Dillard GA contest - judging chicken comments.

Very good observation. I also noted that one gent had almost devoured his samples and looked like he was packing the remnants to take home. I hope that they appreciated the time and work that went into that Q.

Let it be said, your first impression may be your best and only.

Yours in BBQ,

Cliff

racer_81 said:

Huh. I assumed that to judge a piece chicken (or other meat) you'd have to have more than one bite.

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i tend to agree... The first bite may WOW ya... but it takes at least 2 to judge... Personally, my first bite gives me the first impression, and the second i use to decipher that impression.... is texture good??? , tenderness there?? Are the flavors balanced? What is the chef trying to do, and did he succeed? At least 2 bites, unless it is a total flop on the first bite.. inedible, or bombed in texture/tenderness..... but if i get past the first, i will always take a second of every sample before scoring...

(Sidebar: I found that when focused on judging, I talk to myself.. ask questions.. and judge according to what I was taught.. Even though i may like it, or dislike it, i will try to say, is it "unbalanced".. or is something overwhelming, or even though its tender, is it cooked right to "proper" texture(not mushy)... I may like or dislike the sample personally, but i try to judge based on criteria..)

and then.. i go back and eat the rest of the REALLY GOOD ONES!.. regardless of the scores.. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :mrgreen:


but.. remember.. eat all of everything, and you may be eating 2-3 lbs of meat... I dont eat everything, and by the time the brisket comes at final turnin .. i am burping soot and fartin smoke rings.. not that thats a bad thing, but ya gotta pace yourself...

I judged the backyard rib contest last week at Bel Air. One local judge took a small bight off every rib then right into a zip-lock bag. These ribs weren't very good especially the one that had a overpowering mint flavor but she has a bag of them to take home.

I don't have a problem with the judges taking home the leftover samples after they properly and fairly judge them. It seems a wast to throw away the food I worked so hard on but some judges look at as a take out dinner.

The one bite thing didn't bother me that much, as this is one of the largest comps in the state. I can understand a little bit of pacing if you are going to try that much meat. However, I don't exactly know why, but I am bothered by the guy bringing the food home. I don't know if it is a conflict of interest or what, but it does bother me.

I never take less than two bites, unless there is something wrong with the sample. The first bite is to welcome the flavor and texture and it gets chewed well while I'm thinking about it. The second bite is simply to confirm the thoughts of the first bite, usally in a different area than the first one to give the sample a fair chance. While I'm chewing I look the piece over and feel it with my fingers for texture. All this takes a couple of minutes and I'm usually the last ticket turned in. My new pet peeve is judges that turn in and I have one or two samples yet to be tasted.
It's not a race and I have a whole half hour to do it in.
As for taking home samples, I didn't do it for the first few contests but every time I'd hook up with the wife she was starving and I was packed for the day. Since we usually are camping near the event I started bringing back samples for her to chew on (usually no ribs !!). I t gave us a whole new way to spend an hour or two talking about the event. And by the way she goes on about the quality and taste of all your work, I think it's worth the effort to share with her. She could never be a judge, she would be toast before the ribs were scored..
ModelMaker

I agree with ModelMaker. I too always take at least 2 bites of everything. I also will take bites from different areas of the piece. For chicken I will taste the skin. I may not eat the skin but I will always taste whatever sauce or rub is on it. For ribs I taste from both sides. I always make sure I take the bark from pork if it is available.
As I have said in previous threads there are bad judges out there. Believe me when I say it bothers me just as much as I'm sure it bothers the competitors. There have been occasions where cell phones go off, people start talking about the food before everyone is finished etc. I feel a little uncomfortable as a fellow judge in telling someone to shut their cell phones off. It is always mentioned during the instructions anyway. I think table captains need to point these things out as they happen.
I don't see anything wrong with taking home my own leftovers. As a kid I was always taught "waste not want not". Would the competitors rather see the fruits of their labor tossed in the garbage? I don't judge just so I can get free food. I understand there are probably judges who do that and they should be weeded out and not get asked back again.

This is good info for me, as I'm about to judge my first comp this coming weekend... Just a reminder of what to do on that side of the comp instead of cooking. My CBJ class seems so long ago now!

cmcadams said:

This is good info for me, as I'm about to judge my first comp this coming weekend... Just a reminder of what to do on that side of the comp instead of cooking. My CBJ class seems so long ago now!

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Curt give us a good report next week about what you thought as a judge,vs a pit boss. I'm sure there will be a interesting thought or two.
ModelMaker
P.S. Don't forget to change your signiture to 1 comp judged.

The thing I think I'll find interesting is I have an expectation that non-cook judges are going to either be easy going or really rough on the turn ins. I'm going to have to do a blog about what my expectatoins are going into it vs. my experience coming out of the comp.