Do GBA judging classes teach the judges-to-be that they should be getting double cut ribs so that they can first "pull it apart" to test how clean it pulls from the bone and then take a bite?
Is that in the official judging criteria for GBA ribs?
Your question reminds me of how my wife asks questions.
> should be getting double cut ribs so that ...
So, to answer your question as asked, No, they do not teach nor require the 2 bone method.
> they can first "pull it apart" to test how clean it pulls from the bone
However, to the broader question (with the 2 bone piece removed), YES. They define the ribs perfect tenderness as "pull cleanly from the bone with only a slight resistance". Same as MBN, and MIM, by the way. CBJ training courses teach it, and every single judges meeting before every single competition states it. Also they're taught to then squeeze the meat gently (once its been removed from the bone) between their fingers to test for tenderness. It's VERY different from KCBS.
> pulls from the bone and then take a bite?
Back to "No" again for the answer. Because, before they bite it they should squeeze it to further check for tenderness. Pull from the bone cleanly can still be a tad tough. Look for that moisture and tenderness to come shining through. Then bite.
Back to helping the first-time GBA competitor:
Just a moment, think like a judge. How do you pull the meat cleanly from the bone? The easiest way is to grab 2 bones and pull them apart. Like I said, not every winning entry has 2 bones in it, but most, who consistently score high, DO. Same in MBN, and MIM by the way. Dont just embrace their definition, force the judges by facilitating
that pull. It also, by the way, fills the ungarnished box easily. 12 ribs, cut into 6 2 bone pieces, 2 layers of 3 pieces fit very nicely in an ungarnished box.
A side note: I cant say this for all the brand new GBA judges, but most of the older GBA judges are also MBN judges, and many of those were MIM judges too...