What do you do?

JD McGee

JD McGee

somebody shut me the fark up.
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When all of a sudden your first place ribs can't get a walk? :confused: This past season my ribs have been my money maker and sometimes saving grace. I have 8 first place ribs including a "180"...and now all of a sudden I can't buy a walk. What do you veterans do in these cases (assuming it has happened to you).
Thanks,
JD
 
You think they are always going to be top-placing ribs? Someone is always working on the next best thing. It's evident that some other teams have hit on something else the judges like.

One thing I don't see stressed enough is that taste/texture is an OPINION of someone. Everybody doesn't have the same opinion.
 
Pigs on Fire said:
You think they are always going to be top-placing ribs? Someone is always working on the next best thing. It's evident that some other teams have hit on something else the judges like.

One thing I don't see stressed enough is that taste/texture is an OPINION of someone. Everybody doesn't have the same opinion.
Click to expand...

I NEVER shoot for first place...only to be consistent in my prep, cooking, and glazing. I have been very fortunate to get a walk in 11 out of 13 comps. The last two comps have me baffled (placing middle of the pack)...and a bit concerned as I plan to use the same recipe for the Jack. At this point I do not plan to do anything other than chalk it up to bad luck. I will, however, make certain all my rub and glaze ingredients are fresh.
 
I was just gonna ask you how many comps you haven't placed in. I wouldn't sweat it if only last 2 comps. Might have had picky judges that day....that is my excuse every contest :laugh: (I kid, I kid)
 
If it were me, I'd dance with what brought me. I wouldn't let it worry you. Cook the best you can and cook what you think is good. Let the rough end drag.

I hope to see you there. I haven't figured out what time I plan on getting up there Saturday. It's a 2+ hour drive up there from our house in AL and I'd like to stay for the meat awards. We stayed last year through the ancillary categories and I was ready to go after that.

Good Smokin' luck.
 
Chicken has been my best category this year and I got to the point where I felt I could mail in a top 5 finish. I hit a stretch with no calls in 3 of 4 contests. My chief taster told me I was overseasoning. Next contest I made the adjustment and took 1st. Got another 1st a week later. Only no-call since was an instance where I underseasoned.

I'm not saying that this is your issue, just relating one of mine. I never would have caught it on my own. In your case, JD, I'd just make sure I was doing everything exactly right. Write out your entire process from start to finish to make sure you don't leave something out.

Good luck at the Jack!
 
Welcome to comp cooking... After cooking for a while, you will realize that things come in bunches. while I don't deny that your ribs are good, maybe you were getting lucky and were hitting all the right tables? Now, those tables are drying up? I've always said that being lucky is better than being good in comp cooking.

I think folks get lost in this lull that they think their food is unbeatable because of a couple of good contests. You don't get those calls and folks panic. Change their recipe and then really start to flounder.

How to fix? either you stick with the recipe that brought you. Or you make changes. Now, when you change your recipe, that will determine how good of a cook you are. I know a lot of teams that change on the fly. I do that, but I also feel like I have a complete understanding of what my meat is going to go and only worry about a slight tweak here or there... Relaize as well, that I used to cook around 25 comps a year. You can get real familiar with your cooking when cooking that much. I lowered my contests this year and surpriseling, I still have that feel for my meats. So experience at this is what will get you through the lows.
 
Be certain you haven't changed anything. My ribs fell off the map for awhile and I realized I had changed something. Now, back in the running. That said, last week ribs 30 something. This wee? 1st. Didn't change a thing. Scotties advice is solid.
 
Thanks guys...I'll be sure to dot all my i's and cross all my t's...:thumb:
JD
 
Send me your rib recipe and I will try it in Lewisburg in a couple of weeks that's kinda close to Lynchburg maybe thy would give ya a idea of what's goin on with them :becky:
 
sitnfat said:
Send me your rib recipe and I will try it in Lewisburg in a couple of weeks that's kinda close to Lynchburg maybe thy would give ya a idea of what's goin on with them :becky:
Click to expand...

it's all right here...www.jd'srecipe.com...:twisted:

BBQ_Mayor said:
Did your butcher change anything? where they get or cut the ribs?
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My butcher is Costco...:laugh: Seriously...all I use are their bb's. They have been very consistent for the most part (had a couple of nasty cryo's).
 
JD...I am no veteran, so I don't have any opinions to give you that are worth a dime. Since you don't want to share your recipe so that I can try your ribs for a sample, let me just say this: If your ribs are your money maker and have been your "saving grace" then don't give up on what has proven to be a successful recipe/technique. As someone mentioned earlier, everyone has their own opinions as what ribs should be - maybe you just had some folks with "bad" opinions. :)

Anyway, have faith in yourself and your product. I am sure you are doing great ribs. And seriously, if you have any tips for me (not YOUR trade secrets, but rib cooking tips), I'd love to learn from someone with your talent and experience. Anything PMed to me stays with me :)

God's blessings on your future contests!
 
chambersuac said:
JD...I am no veteran, so I don't have any opinions to give you that are worth a dime. Since you don't want to share your recipe so that I can try your ribs for a sample, let me just say this: If your ribs are your money maker and have been your "saving grace" then don't give up on what has proven to be a successful recipe/technique. As someone mentioned earlier, everyone has their own opinions as what ribs should be - maybe you just had some folks with "bad" opinions. :)

Anyway, have faith in yourself and your product. I am sure you are doing great ribs. And seriously, if you have any tips for me (not YOUR trade secrets, but rib cooking tips), I'd love to learn from someone with your talent and experience. Anything PMed to me stays with me :)

God's blessings on your future contests!
Click to expand...

Thanks Dan...I'm always willing to share my experience and techniques...I do have a few trade secrets that I keep to myself (as I'm sure most of these folks do). PM on it's way...:p
JD
 
Thanks, JD - yeah, I figured you wouldn't give me ALL your advice :)
Looking forward to the PM. Thanks again!
 
I'd say look at the pitmaster show LAST Year! Not this year's. Myron didn't win every contest that aired on tv, but he thought he would:becky:
 
BRBBQ said:
I'd say look at the pitmaster show LAST Year! Not this year's. Myron didn't win every contest that aired on tv, but he thought he would:becky:
Click to expand...

Just because he did not win the contests they filmed does not take away from the fact that he is the winningest cook in REAL lifetime competition BBQ! I beg of you all to separate the real from the fake studio crap. It's like you are all corporate shills sometimes...:boxing: Someone has to be the Andy Warhol here...it might as well be me. :becky:
 
JD, from a judges perspective, more often than not the difference in a middle-of-the-pack (or the top of the middle) and a winner, in a single turn-in event, is
the opinion of the 5 or 6 judges (6 in this case) at that particular table, their subjectivity and prejudices, and a little to do with which Q landed on that same table with yours. If all the other entries are mediocre and yours is better than them, then you have stand-out Q and it's likely to get scored that way. It's great when your Q is on one of those tables and yours is last or next-to-last. That way they've seen "ah, so so" a few times and then *voila* we have a keeper comes through. However, if there's 3 "we have a keeper" in front of yours, you're more likely to get scored "yeah, so what". If that makes any sense... It does happen.

Sounds to me like you're putting out consistently good to great Q. Stick with it. Dont change a thing. When it comes down to it there's that element of luck. Think LUCKY.
 
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