JD McGee
somebody shut me the fark up.
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2007
- Location
- Duvall, WA
Balance is what we strive for...8)
Nothing will slam-dunk a category loss like product that is (a) improperly cooked or (b) unbalanced in flavor. A balanced flavor profile has a sweet element to it. By the same token, if that sweet element is overpowering, it is no longer balanced. And ALL of the elements are pitched to just a couple of bites.Rusty Kettle said:Let me understand this if it is not sweet you will lose? That means that if it really is the culture bred by judging innovation is frowned upon?
Not everyone has the palate or inclination to create successful rubs and sauces that work together. Add-ins and tweaking are the norm, creating a myriad of successful flavors. Most don't feel the need to reinvent the wheel for the base.Rusty Kettle said:Got to ask why do so many buy their sauces and their dry rubs? Why not make your own? Not knocking anyone just curious as to why.
Absolutely agree, prep is vitally important. Again, it's one thing to do prep as your entire job, and another thing to do it AFTER a 40-to-70 hour workweek (which is why for nearly a year we were trimming meats AT contests rather than before). And this is such a multifactor discipline that any one element can break you -- even after successful prep, there's plenty of room for you to shoot yourself in the foot during the cook or finishing for the box.Rusty Kettle said:I was a pro cook for a short period of time until I found a better paying job and I learned that it was all about the prep anyone can cook but it was prep that made or broke you.
No. Hyperbole abounds, likely fostered by those who don't like sweet at ALL (unbalanced). The truth is that more than a serving of a competition entry would become "too much" as the flavor builds from bite to bite.Rusty Kettle said:I plan to use my own sauce and rub this year in my first year competing and I don't plan on buying it made for me. I may tweak it to fit the tastes of the judges but I want my work to represent me including my flavor profile. Is comp bbq so sweet you really would not want to eat more than one bite?.
A direct way of finding out what's crossing the judging tables in your area is to become a CBJ and judge a few contests.Rusty Kettle said:Anyone got a recipe they don't mind sharing so I get an idea of how sweet comp bbq really is?
I would like to see all competitors use only sauces and rubs that they created, from scratch.....that's not going to happen. It would be nice to have a division or a way to seperate those that spent a lot of time and effort creating a winning sauce from the ground floor. "doctored up" is not creating to me. You can't reproduce it without buying someone else's product. Being a great pitmaster is really hard work, being a creator of great bbq and being a great pitmaster is on a whole new level.
This is a novel idea. I make the majority of my sauce but I still add some pre-made sauce as an ingredient. The problem is how to regulate and where does it stop? Do you expect people to make their own ketchup, Worcestershire, stocks, etc.?
I have heard for a few years that Blues Hog is on its way out because it is to sweet, but I feel confident that probably 75% use BH or some sort of sauce that is similar.
This is a novel idea. I make the majority of my sauce but I still add some pre-made sauce as an ingredient. The problem is how to regulate and where does it stop? Do you expect people to make their own ketchup, Worcestershire, stocks, etc.?
That would be neat but who has time or money to be messing with rubs and sauces after working full time. I do practice cooks where I have to spend one night prepping, one night cooking. Add in making extra stuff to end up losing... no thanks.I would like to see all competitors use only sauces and rubs that they created, from scratch.....that's not going to happen. It would be nice to have a division or a way to seperate those that spent a lot of time and effort creating a winning sauce from the ground floor. "doctored up" is not creating to me. You can't reproduce it without buying someone else's product. Being a great pitmaster is really hard work, being a creator of great bbq and being a great pitmaster is on a whole new level.
That would be neat but who has time or money to be messing with rubs and sauces after working full time. I do practice cooks where I have to spend one night prepping, one night cooking. Add in making extra stuff to end up losing... no thanks.
Maybe around Iowa and the mid-west BH is dominant, but in the SouthEast it ISN'T, at least not anymore. Not because of BH being too sweet, but because of the distinctive flavor that is in BH that dominates ALL other flavor even when used diluted. Similar sauce that is sweet is used and/or created; however, it is only one element (or layer) of the flavor profile.
I don't believe that. I won ribs last year in South Carolina with Blues Hog. I've also had some success at other contests with Blues Hog as my base...