Tasting/Testing rubs/sauces etc before using in contests

[boogiesnap]

you'd have it in time for a finishing rub, if thats what you were looking to do with it.

i'll throw some in a shaker for you either way, but i bet skippy will hook you up saturday.

btw, i wouldn't suggest using an ingredient you haven't tried prior at a contest.


MOD NOTE: Moved this from another thread to allow for continued discussion

[timzcardz]

Originally Posted by boogiesnap

btw, i wouldn't suggest using an ingredient you haven't tried prior at a contest.

Now that's just plain ridiculous!

There probably isn't a better time to do so. It is the ONLY way to find out what the judges think, and they are the only ones that matter.

Case in point, me!

I am not happy with my ribs. I think that they're good, but I am still not satisfied with them. The last three comps though we've finished 3rd, 1st and 1st in ribs!? The 1st contest where we finished 3rd, I sat there trying to decide which to turn in, and finally said, "Well I'm really not happy with these, but they're the best that we have, so we're turning them in." 3rd place call, so WTF do I know? Next two contests decided not to change a thing based on the previous 3rd place call, and still I was not happy with them. After two consecutive 1st place calls, I realize that it doesn't matter what I think.

Now my brisket is another story. I really like my brisket, but the judges have a greatly different opinion. Last competition, after turning in brisket, I said "This is without a doubt, the best brisket I have ever made! That means we probably tanked." Sure enough, we came in something like 42nd out of 45 teams. So at Williepallooza I am doing EVERYTHING different except that it will still be brisket. I'll let the judges tell me how it is. I know they can't be any harder on me, and I know that it doesn't matter what I think, so why not do something for the first time in competition?

[boogiesnap]

Originally Posted by timzcardz

Now that's just plain ridiculous!

There probably isn't a better time to do so. It is the ONLY way to find out what the judges think, and they are the only ones that matter.

Case in point, me!

I am not happy with my ribs. I think that they're good, but I am still not satisfied with them. The last three comps though we've finished 3rd, 1st and 1st in ribs!? The 1st contest where we finished 3rd, I sat there trying to decide which to turn in, and finally said, "Well I'm really not happy with these, but they're the best that we have, so we're turning them in." 3rd place call, so WTF do I know? Next two contests decided not to change a thing based on the previous 3rd place call, and still I was not happy with them. After two consecutive 1st place calls, I realize that it doesn't matter what I think.

Now my brisket is another story. I really like my brisket, but the judges have a greatly different opinion. Last competition, after turning in brisket, I said "This is without a doubt, the best brisket I have ever made! That means we probably tanked." Sure enough, we came in something like 42nd out of 45 teams. So at Williepallooza I am doing EVERYTHING different except that it will still be brisket. I'll let the judges tell me how it is. I know they can't be any harder on me, and I know that it doesn't matter what I think, so why not do something for the first time in competition?

you can't honestly believe putting something on your food you've never tasted before and then submitting it to be judged is sound advice.

[Sledneck]

Originally Posted by boogiesnap

you can't honestly believe putting something on your food you've never tasted before and then submitting it to be judged is sound advice.

Thats exactly what I do.

[early mornin' smokin']

I always try new things at comps. I agree with above. You can cook and tweak at home all you want, but you'll never know what the judges will like that day.


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[timzcardz]

Originally Posted by boogiesnap

you can't honestly believe putting something on your food you've never tasted before and then submitting it to be judged is sound advice.

Depending on the circumstances, why not?

In my case, with brisket, that is exactly what I will be doing. I guess we'll see how that works out for me!

I would certainly have to be stupid to keep cooking to my taste. I've already found out that what I like doesn't work. So it really doesn't matter how I think it tastes, does it?

[boogiesnap]

y'all are missing my point. i agree it doesn't matter what you THINK of the taste, but you should at least KNOW the taste.

sled, you've never tasted A1?

