Texas Company BBQ Cook-off - Ribs - Is J. Trigg method too much?

Trigg. It's the wow factor. Lots of spicy rub to start.

How many slabs of ribs are we talking here? If it's more than 10 or so for the entire company, I would say keep it simple. But then again if you got the manpower to help, go for it.

Since it's non-bbq judges you may not want to go over the top sweet. A good sweet and spicy approach might be better. Also the public wants that fall off the bone rib vs a good bite through. Keep the .02 cents.

overcook them.

I need to get a job at a company like yours!

Agreed with several points above. Cook them until they are fall of da bone, some sweet with spicy works well, make them look pretty, nice mahogany glaze with just some simple Q sauce (Sweet Baby Rays or something like that) thinned down with apple juice.

Cast Iron Chef said:

Since it's non-bbq judges you may not want to go over the top sweet. A good sweet and spicy approach might be better. Also the public wants that fall off the bone rib vs a good bite through. Keep the .02 cents.

Click to expand...

And this is waht gets me. Why do bbq judges score low what most people like? Who set up that criteria. It seems to me that most people prefer brisket a little more tender, which would be considered overcooked in competition. Ribs? Johnny Trigg, the Godfather, says he doesn't even really like his competition ribs, and when he cooks them at home does it differently. Why is "fall off the bone" bad, when that seems to be what people enjoy? And why are ribs supposed to be sweet? I really enjoy competition, but I do not understand it.....

smokeisgood said:

And this is waht gets me. Why do bbq judges score low what most people like? Who set up that criteria. It seems to me that most people prefer brisket a little more tender, which would be considered overcooked in competition. Ribs? Johnny Trigg, the Godfather, says he doesn't even really like his competition ribs, and when he cooks them at home does it differently. Why is "fall off the bone" bad, when that seems to be what people enjoy? And why are ribs supposed to be sweet? I really enjoy competition, but I do not understand it.....

Click to expand...

I hear ya. I like my ribs with a little bite through. What gets me more is pulled pork. I turn in some melt in your mouth pork and I get "too mushy" and end up near last place.

smokeisgood said:

And this is waht gets me. Why do bbq judges score low what most people like? Who set up that criteria. It seems to me that most people prefer brisket a little more tender, which would be considered overcooked in competition. Ribs? Johnny Trigg, the Godfather, says he doesn't even really like his competition ribs, and when he cooks them at home does it differently. Why is "fall off the bone" bad, when that seems to be what people enjoy? And why are ribs supposed to be sweet? I really enjoy competition, but I do not understand it.....

Click to expand...

straying from OT a bit but, there are a number of answers to your questions.

anybody can acheive fall of the bone ribs every time. it simple. nailing that small window between tough and fall off the bone is darn difficult. brisket the window is even smaller between juicy and tender and overcooked and dry.

there are certain bars set that are difficult to acheive in order to make a competition.

as far as taste, it's one bite for a judge. a pat of butter taste good spread over a piece bread and is great to eat as a meal. doesn't mean you're going to chomp on the whole stick.

hope some of that makes any sense.

as far as flavor profiles for texas, i'm sorry i can't say, but my coworker from houston loves tasting my trigg ribs. but then again, it's not an interpretation of the recipe, but the actual. that might make a big difference.

WAAAY to much thinking going on here, to include all this BS about what judges like, competition ribs etc.

Cook your best ribs and have fun... Your audience will appreciate it.

As for the whole "its Texas afterall". Well Houston might be the most transient multi cultural city in the nation. Again, cook your ribs, you'll be fine

RangerJ said:

WAAAY to much thinking going on here, to include all this BS about what judges like, competition ribs etc.

Cook your best ribs and have fun... Your audience will appreciate it.

As for the whole "its Texas afterall". Well Houston might be the most transient multi cultural city in the nation. Again, cook your ribs, you'll be fine

Click to expand...

so true, my friend is actually of vietnamese decent.

but i don't think there's any BS in considering what judges like. isn't that kinda like sorta what we do?

boogiesnap said:

so true, my friend is actually of vietnamese decent.

but i don't think there's any BS in considering what judges like. isn't that kinda like sorta what we do?

