Parsley... is EVERYONE using it or what?

[Muzzlebrake]

I have never used parsley and most likely never will. I am able to make a box look good enough with lettuce and don't have the time or patience to play around with parsley.

I heard Michelle same the same thing, more than once.............never say never!

 

[BigBrad]

I did a comp last weekend and used only lettuce and placed 8th in chicken out of 39 teams. It took us about 10 minnutes to make four boxes. Meanwhile the team next to us took two hours to make her boxes with parsley. I don't have the time or the patience to do parsley boxes.

 

[SaucyWench]

One of the very best chicken entries I've seen in 9 years of judging had no garnish whatsoever, just plain ole snatch-it-up-and-eat-it-right-now meat! I gave it a 9 in appearance, and happily (for me & the cooks) it's taste lived up to its look. The rest of my table that day agreed that if the meat looks that great, a plain white box won't deter. IMHO, the putting greens are way over-rated, by judges & cooks alike.

 

[JD McGee]

Here is LHS's thoughts on the subject...this is one other thing that is within our control...if we can get that 1 extra point with parsley...that's what we'll do! :becky:

 

[Jeff_in_KC]

Y'all are trying to micromanage, same as the damned Board! It's optional... use it or not. Your choice. I'd be shocked if any CBJ would tell me they judge up if the greens look nice BUT it's human nature to see the garnish as an appearance enhancer if it looks nice. So again... use it or don't use it. Your choice.

 

[U2CANQUE]

I actually like doing the putting greens....if I am cooking by myself I will just usually get the Big Lebowski on the tv in the trailer, sit back, relax and just watch the movie....I also take a picture of the greens and go back to look at the pictures 5 minutes after I have put them away....just to see what my first impression of the greens are.....
Does it gurantee anything, no, would I prefer something else, sure....but, with trying to keep the glass half full I just use it as a time to relax.....and if all else fails, I just pay Kim and Andy's girls to do them for me....:icon_blush:

 

[CBQ]

Troublemakers Abound

Look what I found!

Looks like Chris is more of a troublemaker than I am.

Please let Sully know that we expect the Damn Dip to be served with parsley garnish from now on!

In Cape Cod, some of our parsley was damaged, so we stuck some lettuce in the middle and "hid" it with meat. Worked out OK, but we generally avoid lettuce. The box just looks so much neater with parsley.

I am tempted to make an actual putting green for an open garnish event with a cup, pin, and tiny flag. Not sure if the judges will share my weird sense of humor. :-D

 

[U2CANQUE]

Gave us a 6 9 9

Hey, what can I say, I finally got to beat you in Pork.....:becky:.....marking that day down in history....because I can agree with the 9 and 9, because every time that I have had some of yours it is by far a bar that I hope to some day match,......phenomenal!

I felt bad for those teams that got the comment card from that judge, and come to find out, they must have been on a box rampage....one box was reported to have a "crease" in the top of the box....was disappointed that the reps did not reel that one in sooner....like, oh, I dont know, at chicken! table captain, where were ya?.......:crazy:

 

[Smoke'n Ice]

Parsley beds are a simple and great way to help your meat stand out in the box. You’d be amazed at what difference parsley make when framing the meat. Parsley beds are quite simple, really. There are seven or more things that Parsley beds do for your meat display.
They are:
· Help in framing odd sizes of meat in different sizes of turn-in boxes
· Minimizes size differences between samples in the chicken category
· Offer unique and different ways to show off your creativity
· Help your meat stand up and out and highlighting the color. It POPS!
· Meat remains where you placed it, from box closure to opening by the table captain
· Hide any sauce pooling that occurs during placement, touch up and transport (prevents a DQ)
· You can fit almost any configuration of meat into a standard size (no such thing) turn-in box.

The only downside of using parsley is the extra cost and effort. As long as your taste and texture are 8’s and 9’s then 6’s in appearance won’t hurt as much. As an example a 6, 9, 9 will give you the same score as an 8, 8, 9.

 

[Pickin' Porkers]

What can I say! For us to be a milestone for a team to beat is flatering!!!!:clap2:

 

[luckyduk]

All I got say is parsley beds are easy.......when the wife does them all :-D:-D Seems she has WAY more patience than I do.

I do agree the boxes with parsley does pop out more, especially chicken, I also like the way it holds up a brisket box.

 

[Hoss]

ONLY if you wanna win!I am a CBJ,KCBS # 55047.NOTHING compares to CURLY LEAF PARSLEY!I will NEVER,NEVER,NEVER use ANYTHING else in a comp.My $.02.

 

[Willie's BBQ]

i still say go FBA, and do away with all garnish

 

[LindaM]

We had a pattern we followed. The chicken box always got a putting green and the others would get a combination of the two. Recently we have decided to switch that after comparing box scores. Although we still use some lettuce as a base that just peeks out the sides our main focus is the parsley. It just gives you that uniformity in the box. Lettuce, by its shape, can look clunky in the box no matter how you place it. IMO

As a judge as well I will have to say that it is still a meat contest. Most I speak to do judge on the merits of the meat but its subjective. A parsley box makes the food appear to jump out at you when the box is opened. If its on a bed of lettuce it appears to be sinking into the box. As ridiculous as that sounds it's what I see. So I am not judging the garnish for score but I am judging the meat partially on how the garish helps presents it. Has anyone actually seen a no garnish box that they would give more then a 7 to? Every light to no garish box I see never gets the meat to present well. It always appears to be dumped in the box.

I have seen chicken boxes receive 9's with no garnish, also pork boxes, I can honestly say I have never seen a rib or brisket box with no garnish receive 9's. The boxes must be full enough to cover the white in the bottem to achieve those high scores without the garnish