Bigmista's Brisket Appearance

[Pig Headed]

Ron, 7 for yours, slices are too thin but look real nice. Those pieces in front , are there 6 or 12 if 12 then you just stacked some cut up slices not near as appealing as chunks. And chunks should not be perfect squares of meat!
Of course nothing a nice fresh bun would't fix!!!
ModelMaker[/quote]

There's 12 pieces there. I cut them up for some of the spectators, but had second thoughts and wanted to fill the void in front.

[G$]

Pictures do not tell the whole story, but a few thoughts: Some of the excess in particular is fat - that coul dbe trimmed. Ther are what APPEAR to be pro be holes in some slices. Again, tough to tell, it could be where fat or connective has rendered away, but they look like possible holes from the picture. The garnis is uneven - not sure what to say other than that.

Oh yeah, one last thing, looks better than the boxes I put together!

[Bigmista]

Here are the scores:

777 766 877 776 765 766

Bentley can comment on taste and tenderness.

[Bentley]

Originally Posted by Bigmista

Here are the scores:

777 766 877 776 765 766

Bentley can comment on taste and tenderness.

Mista gave me a piece as we were sitting around. I thought it was tough, or a better way to put it would say it could have been more tender, told him I would give him a 6 for tenderness, but the flavor was a 9 if I had been judging it! It tasted like steak to me, one of the most flavorful briskets I have tasted. Neil's brisket was better than mine IMO, I get 16th he gets 24th. I know judging is subjective and my taste is not the World rule, but his brisket should have beat mine. I am getting to the point where I have no idea what a judge is look for!

If you would have let me taste my brisket and Neil's brisket before turn-in and pick which one I could turn in for my team it would have been his...I just dont get it!

BLQ the team that won GC and 1st in brisket at Viejas, I had a piece of their brisket at the 2006 Silent Valley contest and it was the best piece of brisket I have ever had bar none, I got 1st at that contest and BLQ got 3rd...again, sometimes I don't get it!

[Bigmista]

Thanks Bentley. I don't get it either. I can accept that it might not have been top ten but I really don't think it was 24th place brisket either. At least everybody liked the Gumbo.

[Sawdustguy]

Mista,

I gave you a solid 8. It made me want to grab for a few slices.

[NotleyQue]

I tasted the brisket. It was really good. I liked it. Awsome flavor. I dont know what I did different.

[SmokeWatcher]

I gave it a 4.....only because I can't smell or taste it from here.

[billm]

7..possible 8 since pictures can be deceiving .looks good but slices could use some neatening up to put it in the 9 range..
Bill - Cook & CBJ

[TOPS BBQ]

Neil,

I was tetering between an 8 and 7. I was not impressed with the garnish and it looked uneven. But like Bently, I scored prior to reading everyone else's response. I'm not a CBJ and it shows a bit. I scored it an 8.

[Chris Nickelson]

I agree with the others. It just needs a little dressing up. First thing that caught my eye was the lack of lettuce on the right side. This draws your attention away from the meat. The meat should be the focal point and the garnish if any should not draw your attention away. As for the meat I gree that the slices were just a bit big. ALmost looks crammed in. Otherwise good ring, good moisture( at least per the foto).

[Countryhb]

I gave you a 4 because Mrs. Mista hates me!! :)

[cmcadams]

I gave it a 7... same reasons... ends look ragged, too much fat, it looks dry... have you sauced it? I've changed my mind about saucing brisket... judges like sauce. Some judges like no sauce, but just about all judges like sauce. Why play the odds backwards?

[G$]

Originally Posted by Bigmista

Thanks Bentley. I don't get it either. I can accept that it might not have been top ten but I really don't think it was 24th place brisket either. At least everybody liked the Gumbo.

Ya know, I fall prey to this sometimes. Remember that appearance REALLY is a small part of the score. Based on your scores, the taste and tenderness were not what the judges were looking for more than the appearance.

I am curious, also, if you sampled some 20 minutes after turn in. There will always be variance on how well meat keeps until judging, but sometimes it varies more than you would expect.

BEAR IN MIND: We have really struggled with brisket, so I am certainly the not the one to offer any brisket tips!

[The_Kapn]

Originally Posted by Bigmista

Thanks Bentley. I don't get it either. I can accept that it might not have been top ten but I really don't think it was 24th place brisket either. At least everybody liked the Gumbo.

Neil,
Here is my opinion and observation about scoring "in the middle".
Believe me--I am the "Master of DAM" (Dead Ass Middle)

I think many judges really consider (ponder) giving the top scores to an entry. I know I think a lot before giving an 8 vs a 9 (using KCBS).

I think many judges really consider (ponder) giving the bottom scores to an entry. I I know I think a lot before giving a 4 vs a 5 (using KCBS again).

I plead guilty to not putting as much consideration (pondering) into the 6's and 7's (and some marginal 8's) I enter.
That is a fine line and I think most judges are the same way---like it or not.

It is just "average" or so and does not deserve to place high or be at the bottom of the field.

The result is, IMHO, once my score drops out of the top 10-15% of scores, the numerical ranking means little.
The scores just get "jumbled up" and mean little in terms of "ranking".

I personally doubt that there is much difference in the quality of the entries "in the middle" of the pack to really "rank" them accurately.

Using a 30 team field as an example, I think the top 5 (give or take) teams or entries were probably the "best 5". The "order" of 1 thru 5 might be subject to errors, but the entries/teams were, in fact, the best 5 for the day.
Same logic for the bottom 5 (give or take).

What about all us guys in the "middle" ?

I really do not believe the "rankings' of the middle have any resemblence to reality!

Been there, done that!

JMHO

TIM