Practice,looking for opinions.

The quality of the pictures isn't doing you any favors. The top two are overexposed and all three are too small to really see what is going on. Scores might be higher if we could see these boxes in real life.

First overall impression is too much garnish. You want the meat to be presented up above it, not sinking into it.

Chicken - 7 Can be improved quickly by better trimming prior to cooking. I see a few little nubbins for example. The chicken looks like it would taste good.

Ribs - 6 maybe 7. Ribs are uneven sizes and one has an angled cut side, but they do look tasty.

Brisket - 6 It just looks lost in the box. Picture is too small to really judge the quality of the meat. Doesn't look all that tempting as it is presented.

On the other, hand, it looks like you know how to cook. I would bet the taste and tenderness scores would be much better.

Chicken - 6 I would say the meat looks pretty good, try and get the color more uniform. The thighes should be trimmed a little more uniform for appearance.

Ribs - 7 I would say the color is great, the cuts are a little uneven. They look like hollywood cut to me??? Am I correct? Try and get them closer together in the box so you do not see the gap, somethimes that will help hide a uneven cut.

Brisket - 8 I think the brisket looks great, maybe a little small. Makes me wonder how much you timmed it before you cooked it. Nice color, nice even layout, just try and get them to shine a little more.

Nice work, looks like a new competitor in the area ready to bring some heat!!!

I agree that the pictures are a little small and the over-exposure is not helping you....

Chicken - 7
Sauce looks thick and un-even. Also there needs to be a little work on the trimming... I looks like the skin on the thigh in the back left is not covering as much as I would have liked. The trimming would also help with the size difference.

Ribs - 8
The color looks good and the sauce looks nice and even... Looks like you had a couple of curved bones. They can be a pain but workable... I think if you had tried to fit two more ribs in the box it would have held them together better so you wouldn't see the different widths. I have seen as many as 11 ribs in one box... I was packed and made me want to grab one right then and there... Only after a couple were pulled did you notice that there were curved bones and how they had to cut them and by then it was to late to change the apperance score.

Brisket - 7
While the meat looks good, it is being over powered by the greens... The meat looks nice and moist and you have a great smoke ring. I know that you are not supposed to judge based on a smoke ring, but I sure would rather have it than not!

Over all not bad and nothing a little more practice wouldn't help!

Would you like me and my friends to come over and judge?:lol::lol::lol:

I'd echo the evaluations above. Uniformity will help you greatly in just about every aspect -- uniformity of cut, uniformity of sauce appearance. If I had to use an angled rib bone, I'd put it on the bottom row with its straight edge outermost, and cram those puppies together to minimize its appearance. Tighten up on that garnish, I see it threatening to climb over the box edges! I'm looking for the meat, and the garnish distracts the eye.

Tinybud said:

we've always struggled with apperence scores

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I don't know many starting out that don't... It's not as easy as it looks (pardon the punn)...

Tinybud said:

I wanted 8 bones in the rib box, just couldn't get 8 that were any where close to the same size.

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If you need to fit more in that are off size, put them in the back and line up the top edge... You are already covering the bottom edge with the front layer...

Remember, once they start taking meat out of the box, they can't change the appearance score...

Tinybud said:

The brisket was a small packer to begin with, and I just got carried away when trimming it. I wanted to add the burnt ends to the box, but didn't like how they turned out, that being why the box looked so empty.

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That's a smart move on the Burnt Ends... While the appearance score is important, it's not as important as the taste & tenderness!

I am actually compiling a set of pictures of each box with alternatives just in case I have the same types of problems... This way I don't have to re-invent the wheel each time...

Tinybud said:

And as for the overall picture quality, I'm not much a photographer and the lighting in my kitchen sucks..lol..

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I have the same problems... Talk with Rick's Tropical Delight and he may be able to give you some pointers...

Tinybud said:

Thanks for the words so far,, points me in the right direction, trying again this weekend.

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Practice makes perfect!

i would give it a 5 on chicken
6 on ribs
6 on briskets
that not bad

Pretty much looking at 3 8's!

DivaHerself said:

I'd echo the evaluations above. Uniformity will help you greatly in just about every aspect -- uniformity of cut, uniformity of sauce appearance. If I had to use an angled rib bone, I'd put it on the bottom row with its straight edge outermost, and cram those puppies together to minimize its appearance. Tighten up on that garnish, I see it threatening to climb over the box edges! I'm looking for the meat, and the garnish distracts the eye.

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Overall, things looks pretty good, but I think that statement is key. If you are going to go all parsley you should stuff it in there. You don't necessarily need less garnish, just tighten into the box what you have, just as DivaHerself said. To give you an idea of what I am talking about, do a search for "putting greens". I am sure you will find it enlightening. Also, I think to a certain extent some people just have better genes for putting together boxes. I know what looks good, but I have my wife put together the greens, because I know no matter how much I practice, she will always do it better than me. :wink:

I think a 5, 6, 6 is a little harsh there. I would go 7,7,7. Maybe 8 on chicken and ribs. Like everyone else said the food looks so tasty, just a few little things here and there. I am by no means an expert. I'm still practicing for my first comp so don't take me too seriously.