Question for Judges and Competitors

[Bigmista]

Ever since I listened to the judges comments on Pitmasters, something has been bugging me. So I pose this question to the group...

What does good BBQ taste like?

(Be careful how you answer because there will be follow up questions.)

[Neil]

You know what good BBQ tastes like, you make it everyday. You wouldn't have all the repeat business you have if you didn't make good BBQ. You chose to add a raspberry flavor to your ribs and it didn't work fo those judges thats all it is. Don't let Myron's comments and those other two bozo's get to you Neil.

[wickedbbq'r]

I thought I had an idea until the show as well. Apparently it needs to have a good sear, had been pound the heck out of for more flavor, and make sure it has lots of sauce.

[Bigmista]

This is really separate from the show. I want everyone to describe what good BBQ tastes like to them.

[Sawdustguy]

Good BBQ means different things to different people. I am not sure that there is an answer beyond perfectly cooked meat. For flavor, not all of our tastes are the same. Some like it sweet, some like it tangy, some like it with alot of sauce and some like it with no sauce at all. Just remember that it is just the opinion of three people on Pitmasters. When we compete, we rarely bring anything home, because at a contest we prepare our Que with the idea that we have just one bite, to capture the judges attention, and thats not the type of cue we would enjoy eating. I watched you on Pitmasters. Just keep your chin up. It's just the opinion of three people. You conducted yourself like a true professional and Ambassador for the Brethren. You should be very proud of yourself. Michele and I were.

[Sledneck]

To me this is what I found to be BBQ. http://bbqilluminati.blogspot.com/20...on-bbq-nc.html

[Ford]

what I like is how I define good BBQ. I don't think my first place ribs are good BBQ but they score well. I do think my comp chicken is good BBQ. I like chopped brisket done to 205. I like pulled pork in chunks with no sauce. And I like dry ribs with a little sauce on the side. That's what I think is good BBQ. Why???? Because I liike it that way.

Nwo there are actually definitions of "good" bbq for competition and they are different for different sanctioning bodies. There's good vending BBQ, good family BBQ, good restaurant BBQ, good catering BBQ. They all vary for me.

[Smokesman]

Neil - I totally agree with the others comments about the show - spot on!

To me, good BBQ is deep rich flavorful meat that can stand on it's own without sauce. Good BBQ should have a nice balanced blend of spices on top of tender moist meat. The sauce when added should complement the meat and never overpower it...again balance be it a sweet spicy sauce or more savory sauce.

Great job on the show. Keep up the good work!

[Rookie'48]

Originally Posted by Smokesman

To me, good BBQ is deep rich flavorful meat that can stand on it's own without sauce. Good BBQ should have a nice balanced blend of spices on top of tender moist meat. The sauce when added should complement the meat and never overpower it...again balance be it a sweet spicy sauce or more savory sauce. Great job on the show. Keep up the good work!

That says it all as far as I am concerned.
Every once in a while some one will turn in what must be farm raised pork. You older folks will remember what I'm talking about, full of flavor, grease running down your chin - not the "healthy" & "low fat" stuff that the factory farms put out today. That pork makes some damn good BBQ, food that can stand on its own and win .

[AZScott]

Depends on the meat but I'm looking for the 5 tastes, bitterness, sourness, sweetness, saltiness, and umami with the hint of smoke played together like a beautiful composition. Now, individual tastes vary but for comp bbq I'm looking to avoid those "individual" tastes. I'm looking to create something that encompasses what people love about bbq while allowing individual tastes to appreciate what I'm trying to do. Looking at it another way, some like rock n roll, country, classical, funk, jazz, death metal, folk, opera, etc and that's just like all of us and our individual preferences with bbq. Now, there are some bands out there that can trangress that one genre and be appreciated by nearly all music lovers. We may not love that band and every song (Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, U2, Metallica, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Garth Brooks, Elvis, Johnny Cash, etc.) but we can listen to it and deeply admire it for what it does musically. My favorite bbq is like a song that makes you take notice, sit or drive a little longer, and appreciate it for what it is.

Now with what you did, you threw in some jazz with the raspberry but it individualized the taste a bit too much. Granted, I didn't taste them but by adding in that raspberry it was like presenting Miles Davis. Great for jazz fans but most people don't appreciate him.

[jbrink01]

Neil,
Ford hits on very good points. Depends on what kind of BBQ, but, I'll take a stab, considering that my comp BBQ is not "good BBQ" in my honest opinion.

Good bbq is smokey, sweet, spicy and tender. Pulled pork is good with a vinegar sauce, not too tender. Nice bark, never been in foil. Chicken is best with a touch of char, crispy skin and sticky sweet from the grill. Ribs are best smokey through, tender but not fall off the bone and a nice spicy sweet light glaze. Brisket is best not too smokey, spicy rub, and peppery sauce in the side. IMHO.

[Jeff Selle]

Hey Bigmista, the judges gave Johnny Trigg a perfect score on his BBQ, but my brothers beat Johnny Trigg in ribs last weekend in Craig Colorado. I don't think our taste in BBQ is any better than Trigg's or your's for that matter ... but to the Judges in Craig, they liked ours better than Triggs -- this time

[Harbormaster]

Don't know that I am qualified to answer that question, but here goes:

Good BBQ tastes like meat that has been carefully and delicately seasoned with a well balanced combination of smoke, salt, spice, and sweet that requires nothing else to make it taste great.

[Bigmista]

I guess what I'm getting at is everyone seems to be describing the flavors of the seasonings (rubs, sauces, smoke) and not the meat itself. When is the last time that you (or me for that matter) cooked a piece of meat with heat only? No seasoning, no smoke. If you have, what did it taste like?

Rubs, sauces and smoke are supposed to enhance the flavor of the meat but what is the flavor that we are enhancing? Can anyone describe it? And if we can't quantify it, how can we judge it? What is our baseline?

I submit that we aren't judging the meat at all. We are judging how well we can put together a bunch of herbs, spices, liquids and slurries with different kinds of smoke to fool the taste buds into believing that we have made a bland piece of meat into something delicious. It's the seasoning that we judge, not the meat.

Let's discuss.

[AZScott]

See, now that would be interesting. Salt, pepper, and meat. Now that's my favorite bbq. Unctuous, tender, smoky, crispy bits, and the quality and methods to raise the animal shine through. Different ballgame but delicious.