Back Yard Rib Comp

[Snowsmoke]

I have been a part of a winning KCBS team for the last few years, before that I went into 2 comps totally blind and failed like many before me. So when the only backyard comp in my area was still taking place this past weekend, we packed up the trailer! This was a fundraiser for a food pantry so orders were taken in advance and most teams had to cook off and wrap 16-20 racks of St Louis ribs. All the while, making sure you found a few perfect bones to treat up nice for the judges.

After we found our rhythm in the 15 minute pickup windows, we focused on the comp box. An oversized 9X12" that only needed 3 bones placed in it I made my nice bed of parsley anyways and stacked 6 bones in there best I could. Placed 4th overall - tied with 3rd but the next team beat us on taste by one point.

Long story short, I love comps and the fact that it really is any given Sunday out there. I am CBJ and while taking that class I understood why many teams aren't fans of many judges.

Sweet wins here in the Northeast so that is the competition flavor profile to some dismay - you still see teams crushing with Blues Hog OG sauce shining bright on their pork.

[Smokin Mike]

I've heard that the restaurant guys have commented that they would NEVER serve barbecue to their patrons the same way they fix for comps. What are your thoughts on that?

[feldon30]

As a fellow KCBS Judge who has taken food home from comps, I can say that so much flavor is injected, brined, dusted, glazed, and smothered onto each piece of BBQ, if you tried to sit down and eat a few bones (or 3-4 pieces of chicken, or 3-4 slices of brisket) with all those flavorings, it would just totally blow out your taste receptors out and start to get weird.

Not to mention all the injections, spices, glazes, finishing powders, special woods, sauces, etc. add up in cost. A restaurant selling "competition BBQ" would have to charge a very high price, especially for brisket.

Certainly restaurants can learn from some of the tricks of BBQ teams. I've learned a lot myself from the various TV shows (Yes I know it's "reality"). But it's gotta be in moderation I think.

[Sgt. Stel]

In Comp you're looking for that one bite wonder. Not a meal.

Totally different ballgame IMHO

Sgt. Stel