Click to expand...

he's not really cooking for any judges, he's cooking for folks that are considered "celebrities" and what not. common folk attribute a sweeter sloppy falling off the bone rib as the standard. Think of all the millions chili's spent on that baby back rib campaign and all the pictures they had of sloppy ribs.

@buffalo bayou que - great name by the way. 6-8 Slabs you say? Then go for it. And I don't find that recipe to be "super sweet".

RangerJ said:

he's not really cooking for any judges, he's cooking for folks that are considered "celebrities" and what not. common folk attribute a sweeter sloppy falling off the bone rib as the standard. Think of all the millions chili's spent on that baby back rib campaign and all the pictures they had of sloppy ribs.

@buffalo bayou que - great name by the way. 6-8 Slabs you say? Then go for it. And I don't find that recipe to be "super sweet".

Click to expand...

agreed. you said "judges", not me. :icon_smile_tongue:

i don't find it super sweet either, when done precisely.

*edit* oh wait, i know what you meany now. judges v. audience.

If you are new to the competition cooking. i would worry more about cooking a good rib, than how the old man cooks them. He has about 50 more years of experience to mess around with different flavors.

K.I.S.S.

Hello, Popdaddy here...

Here is what I would do. First, realize you ain't got chit to lose.

Then do like two wise brother say and cook the ribs tender.... if you are gonna screw up, screw up being too tender.

You can use my Weep am and Read Method if you want.

Next... Use my Big Maybelles "Candy" Glaze. It is not distracting.... well it is slightly... but rises a conversation I think is cool when people taste it.

Here is why. First, both are rip offs. I mean I stole it, baby.

I mean I stole the chit like Issac Hayes stole from Glenn Campbell and Burt Bacharatt (sp).

There... its off my chest.

So.... who did I steal it from. Okay... here it goes. The whole weeping method is a direct rip off from farking Billy Bones Wall. He knows it, I know it... I am surprised no one called me on my chit before.

My tri level rub is unique but two parts are ripped off from Angelos of Fort Worth (Lawreys) and I modded a final rub from Kreuz. Hell I forGOT who I stole my Butt Glitter from and I have been honestly been trying to remember.

So... the Candy, glaze is STOLEN from Danny Gauldin I just mash up some damn cherries (marichino) and toss them in. Here is why Danny's glaze is so awesome. It really, is not actually sweet.... weird huh?

So basically, I am a complete fraud. The only thing I really have magical powers over is fire management and the ability to read meat by ear or sight and sometimes... smell the stacks and tell.


Now think for a moment... a rib technique from Billy freakin Bones Wall, glaze from Danny Freakin Gaulden, and a rub inspired by Angelos and Kreuz and some other damn place thats in some other famous guy's book that sells magic dust. Actually, I tweaked a lesser known Texas Mecca's Rub.

[ame]http://youtu.be/GbBFZstQRUY[/ame]
[ame]http://youtu.be/VY2RHz7CLfY[/ame]


Now... that is advise from me... who lives and thrives in YOUR neck of the woods.

Dickinson, Texas

yup, i've stolen the chit out of donnies stolen stuff and have trophies and cashed checks to prove it.

I can't believe I just admitted that. Thank God everyone has me on ignore. If I could chose to meet anyone... i''d meet Danny Gaulden over Myron or even APL. Above Danny... honestly, would be Norcoredneck. Reminds me of Dad. So does N8man. ;( Goddammit I miss my Dad. Sorry to be so depressed.

We competed in Houston last September in Chile Pepper Magazine's "Quest for the Perfect Ribs" finals. The contest was judged by a panel composed of chefs, restauranteurs, and VIPs, not a KCBS CBJ in the lot (I don't believe).

I went around and around in my head about it -- would Texas really be that different? (we'd never cooked there before.) I'd heard a LOT of "Texas BBQ is the only REAL BBQ" chatter over the years, and certainly heard a lot more of it at the event itself, including "If it needs sauce, give it a toss" brayed over and over.

In the end, we cooked the same KCBS-style ribs we always do -- tender, juicy and with a good balance of sweet and heat. The judging panel confirmed that Texans liked those ribs just fine.

So if you're familiar with that method, and comfortable in turning out a consistent product with it, then go ahead and run with it. If it's not your usual process, you're pretty short on time to R&D it and might want to stick with what you do well.