All KCBS rules pertaining to yardbird:
CHICKEN:
Chicken may be presented with or without the skin. It may also be presented with a combination of dark and white meat or all one or the other. The type presented should not in any way affect the way it is scored. Properly smoked chicken will be moist and have a nice texture and any juice present should be clear. Smoked chicken has a tendency to produce a red coloring around the bone areas, especially in the thigh and leg meat. To some it gives the impression that is was undercooked. Always check the juices and if they are clear you will find the chicken is properly cooked. There may be, at times, a pink appearance to the breast meat if it has been smoked for some time. However, we do not judge chicken on its color as some cooks prepare their chicken in such a way the breast meat will remain white.
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Chicken
For KCBS, this is defined as Chicken or Cornish Hen.* It can be prepared for a contest whole, half or any combination of the chicken or Cornish Hen as the cook chooses.*
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Take small portions.* If you eat one (1) ounce of each sample, you could consume nearly two (2) pounds of meat before you are finished judging.
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Judge the sample the way it is submitted.
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Judge each item on its own merit.* KCBS judging is not comparative.
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Your standard for judging should remain constant throughout the judging process for that contest.* Score every sample in each criterion on the individual reference points printed on the score card.
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Any whole numbers, 9 (excellent) through 2 (inedible) may be used as many times as warranted during judging.*
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Once an item has been scored, the score may not be changed without the permission of the Table Captain and Contest Rep.
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If you question the legality of an item, quietly bring it to the attention of your Table Captain.* He/she will bring it to the attention of the Contest Reps.
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If you do not eat chicken skin, at least taste it, if presented that way, and then discreetly discard.* Continue to judge the chicken.
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Smoked meat, including chicken may be pink, and not be raw.* Chicken is done if the juices run clear.* Under cooked chicken will not pull apart easily.* If you suspect chicken is raw, place your napkin/paper towel against the meat.* If it comes away pink, it is not fully cooked.* You are not required to sample.* Quietly bring to the attention of the Table Captain.*
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Chicken, pork and brisket may be submitted chopped, pulled, sliced or diced as the cook sees fit, as long as there is enough for six (6) judges.* Infraction penalty: Judges not receiving a sample shall score the meat with a 1 in the Tenderness/Texture and Taste criteria.* All judges change Appearance score to 1.
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12. Once all the entries have been scored for Appearance, the Table Captain will then pass out the entry trays for you to take a sample. Make sure you place the correct sample on the correct square. Once you have all of your samples on your judging plate, you may begin with the first sample by judging Taste and then Tenderness. Once you have completely finished scoring the first entry, you may move to the second entry and so forth. Please score carefully. You may not go back and change any scores once they’ve been recorded except under the direction of the contest Rep.
13. If you pick up a piece of meat and there are two or more pieces stuck together, do not shake, pull or cut the pieces loose. Just put them on your judging plate as they are. If you do not get a piece of meat to judge, call this to the attention of the Table Captain.
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4.5 Breaded Chicken
Question: Can Chicken be breaded?
Opinion: At this point there is no rule against breading. It can be a part of a rub. Also, frying is
not illegal as long as the heat source is from charcoal or wood and NOT DEEP FRIED. (Rule #6
states: Parboiling and/or deep-frying competition meat is not allowed). February 17, 2006
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As far as using fingers – this is the only mention in the rules about fingers –
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Utensils may only be used for removal of samples from the sample box.* Barbeque is a finger food.* It is important to use all your senses when judging barbeque.
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Due to the ambiguity of the statement “It is important to use all your senses when judging barbeque”, squishing stuff is legal.