Q_Done_Right
Knows what a fatty is.
First off, I mean no disrespect to any competition cooks on here; I know many teams work real hard at this craft and I admire that as well as the success they earn/deserve. I’ve even competed in a local backyard competition myself. Here is my issue with competition BBQ in general:
I don’t like the food and it’s not what I would consider “good or true BBQ.” It’s not how I like to cook my BBQ or the kind of BBQ I would want to order at a well respected Q joint like LA Barbecue in Austin or Hutchins in McKinney (I’ve eaten at both places in Texas by the way). It’s also not at all the kind of BBQ I would want to serve my friends and family. For example, the competition I participated in I took 56th out of 59th place in ribs. I did it for the fun of it just to see what it was really like. And while I made my ribs the same way I make them at home (I didn’t care this time) everyone else was wrapping their ribs in foil with all kinds of stuff (honey, brown sugar, butter, hot sauce, etc.) for two hours at a time. I’ve made my ribs this way before but it tasted a lot more like sweet rib candy then delicious smoked ribs I couldn’t stay away from. Same thing with brisket...I like to cook mine until a nice, dark flavorful bark has formed over 7-9 hours and wrap in butcher paper until finished. On the flip side, most competition briskets seem to be injected (I don’t do) and only cooked for a few hours in the smoke before panned up sitting in a ton of beef broth...I liken this method to making a pot roast that steams itself silly in all that liquid. I could say similar things too about the way pork butts and chicken are made.
Maybe I’m the only one who feels this way about competition BBQ, but I wish it didn’t involve this kind of end product. I’m all for who can make the most tender, juicy and best tasting meats; however, I’m curious why judging standards dictate these over the top tastes where cooks have to do all kinds of things just to stand out. Why can’t good old fashioned smoked BBQ (the kind people would line up for hours to eat at a legendary Q joint) be the standard? This still means cooking ribs that don’t “fall off the bone” for example. I also get that there is more to it like timing, turn in boxes (appearance), etc. yet that doesn’t change how I feel about the meat cooked itself.
Anyway, I would love to start my own team and get into this hardcore (I’m a BBQ nut with 4 smokers in my garage right now), but what competition BBQ actually is is holding me back. Maybe I’m missing something?
Curious if anyone else feels similarly...
I don’t like the food and it’s not what I would consider “good or true BBQ.” It’s not how I like to cook my BBQ or the kind of BBQ I would want to order at a well respected Q joint like LA Barbecue in Austin or Hutchins in McKinney (I’ve eaten at both places in Texas by the way). It’s also not at all the kind of BBQ I would want to serve my friends and family. For example, the competition I participated in I took 56th out of 59th place in ribs. I did it for the fun of it just to see what it was really like. And while I made my ribs the same way I make them at home (I didn’t care this time) everyone else was wrapping their ribs in foil with all kinds of stuff (honey, brown sugar, butter, hot sauce, etc.) for two hours at a time. I’ve made my ribs this way before but it tasted a lot more like sweet rib candy then delicious smoked ribs I couldn’t stay away from. Same thing with brisket...I like to cook mine until a nice, dark flavorful bark has formed over 7-9 hours and wrap in butcher paper until finished. On the flip side, most competition briskets seem to be injected (I don’t do) and only cooked for a few hours in the smoke before panned up sitting in a ton of beef broth...I liken this method to making a pot roast that steams itself silly in all that liquid. I could say similar things too about the way pork butts and chicken are made.
Maybe I’m the only one who feels this way about competition BBQ, but I wish it didn’t involve this kind of end product. I’m all for who can make the most tender, juicy and best tasting meats; however, I’m curious why judging standards dictate these over the top tastes where cooks have to do all kinds of things just to stand out. Why can’t good old fashioned smoked BBQ (the kind people would line up for hours to eat at a legendary Q joint) be the standard? This still means cooking ribs that don’t “fall off the bone” for example. I also get that there is more to it like timing, turn in boxes (appearance), etc. yet that doesn’t change how I feel about the meat cooked itself.
Anyway, I would love to start my own team and get into this hardcore (I’m a BBQ nut with 4 smokers in my garage right now), but what competition BBQ actually is is holding me back. Maybe I’m missing something?
Curious if anyone else feels similarly...