Box Question

[SCSmoke]

This box got all 8's and a 7 in appearance. I thought it looked as good as many others I have seen online. What should I do to improve my scores?

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

First impression is the meat looks delicious. I seriously want to reach in and grab a few bites.

On the other hand, the meat is somewhat buried in the parsley. You want the parsley subservient to the meat, not competing for attention. I would also try to get more meat in the box to help with the idea that the meat is what is being presented.

With meat that good looking, just a few tweaks and those presentation scores should climb right up there.

[Ron_L]

I agree. The meat is buried. Use the parsley as a platform and make the meat the star.

[Lake Dogs]

8's and 7's isnt terrible. However, in this case, the meat itself does look awesome. We are only supposed to judge meat, but in this case it's REALLY covered with garnish. As said above, garnish only underneath so that it frames the meat with a nice green background. Also, more of this meat in the box will reduce the amount of greenery showing, which IMHO is a better thing. That meat looks really great.

[MilitantSquatter]

Is the left, front pile sauced and the right unsauced or does it just appear that way ?

[SCSmoke]

Originally Posted by MilitantSquatter

Is the left, front pile sauced and the right unsauced or does it just appear that way ?

Your correct. We like the idea of giving the judges an unsauced taste with the others.

Thanks for all the good input

[Rookie'48]

As everyone else said, raise the meat up. That's some great looking pork, raise it up & show it off.

[fnbish]

Looks like a 9 to me. I've only judged one competition , but sat at a great table next to a master judge who had judged over 80 competitions. He was very happy to talk with me and answered the million questions I had especially since I told him I started competing this year and wanted to pick his brain from both a judging and competing standpoint.

When I asked about appearance he didn't understand why so many people take the garnish into consideration when you are supposed to look at the meat. He almost sounded like he was in the minority of people who truly follow the judging guidelines and just look at the meat and can ignore the garnish, which I'm all for as a cook . He said he didn't think it was fair to screw a team out of a chance to win or do better because the parsley wasn't perfect or in this case the meat is sitting a little low and then give a 7 or 8.

Certainly i'm very new when it comes to judging and might be in the minority here, but he even admitted that for all that cook's put into turning in a box it is almost a disservice to score down a point or two because of garnish.

[nthole]

I'd have given it an 8. Too much parsley. Put the meat on top of the parsley, accent it around the meat if you want, but as it is, I'd want to see more meat. Just another case of where garnish ends up dropping the score instead of helping.

[bbq.tom]

My opinion as a judge isn't too different from those stated above, but I'll chime in anyway. I'd judge this box an 8 for appearance due to the fact that while the meat looks pretty dadgum good, it would look better on top of the garnish instead of kinda nestled down into the garnish. Also, while ALL of the meat looks moist and inviting, I would like to see a little of the "inside" meat without any bark on it at all. That is usually where I like to see what the "meat" tastes like as well as tasting the meat with the bark. (Without having to pick around the pile to find a piece or two to sample.)

Overall a very good looking box that just needs a tweak here or there to maximize its scoring potential (IMHO).

P.S. - I REALLY like the "sauced" and "unsauced" piles!!!

[Ron_L]

Originally Posted by fnbish

When I asked about appearance he didn't understand why so many people take the garnish into consideration when you are supposed to look at the meat.

Generally I agree with this judge, but with this box the parsley is covering the meat and it's not possible to see more that the very top of it. If the meat was on top of the parsley there would be no debate about it. The judges could see the meat and score appropriately.

[Ford]

more meat. fill the box

[carlyle]

I agree with the opinions above.
When this many people say the same thing, usually there is some validity there.

Compliments on how the meat looks. Makes me want to reach in and grab some.

Question, I see three different types of meat in the box. Judges are supposed to take some of each. Is that your intent?

[FullMoonBBQ]

I tend to agree with everyone else! The meat looks absolutely great! I would have prob. gave it a 9 just on that although I think it would look better on top of parsley.

[SCSmoke]

Originally Posted by carlyle

I agree with the opinions above.
When this many people say the same thing, usually there is some validity there.

Compliments on how the meat looks. Makes me want to reach in and grab some.

Question, I see three different types of meat in the box. Judges are supposed to take some of each. Is that your intent?

That is our intent. Some sliced money muscle, some pulled and sauced, and some pulled and unsauced. We figure this way you can appeal to different judges who like different things. For example I feel like if I got this box I would try to get a piece of unsauced pulled with a good hunk of bark on it, mainly because I feel like that is best example of how well the meat is cooked and seasoned.

Now that I am writing this it begs the question.....Do you guys think this is a good approach?