Competition Pork Question

[goodsmokebbq]

Let's get back on topic..
It sounds as if you pull the pork a little early. You may want to keep it hot til the last possiable moment, like KCBobby, at 12:40. And agian, like bob said, we are all in the same boat so don't sweat it too much.

My pulled pork becomes room temp the instant I pull it. I think there are different interpretations to what "pulled" pork is. We shred ours very fine (I think this is a North East thing). From the pictures I have seen in the midwest it seems like your "pulled" pork is much chuckier and much more apt to hold heat a few minutes until you can get them in a box. Here is an example of what ours looks like:

Besides it is always like 40 degrees up here...


Play wheres waldo in this pic from Pork in the Park:

http://www.huckshut.com/2010/04/19/sights-from-pork-in-the-park-2/img_8845/

Caught red handed...

 

[CBQ]

It's the same for everyone. Even if one was to rewarm the pulled pork it would lose a lot of heat again by the time the judges tasted it. I consider this a non-issue as everyone deals with it to some extent.

I pull the butts out of the cooler at 12:40 andstart tearing into them at that time. I don't think the cooling has ever effected our pork scores.

Guess the judges in Lake Placid last year didn't get the memo. I got *two* comment cards complaining the pork was too cold. Guess they were sleeping though the part of the CBJ class where they tell you not to judge on temperature. Not saying it was my best pork :icon_blush: but I have no control over the temp at the judge's table.

The earlier comment on pulling just the parts you need is spot on. Don't pull it all, just take out the chunks you need, and make sure your sauce is hot, and you should be OK. My understanding is that it's perfectly legal to use warm sauce. I mean..unless you are given temp guidelines for sauce, how do you define "warm sauce" anyway?

 

[KC_Bobby]

Guess the judges in Lake Placid last year didn't get the memo. I got *two* comment cards complaining the pork was too cold.

I'm not following you. What memo? That other teams face the exact same issues as every other team trying to keep food warm?

 

[HoDeDo]

Placid last year was one of the first contests where the "clarification" of the rule was inacted. And I believe the first contest where the blurb was read from the board on the ruling.

Judges used to hot pork, may have been surprised by cold pork ( It did happen to be cool and rainy there).

I agree, it is something we all get to deal with. I will skip my diatribe on the silliness of the current itieration of the rule - and how it avoids common health/safety issues... and just say that we all have had to adapt to the same rule... so ideally we are all in the same boat. Pull late, and grab just what you need. - sauce at the end with warm sauce, no pooling, and close the lid

 

[DocStl]

As a judge, the only meat I have ever had on my plate that was ever warm is a chicken thigh, doesnt matter if its steamy hot when you put it in a box, when it sits on that thin cardboard mat for any length of time, its cold by the time judges eat it. (ribs, brisket,pork, and most chicken)

 

[daedalus]

My pulled pork becomes room temp the instant I pull it. I think there are different interpretations to what "pulled" pork is. We shred ours very fine (I think this is a North East thing). From the pictures I have seen in the midwest it seems like your "pulled" pork is much chuckier and much more apt to hold heat a few minutes until you can get them in a box. Here is an example of what ours looks like:

I agree completely. Your pulled looks very similar to mine, and most that I have seen as a judge is chunkier. That would take a lot less time to pull, and so the temp loss would not be as much of an issue.

I think I will try a practice run just as many have suggested...only pulling enough for the box, and running it through really warm sauce. If that still does not keep it warm enough, I will try your slightly more controversial approach.

Docstl:
That sucks man. In my judging experience the meat we get to judge is almost always at least warm. I admit that it is rarely steaming or anything, but only occasionally is it what I would call cold.

Thanks for all of your input everyone!

 

[goodsmokebbq]

I agree completely. Your pulled looks very similar to mine, and most that I have seen as a judge is chunkier. That would take a lot less time to pull, and so the temp loss would not be as much of an issue.

I think I will try a practice run just as many have suggested...only pulling enough for the box, and running it through really warm sauce. If that still does not keep it warm enough, I will try your slightly more controversial approach.

Docstl:
That sucks man. In my judging experience the meat we get to judge is almost always at least warm. I admit that it is rarely steaming or anything, but only occasionally is it what I would call cold.

Thanks for all of your input everyone!

Just heat your sauce in a dutch oven in your cooker :-D, best of luck!