MBN Blind Boxes***HELP***

[TheHoggpound]

My team and I are on our way to our 5th competition (ever) and we have had one constant-----Our blind box scores are low. We have pretty competitive meat, but our blind scores are killing us! I don't know if there is a secret arrangement or what. How hard can it be to put some meat in a box and turn it in? Any thoughts or is this strictly a KCBS forum?

[fnbish]

So are you saying your appearance scores are low? My first 2 competitions so far have been MBN and I've gotten a lot of help here. Do you have any turn in pics?

[TheHoggpound]

Yes, the asppearance scores are low....but not in the on-site??

[E Mellow]

Wall to wall meat in MBN boxes is the way go from what I hear.

[fnbish]

Originally Posted by TheHoggpound

Yes, the asppearance scores are low....but not in the on-site??

Well we haven't done the onsite, but the first pic is our last ribs box that got us 2nd in the backyard teams. Really good for us. Good appearance scores.

During the judges meeting they had a bunch of pictures of what they say they are looking for so we went based off that. My box isn't anything fancy by any means.



This got us a call for 7th in a different comp. Decent appearance we did the same as above.


Here is a butt that got us 15th if I remember correctly and appearance was great, but taste wasn't as good.

[gmholler]

Good write-up of MBN judging/contest info(with pictures) at this URL:

http://www.thesmokering.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22881

Lynn H.

[Lake Dogs]

Originally Posted by TheHoggpound

My team and I are on our way to our 5th competition (ever) and we have had one constant-----Our blind box scores are low. We have pretty competitive meat, but our blind scores are killing us! I don't know if there is a secret arrangement or what. How hard can it be to put some meat in a box and turn it in? Any thoughts or is this strictly a KCBS forum?

It's not strictly a KCBS forum, but it surely is KCBS centric and most of the answers come from KCBS only guys.

I'm an MIM/MBN judge. No, there's no secret. Your problems could be a series of all kinds of things (not seeing pictures).

For pork, fill the box with pork. Have barky pieces and pieces without bark. Dont shred, use chunks about the size of your thumb (roughly). Arrange them neatly. Refer to the box picture in the URL above. Not a bad one at all. Make sure that the smoke ring is visable. Most present their pork with sauce on the side, not applied. If you're applying it, make sure it's on there very thin. Forgot, the slicing thing on pork is fairly regional. We're in a region here where it doesnt play well (in appearance). I suggest keeping it simple. 9's in presentation/appearance is fine, but you want those 10's of course. 8's and you're dead.

Ribs, you'll see the rib picture above. That box most likely will get killed in MBN tenderness score. MBN defines the perfect tenderness of a rib differently than KCBS. By MBN definition, the rib meat should pull cleanly from the bone with only a little resistance (but with resistance, not falling off). For a judge to test this properly, they'll need 2 bones in their slice of rib, so that they can pull them apart. 8 years ago we'd only see sauced ribs perhaps 20% of the time. Now we're seeing it probably 60%. Sauce on ribs is fine, but again put on there very thin with a nice sauce shine. For the most part, good clean cuts arranged neatly does it fine in MBN blind boxes.

[TheHoggpound]

Thanks for the info, now I just need to get the boys ready for a cookout!

[Smoke Shack]

You should also cook loinback/babyback ribs for MBN, not spares. While a few teams out there do it, the top rib teams all cook babybacks.

[Lake Dogs]

Originally Posted by Smoke Shack

You should also cook loinback/babyback ribs for MBN, not spares. While a few teams out there do it, the top rib teams all cook babybacks.

Yes, absolutely, and sorry I didnt mention that. 98% use babybacks and I dont think I've ever seen the occasional spare rib come anywhere close to top. Like at KCBS, cook to what the judges are expecting, and MBN judges expect babybacks.

[TheHoggpound]

I have been around my Brother in laws team (they are a top tier MBN rib team) for years, so I know the major stuff, I just have to figure out the minor details....and learn a few of those secrets that you have to pick up along the way. I like to wander around a contest late at night and find the drunkest guy from the best team I can find and get him to talking and telling secrets The only problem is half the time they only tell half of the secret and you have to figure the rest out on your own!