[Sledneck]

Originally Posted by boogiesnap

y'all are missing my point. i agree it doesn't matter what you THINK of the taste, but you should at least KNOW the taste.

sled, you've never tasted A1?

Not on a cooked competition brisket until 20 minutes before turn in that day and it took first. Those days long gone, the last 2 years judges have apparantly been spitting out my brisket based on some of the scores ive received

[timzcardz]

Originally Posted by boogiesnap

y'all are missing my point. i agree it doesn't matter what you THINK of the taste, but you should at least KNOW the taste.

In all seriousness, what does knowing the taste do for me?

If I know the taste and say "good", I'd be tempted not to use it because my idea of good is not the judges'. If I know the taste and say "bad", I'd be tempted not to use it because I don't like it.

I KNOW the taste of what I have been doing, and that hasn't been working out so great. The only thing that I KNOW with certainty, is that I can't do much worse in brisket.

Cost/benefit analysis tells me there is no downside.

[boogiesnap]

we're gonna get in trouble for hijacking so this'll be it from me and leave it be.

realistically you must know there are certain parameters we must stay within to score well. there just is.

not knowing what something tastes like you'll have no idea if it falls within them.

also, at the very least, if you don't know what it tasted like, and it does score well, how do you replicate in the future?

a risk/reward analysis tells me to taste the food before serving it.

i can see your point though, i just disagree.

[Sledneck]

maybe its because up until 2 Weeks ago I was a 25 year cigarette smoker but I have slim to no taste buds.

[boogiesnap]

congrats, keep up the good work. i've tried twice in the last few weeks and failed miserably.

[Lake Dogs]

> There probably isn't a better time to do so. It is the ONLY way to find out
> what the judges think, and they are the only ones that matter.

Nope. NOT the "ONLY" way. Every time I've worked on recipes I've invited friends over; friends that have very different tastes, and guess what: 4 (now 5) are CBJ's. I try to have a minimum of 10 people (MINIMUM).

Then, never provide 1. COMPARISON, always. Last time I did it I cooked 6 butts; 3 with one combination of rub and injection, the other 3 with a different combination. Everyone sampled them straight up and judged one vs. the other. THEN and only then did we dive into sauces. I made 16 sauces. We judged each of the 16. If I recall correctly, we all agreed that 10 of the sauces didnt work worth a flip. Of the 6 remaining 3 stood out for different reason, but all 3 lacked something or had too much of something. That's when I began mixing, matching. *BANG* all 12 judges (in this case) agreed, this was head and shoulders above anything they had. Since that time the worst I've done in Pork is 4th.

[Just Pulin' Pork]

Originally Posted by Lake Dogs

> There probably isn't a better time to do so. It is the ONLY way to find out
> what the judges think, and they are the only ones that matter.

Nope. NOT the "ONLY" way. Every time I've worked on recipes I've invited friends over; friends that have very different tastes, and guess what: 4 (now 5) are CBJ's. I try to have a minimum of 10 people (MINIMUM).

Then, never provide 1. COMPARISON, always. Last time I did it I cooked 6 butts; 3 with one combination of rub and injection, the other 3 with a different combination. Everyone sampled them straight up and judged one vs. the other. THEN and only then did we dive into sauces. I made 16 sauces. We judged each of the 16. If I recall correctly, we all agreed that 10 of the sauces didnt work worth a flip. Of the 6 remaining 3 stood out for different reason, but all 3 lacked something or had too much of something. That's when I began mixing, matching. *BANG* all 12 judges (in this case) agreed, this was head and shoulders above anything they had. Since that time the worst I've done in Pork is 4th.

That's a pretty cool way to test. Thanks for sharing!

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Sledneck

maybe its because up until 2 Weeks ago I was a 25 year cigarette smoker but I have slim to no taste buds.

Congrats bud. Keep up the good work! I dipped for over 20+ years. Once I quit, I became fat because I could taste the food now... that's my story and I'm sticking with it....