Brisket Box practice

jrbBBQ · Mar 13, 2011

This is a picture of a practice box i let one of the guys on my team put together. I know it's bad, but I'm gonna show him this thread later to help explain what he did wrong. I cooked the meat and the flavor was great and the texture was really good as well. If you could score it with a little explanation that'd be of some help (some of the problems are obvious). Like I said I'm gonna use this as a learning tool. thanks

jrbBBQ · Mar 13, 2011

I was gonna take a picture of a box I put together, but I had about 10 people in my house and by the time I got back to the brisket all the good pieces were gone. Same thing happen with my chicken I had 10 thighs I to pick from to make a box, and 6 of the pieces disappeared right after I took them off. First thing I learned, never have a practice with a bunch of hungry people around. I guess I should have told everyone what was going on. Oh well, everyone got fed.

Jacked UP BBQ · Mar 13, 2011

I am going to say this as nicely as possible. That box might get 4's in appearance. The meat is sliced all over the place and uneven. The burntends are not uniform at all. Crack in the front slice. Backs slices meat side up front slices fat side up. Smudges all over the meat. I bet that brisket from the looks of it could have made a really nice box. Good Luck. You asked I gave.

Red Valley BBQ · Mar 13, 2011

I'll add that the lid is a mess. Also it just looks like everything including the parsley was just put in the box, as if you had less than a minute to get it to the judges and threw something together just to get a turn in. Definitely a 4, 5 at best.

jrbBBQ · Mar 13, 2011

I gave him 10 minutes. When I saw it, I laughed, then it hit me that he was one of a couple people that's gonna be able to go with me to a few comps. I know I'll be pushing it on time to do it all myself. I've done a couple practice "putting greens" myself. I think that I'll just have to do those the night before and put them back in the cooler.

Anchors Smokeshop · Mar 13, 2011

That box is a hot mess!

Smokedelic · Mar 14, 2011

You might explain to him that appearance is one of the scoring criteria.:thumb:

4 smokin butts · Mar 14, 2011

that needs to be explained to the judges also,i think judges should take there class,cook with a team ,then they can judge a contest

bbq lover · Mar 14, 2011

the back slices are better looking then the front lol only 5 uneven burt ends messy top of the box and needs more green stuff it would get a 5 max

wormdrink67 · Mar 14, 2011

Of all that one could critique with this box, I'd have to say the overwhelming lack of uniformity is what seals its fate. Most of the other posts have touched on a little of everything. As a CBJ, I can handle less than perfect slices, a little smudge on the lid, etc....but all slices/burnt ends/garnish must be uniform for the box to strike me in a positive fashion. Reason for this is, if it's uniform, then I'm very well aware of the time and effort you spent making it that way.

Q-Dat · Mar 14, 2011

Find some pictures of well made brisket boxes and show them to him. That should do the explaining for you.

Slamdunkpro · Mar 14, 2011

You're not supposed to judge the lid
You're not supposed to judge the garnish

It's a meat contest

The brisket looks dry
Clean up all the crumbs
The chunks look tossed in

5, maybe a 6 in person. It's just,,,,there. It doesn't make me want to dive in.

smalls65 · Mar 14, 2011

Jacked UP BBQ said:
I am going to say this as nicely as possible. That box might get 4's in appearance. The meat is sliced all over the place and uneven. The burntends are not uniform at all. Crack in the front slice. Backs slices meat side up front slices fat side up. Smudges all over the meat. I bet that brisket from the looks of it could have made a really nice box. Good Luck. You asked I gave.

I have to agree with this post...It honestly just doesnt look like you put a lot of effort into making this box...Not tyring to bash you but I just wouldn't want you to go to a comp and turn that in...Appearance does help to WIN contest, and that would have you in the lower part of the scoresheet at the end if the day!!! I suggest you go to the "Pickled pig Forum"... There are some great threads on turnin boxes for Pork, Brisket , and Chicken that you can study and learn from....Look for the threads "Award Winning Comp Brisket, Award Winning Comp Pork, and Award winning comp Chicken" It'll take you from cooking to presentation!!! By all means don't give up, but keep practicing...and take pride in how your box looks!!! :thumb:

NRA4Life · Mar 14, 2011

Lots of good comments and suggestions. You might want to assemble the box yourself after looking at that mess. You've spend a lot of time and money prepping, trimming, and cooking the brisket...you don't want it to look like a box of $hit in the last 10 minutes (I'm not saying that is tasted bad or texture was bad, just the appearance).

wormdrink67 · Mar 14, 2011

Slamdunkpro said:
You're not supposed to judge the lid
You're not supposed to judge the garnish

It's a meat contest

I'm aware of what kind of contest it is....I've done quite a few. Anyone that takes a box to a KCBS judging table and expects not be judged on garnish or the neatness of their box is foolish. Sight before taste, and as long as it's done that way, cbj's will judge on garnish, lid smudges, putting greens or leaf lettuce, etc. Whether or not they mean to judge on those things is beside the point, it just happens.

G$ · Mar 14, 2011

wormdrink67 said:
Of all that one could critique with this box, I'd have to say the overwhelming lack of uniformity is what seals its fate. Most of the other posts have touched on a little of everything. As a CBJ, I can handle less than perfect slices, a little smudge on the lid, etc....but all slices/burnt ends/garnish must be uniform for the box to strike me in a positive fashion. Reason for this is, if it's uniform, then I'm very well aware of the time and effort you spent making it that way.

Is uniformity one of the criteria discussed in judging class when the instructor teaches the students onwhat to judge for appearance?

Contracted Cookers · Mar 14, 2011

You eat with your eyes first. it is not really BLIND judgeing . I think you have all the right pieces to make a nice box.

NRA4Life · Mar 14, 2011

G$ said:
Is uniformity one of the criteria discussed in judging class when the instructor teaches the students onwhat to judge for appearance?

I don't recall uniformity as being a specific judgement criteria, but when judging the appearance of the meat in the box, anything that detracts from the overall presentation could be justification for lower scores. In fact, I don't believe there were any specific instructions in the CBJ class of how a judge should or shouldn't score anything (other than DQ), that is why scores are all over the place from judge to judge.

sitnfat · Mar 14, 2011

I use slices from the same flat I generally put enough in that the space between the edge of the meat and the edge of the box is even all the way around. I don't do burnt ends they just don't look like something I would eat and I am terrible at making them. I have turned in pulled withthe slices and done well also hope that helps

wormdrink67 · Mar 14, 2011

G$ said:
Is uniformity one of the criteria discussed in judging class when the instructor teaches the students onwhat to judge for appearance?

They don't teach you how to judge, they teach how to follow the procedures of kcbs judging. Uniform boxes are crucial. My team has consistently shown better scores (overall) with boxes that are uniform. Period.

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