to ambient temp here, I'm talking cold as in refrigerated.

I wouldn't mark down automatically for it, but if it's refrigerated, you really don't get the same taste and texture, so I wouldn't advise it!

I think judges also have to understand that, once the box leaves the teams hands, it's out of their control how long that box may sit, so you have to understand it your sample isn't piping hot.

I don't know how much we'll be judging any more as we've been bit by the cooking bug!

At one contest a couple months ago, our table received really hot chicken. I mean hot to the point of some judges dropping pieces as they were picking them out of the box. How the hell did the cook pull that off? Several CBJs agreed, that the temperature was hot enough to detract from the flavor.

[ModelMaker]

It is not uncommon to have really hot chicken. Pry because it just came off the grates. Most everything else is coolered beforehand and is rightfully just warm. Temp. is not a critical factor simply because it has been 10 -15 min. since it left your hands.
We as judges understand that.
More than once I have had ribs that were cold, not just not hot but noticeably cold. That means the cooks' ribs were done so early hey had to fridge them just to keep from killing us. Of course the score gets lowered due to lack of taste and texture.
ModelMaker