Parsley, parsley, parsley! What ever happened to Green Leaf Lettuce?

[kcmike]

Are parsley putting greens the only boxes that get called in today's contests? Back when I used to compete, we did well with just green leaf lettuce... But, now I wonder if these boxes would even get called today... Thoughts?

[JD McGee]

We only do lettuce boxes...and have done very well on our appearance scores. The judges need to pay more attention to the meat...not the box! if it were up to me I'd do away with "garnish" altogether...it's a meat competition for cryin' out loud! Garnish is "optional" up here under PNWBA rules...but I'd probably get nailed for marking or something because I'd be the only one NOT using garnish...lol!

[Southern Home Boy]

I've gotten calls with just green leaf lettuce, but not recently. This one ALMOST made it couple of weeks ago:


But yours are way better than mine.

[HarleyEarl]

I know of one very good team that uses only lettuce, I won't call them out though since it's not my place to do so. Personally, I like the parsley boxes and can build them quicker than I could build our old lettuce boxes. I have also found that parsley is easier to touch up after the meat has been placed and you need to hide sauce blunders. Since we are in a meat contest and the judges should be looking at only the meat, I would say use whatever you are comfortable with and used to.

[Sledneck]

wow what is that stuff? i think I heard an old timer talking about it once

[Brewer]

Nice smoke ring on that brisket kcmike

JD - I got a comment at the Sky comp: "Parsley leaves an off taste on food". I figured the judge was a parsley hater, but the more I think about the more I'm thinking about moving to green lettuce...

[kcmike]

Originally Posted by Brewer

Nice smoke ring on that brisket kcmike

JD - I got a comment at the Sky comp: "Parsley leaves an off taste on food". I figured the judge was a parsley hater, but the more I think about the more I'm thinking about moving to green lettuce...

You're not the first team I've heard about getting comments back like that. Which is another reason I'm still wondering why parsley putting greens are so damn popular. Somebody must be teaching them at a BBQ class or something...

Mike

[Brewer]

Originally Posted by kcmike

You're not the first team I've heard about getting comments back like that. Which is another reason I'm still wondering why parsley putting greens are so damn popular. Somebody must be teaching them at a BBQ class or something...

Mike

I'm taking the PNWBA judge's class this weekend. It'll be interesting to see if they say anything about it....

[JD McGee]

Originally Posted by Brewer

I'm taking the PNWBA judge's class this weekend. It'll be interesting to see if they say anything about it....

I will be interested to hear what you are taught. We will be doing parsley in Vegas for the simple reason that it is so popular in KCBS comps...otherwise it's GLF for Wine Country Q...

[QansasjayhawQ]

I always turn in green leaf lettuce - with a little parsley inserted around any glaring blank spots.

BUT - as JD McGee says 'it's a meat competition' and I agree that the judges should be judging the meat - not the garnish.

The garnish is there simply to 'set off' the meat. I think the color of meat against any green background looks appetizing - and that's really what it's all about.

My personal impression of the entries you've provided is that they look really, really good.

I'd give each of them a 9 - it's how the meat is presented that counts and yours looks very appetizing.

If a judge comments about the taste of parsley affecting the meat, just make sure they didn't score down on appearance because of the taste of the parsley.

[kcmike]

Here's what I'd be worried about: Recently, I've seen pictures of judging palates with 6 entries placed on them and at least one of them always has parsley plastered to the bottom of it. So, while the type of greens used "shouldn't" be a factor as long as they are legal, if they end up stuck to the entry and the judge is "forced" to include them in the taste and tenderness portions of the evaluation, I can see how a teams choice of what greens they use could become a real factor in their final score.

On a separate note, I know this is a meat contest and I'm totally against judges forming some kind of preconceived notion of what specific legal greens "should" be in a box, I just wonder why so many teams are of the opinion that if you're doing a KCBS contest you'd better use parsley? This one puzzles me... it's almost like the judges have spoken and unless you use parsley, you're not going to get any calls... I hope this is not true.

[Stoke&Smoke]

We used putting greens our first year. I had NO fun. It just takes to dang long, and as others have said, it is a meat contest.

We started using mostly green leaf with just a little, if any parsley, and it takes me way less time to do the boxes. Our appearance scores don't seem to have suffered.

I know they shouldn't, but I'm convinced some judges do subconsciously grade up a little on a well done putting green. Just based on what I saw when I judged.

[QansasjayhawQ]

When I am judging, I always remove the parsley from the samples. I'm there to judge the meat.

Garnish should be treated like matting for a print. If it's done decently, it should enhance the appearance and increase the viewer's appreciation.

I don't think that the putting green presentations draw a high appearance score because they are a putting green and the judges are 'looking for' or 'expecting' them. I think they draw a high appearance score because the team went to great efforts to ensure that the overall appearance was excellent. And that comes through whether you use parsley or not.

[kcmike]

Originally Posted by QansasjayhawQ

When I am judging, I always remove the parsley from the samples. I'm there to judge the meat.

Garnish should be treated like matting for a print. If it's done decently, it should enhance the appearance and increase the viewer's appreciation.

I don't think that the putting green presentations draw a high appearance score because they are a putting green and the judges are 'looking for' or 'expecting' them. I think they draw a high appearance score because the team went to great efforts to ensure that the overall appearance was excellent. And that comes through whether you use parsley or not.

Glad to hear you remove the parsley from the sample before tasting. I'm quite sure others do not. Is there any instruction to the judges to do so (or to not do so)? Just wondering if this is covered in any of the classes or in the judges meeting...

Mike

[JD McGee]

Originally Posted by QansasjayhawQ

When I am judging, I always remove the parsley from the samples. I'm there to judge the meat.

Garnish should be treated like matting for a print. If it's done decently, it should enhance the appearance and increase the viewer's appreciation.

I don't think that the putting green presentations draw a high appearance score because they are a putting green and the judges are 'looking for' or 'expecting' them. I think they draw a high appearance score because the team went to great efforts to ensure that the overall appearance was excellent. And that comes through whether you use parsley or not.

I think they draw a high appearance score because the team went to great efforts to ensure that the overall appearance was excellent.

This is exactly what I did NOT want to hear...effort should pay no roll in presentation (other than in the placement or arrangement of the meat)...nor should the garnish...it is the meat that should be judged on it's own merits...IMO...