Winder, GA pictures and judge report

[Lake Dogs]

The problem with some/many comment cards isnt so much that they're not needed/warranted, but the comments often times are wrong. I cannot tell you how
many times I'll hear judges, who have no experience behind a pit whatsoever, talk
about how overcooked this was when it was obviously tough and UNDERcooked.

They really should stick strickly to the facts, ala. "it was mushy", or "it was tough", etc.

I sat next to a lady this weekend who went on and on about the babybacks at the table... Come to find out she was talking about a riblet piece of a spare rib that someone submitted. My point is that many judges dont even know the cuts.

Mind you, to know good Q and what meets the tenderness criteria you dont have to
know all of this, but you shouldnt fill out comment cards as if you're knowledgable when
in truth you have no clue.

I filled out a comment card this weekend, at a GBA contest, gave a rib a 9 in tenderness (vs. perfect 10). It tasted great, and was VERY tender, BUT it wouldn't pull from the bone, not at all. BEAUTIFUL bite marks in it and it was something else, BUT it didnt meet the GBA criteria at all. I figured the guy would want to know why that great rib was getting all 9's in tenderness when otherwise it was possibly a winning rib.

 

[DawgPhan]

that is a really good point and one that I hadn't really thought of. I would believe that the ribs were a little undercooked more than I would believe they were overcooked.

If they thought that tough meant overcooked, then we might actually have something.

tough or mush are more descriptive.

 

[AUBBQ]

Great point Lake Dogs.

 

[Lake Dogs]

that is a really good point and one that I hadn't really thought of. I would believe that the ribs were a little undercooked more than I would believe they were overcooked.

If they thought that tough meant overcooked, then we might actually have something.

tough or mush are more descriptive.

I kid you not, I've seen this type of talk among judges at least one time in every contest I've judged. They think tough is overcooked... They may thing mushy is undercooked (can be in Loin, but otherwise not). They'll talk about some Q's injection having no idea whether that person injected or not, and all kinds of stuff. Mind you, they were right, it was tough, or mushy, or tasted bizarre, but the comments are way off...

My guess is you got one of those; the person who knows Q but has NO CLUE how to make Q.

Mind you, it still could've been a nim-rod, however most judges I know of are fairly accurate to dead on with their judgement, just not with determining what caused the problem. For this reason I'd really like to see comment cards pre-printed with check-box type of comments on them, of which "undercooked" and "overcooked" aren't on the list.


I do have a question to fellow cooks; is it even possible to cook a loin so long that it gets mushy and falling apart like a butt can? I've never cooked one nearly that long to find out.

 

[Pigs on Fire]

I do have a question to fellow cooks; is it even possible to cook a loin so long that it gets mushy and falling apart like a butt can? I've never cooked one nearly that long to find out.

Not mushy so much, but 'falling apart'. The white meat of the loin is, as you know, a much more lean and linear muscle. The small amount of fat and connective tissue in it will break down like any other muscle and make the strands fall apart.

The problem is that it will be dry/mealy even if it's braised, IME. The darker meat on the rib and sirloin ends will fair better.

Yankees take pork loins, put them in Crock Pots with Kraft BBQ sauce and make "Pulled Pork".... :grin:

 

[Lake Dogs]

Not mushy so much, but 'falling apart'. The white meat of the loin is, as you know, a much more lean and linear muscle. The small amount of fat and connective tissue in it will break down like any other muscle and make the strands fall apart.

The problem is that it will be dry/mealy even if it's braised, IME. The darker meat on the rib and sirloin ends will fair better.

Yankees take pork loins, put them in Crock Pots with Kraft BBQ sauce and make "Pulled Pork".... :grin:

I heard one lady judge talk about, after judging loin, how her piece was mushy and almost falling apart and way overcooked. Thinking to myself, the only way I know to make one mushy is to have it undercooked, I guess it could be so mushy that it appeared to almost fall apart... I dunno...

The only time I cooked one anywhere near falling apart is was bone dry and tough... I didnt want to correct her there, but it hit me like when talking about brisket, ribs, etc. that she probably had a piece undercooked and didnt know the difference.

 

[MattG]

Really nicely put together Dave. It was good to see you again.

 

[Uncle Buds BBQ]

Really nicely put together Dave. It was good to see you again.

Thanks. Sorry I got only one shot of the "Pot's BBQ" rig. It looks like a great operation.