Whole Hog

[Burk504]

Last season we did two KCBS comps and this April we will be in the Pork in the Park comp in MD where they throw in a couple of extra categories for the fun of it. One of which is whole hog. I have invited a friend to be an honorary team member for this event if he brings his whole hog cooker, so I do have someone who knows how to cook a hog...but we have no idea how these types of events are judged.

Do the judges come on-site?
Is there a blind judging component as well?

Any advice/tips would be appreciated.

[Lake Dogs]

You'll want to ask the organizer. MBN has onsite, otherwise I've never seen it
onsite. The judging should always be blind and is very similar in most every way
to pork butt/shoulder.

[TN_BBQ]

Google is your friend

Looks like Whole Hog operates under these rules.

http://www.porkinthepark.org/forms/2...ompetition.pdf

First Place: $1,000.00
Second Place: $500.00

Rules:

1. Entrants will furnish their own whole hog head intact.
2. Hog must be cooked with wood or charcoal on site.
3. Cook may use rubs and sauces as he deems
appropriate.
4. Meat must reach an internal temperature of 190
degrees.
5. Meat inspector will check each one.
6. Chief Cook must be able to explain how entry was
cooked or how long, hot; etc.
7. Chief Cook must be prepared to furnish six judges and
one captain samples for judging.

8.

Contact for purchasing whole hogs: Hastings Butcher
Shop ~ Telephone 1-302-875-7431 ~ Please ask for

Clark or Esther

[Burk504]

Thanks guys. Are there parts of the hog that are premium for turn in? Do I just find the money muscle and turn that in or is there something better?

[monty3777]

I suppose it depends on three things.
1. the rules.
2. your ability to cook a whole hog well
3. the ability of the judges to tell the difference between a loin and a brown eye.

If you can cook the hog well, and the judges know what they are doing, then I think you would do well to turn in samples from the ham, the loin and the shoulder to show that you know how to cook a whole hog. That's my "before coffee" opinion. I'd ignore it if I were you

[BigJimsBBQ]

Originally Posted by monty3777

3. the ability of the judges to tell the difference between a loin and a brown eye.

Now that is Farkin Funny

[TN_BBQ]

Originally Posted by monty3777

I I think you would do well to turn in samples from the ham, the loin and the shoulder to show that you know how to cook a whole hog.

That's pretty standard for the Memphis whole hog competitions. Judges also like smoked bacon.

I suspect they'll answer these sort of questions at captain's meetings, but I'd be prepared to turn in those 3 (ham, shoulder & loin) AND be able to serve the on-site judges (amazing how you can have a brain fart when a judge is standing there asking for a piece of the ham and you reach for the shoulder....doh!).