Why do we cook ribs comp style?

are we talking come off the bone cleanly? or actual fall off the bone. only fall off the bone ribs i've ever had were in a crock pot. where i tried to pick a rib out of the pot and the meat fell off.

sounds like most are saying they like it to come off the bone cleanly where as the comp style is right before they start coming off the bone cleanly.

I've typed this before and I will again. KCBS is not the final authority of the doneness of any meat, nor did they make BBQ beautiful by virtually insisting of greenery in the turn in box. There are other opinions and authorities.

1MoreFord said:

I've typed this before and I will again. KCBS is not the final authority of the doneness of any meat, nor did they make BBQ beautiful by virtually insisting of greenery in the turn in box. There are other opinions and authorities.

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Yeah...as far as my BBQ it's how it tastes to ME

I read where Trigg said he doesn't care for his comp ribs. He said he preferred full slab spares with a little spice and a little smoke. That's how I like them too. I never sauce my ribs but I serve a sweet sauce on the side for the kids and those who like that kinda thing (though I have been dousing mine in shack attack sauce). I also prefer bite through with a little tug. Some of my family members like the meat to fall of the bone so I'll usually cook a slab or two a little longer.

I vote for fall off the bone. Comp style bbq period what a joke. I'm with you Jim who came up with the so called criteria. Why can't you do something original and win. I can't even take my q home from a comp and enjoy it because I don't like it, but have to cook that way to win. Bite trough skin why do you even need skin. Don't get me started on comp q but dang them comps are so much fun.

Those are the best judges to have. Cook on brother.

Butt Rubb'n BBQ said:

Comp style bbq period what a joke.

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Pretty bold statement there. Not saying right or wrong, just bold. I like "shoot from the hip" kind of comments :clap:.

But to the OP I like ribs multiple ways. I do like "comp" style and I really think judges do as well. They keep scoring that way at least. It is just one of many ways to cook bbq.

To even more directly answer you question of "Why do we cook ribs comp style?".........here are my answers.

1. It was a style of rib cooking I wanted to learn (even prior to competing)
2. I like them that way a lot of the times
3. My friends & family like them that way
4. They do score well in KCBS
5. I like the difficulty of hitting the smaller window of the bite through without falling off the bone

I never have followed one of the comp recipes, my rib cooking dates to before I was aware of BBQ comps. However, if one does an online search on how to cook ribs outdoors, comp recipes seem to be what pops up.
Also, many peoples exposure to rib is at restaurants, where ribs that have been held a while are the norm. Add sauce to cover up the soft texture and people think that is the only way.
Cook the way you want to, but at least try both kinds.

I cook my ribs to fall off the bone but not be mushy.
I feel (& I don't judge or compete) that even if you have to bite the rib it should still com clean from the bone.


I ordered ribs at a local restaurant and they were mushy.
I took one bite & almost threw up. Disgusting!!!

"comp" style. "comp" style? There's just 1 comp style? <-- rhetorically

That I know of there are at very least 2 completely different definitions of the perfectly tender rib across a few sanctioning bodies, and I by no means know them all. I think the one you're referencing is KCBS, and yes, the KCBS rib should be "bite through". However, other sanctioning bodies define it as "pull cleanly from the bone with only slight resistance". Very different definitions here.

Me, I prefer the rib meat to still be on the bone, but as absolutely tender as possible, and that tends to fit MiM/MBN/GBA's definitions a tad better, where it's still on the bone but as you pull the bones apart the meat comes off cleanly with only a slight tug required.

What I'm asking is please dont lump all sanctioned competitions into the same "bucket". They can and may be extremely different, in more aspects than just the tenderness of the rib too...

It's like asking "what is the one cooker I need to buy to compete with". There is no answer, because the question isn't complete. Different sanctioning bodies have you cooking different meats in VASTLY different quantities. Harry Soo would have a helluva time cooking an MBN whole hog on his 3 Webers...

DC-Q said:

I cook my ribs to fall off the bone but not be mushy.
I feel (& I don't judge or compete) that even if you have to bite the rib it should still com clean from the bone.


I ordered ribs at a local restaurant and they were mushy.
I took one bite & almost threw up. Disgusting!!!

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Then by your definition you would LOVE competition ribs; those done in MiM, MBN, GBA, and probably a few others... Perhaps not the perfect KCBS rib though...

Ate your Wheaties today, did you Hance?:becky:

I am definitely no authority on this subject as I have only done a handful of competition over the years. But from the way I have thought of it there are two parts to this question. The first on comp ribs being the texture part. Fall off the bone or bite through? I think it's really a matter of preference to the individual how they like theirs. I prefer the bite through with little resistance personally. But family and friends prefer closer to fall off the bone. My opinion is that some of the criteria for comp ribs is because of the texture score. How in the hell do you accurately judge texture without some sort of rules or criteria. So they are kind of set in the narrowest window. Just my opinion with it.

As for the second aspect of not liking comp ribs is the taste. Yet another completely subjective issue. I may prefer sweet and you may prefer spicy. Different strokes for different folks. A lot of times comp ribs are done a little over the top. If I am going to feed friends and family I'm going to have good flavor but not overwhelm. You want them to be able to enjoy them. As for judges, you have only a couple bites to make a real impression and set yourself apart from the other competitions. To me that is the biggest reason a lot of people don't like comp ribs. They are generally too much of whatever flavor to be able to enjoy many of them.

Just my $.02

I cook mine comp style at home to practice for comps......

JamesD said:

...My opinion is that some of the criteria for comp ribs is because of the texture score. How in the hell do you accurately judge texture without some sort of rules or criteria. So they are kind of set in the narrowest window. Just my opinion with it.

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James, you nailed it. If they dont define it, it's like play a game with no rules; like trying to score a touchdown while playing Monopoly... They define the game; tenderness in this case. Ends up, different sanctioning bodies define their games differently. So, there is no 1 definition of the perfect "competition rib"; there are many definitions. I happen to know of 2, and I'm sure that there must be more (differing definitions).

That doesn't make any one sanctioning body right nor wrong; it's just how they define their game. Competition BBQ is afterall a game. It's meant to judge cooking prowess; cooking to a standard.

It by no means is there to define what is and isn't good BBQ in your opinion.


I just go a little bonkers when someone talks about "competition bbq" when they've only experienced one competition, or one sanctioning body, etc.

Lake Dogs said:

I just go a little bonkers when someone talks about "competition bbq" when they've only experienced one competition, or one sanctioning body, etc.

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Yeah. Some folks think CHICKEN is BBQ...:loco:


























:becky:













:bolt:

LSBS judges are issued a plastic fork & knife for judging chicken & ribs:roll:

Hance, I'm glad you get what I was saying with it. I never post anything but am on here and read daily. It seemed like an answer was danced around throughout this thread. I agree with you about people discussing comp BBQ when they have not experienced other than one sanctioning body. I myself have only really experienced KCBS. I also have only been involved or around 3 competitions in the past 5 years. So as I said I am no authority what so ever.

But I have completely enjoyed the ones I have done. It took learning the rules and reading hours upon hours of information to actually start to "get it". For the most part you cook for a purpose and to your audience. If its a competition then you have got to know and attempt to at least try to nail the guidelines set for for tenderness. If not your basically a fool and wasting your time and money.

Now back to hiding in the shadows.

Johnny_Crunch said:

I cook mine comp style at home to practice for comps......

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Does that mean you and yours Really like them that way or are you just cookin' for practice and makin' everyone critique your practice?