Toughest category

B

bradgreer

Full Fledged Farker
Joined
Jan 24, 2014
Messages
260
Reaction score
220
Points
0
Location
Smithfield, Utah
Hello Brethren.
I was just wondering what everyone felt like their toughest competition category was and why?

I would start but my first contest is in April so...

Thanks,
 
For me it's chicken. We're just not consistent. We'll get a call one week and then middle of the pack the next.

Not that you asked, but ribs was our best category last year, with brisket a close second. Overall, since we started competing our best category has been brisket.
 
I haven't gotten a call on anything, so perhaps all four are my most difficult. :oops:

I find getting great flavor throughout the pork is my most difficult task. I have a new recipe for injection that I need to try out, so to see if that works out any better. I think that is my worst category.

In the last two years (since I started competing) my ribs have been my best. I have gotten good results recently with brisket. But I have not improved on pork, so that is what I need to focus on now.

Good luck on your first competition! It can be fun and frustrating all at the same time
 
Last edited:
I am only responsible for two of the meats on my team - ribs and pork. I'd say that of the two, pork is the most challenging for me. Finding all of the "just right" pieces to turn in can be tough. There's plenty of pork to dig through, even on a well trimmed butt, and it can get a little confusing on which pieces are the right ones to put in the box. I believe I've got a lot to learn when it comes to competition pork. And, well, lots to learn for ribs, too.
 
At the start of last year, brisket was the toughest category and chicken was the best category. By the end of the year, chicken was the toughest category and brisket was the best category. :thumb:
 
We're all over the place with all of the categories, but pork is the only category we haven't gotten a top 5 call in. I think it's dumb luck on the others.
 
Its funny that at home people rave about my chicken, but in Comps its my worst category. Not that I have a huge number of comps under my belt but chicken has proven to be challenging.
 
When I started it was brisket, now it is ribs. Chicken is very consistent and our best category. Pork is decent, but it is my least favorite box, it just takes longer to put together and more decisions to make than the other three.
 
at this point all are tough for me as I am still a newb; however, I'd say ribs at this point. Haven't been as consistent as I know I can be. chicken would be next. did great at my first comp. replicated that pretty darn close again at a comp and didn't do great.
 
My toughest category is the one I think I cooked best at each competition. Never fails to be my lowest call :roll:

Seriously though, it varies. Just when you think you've figured out what the judges want, you cook it the same way that got calls and it ends up finished 20th. Last season it was pork.
 
Chicken is hands down our least consistent category, but pork is slowly creeping up on that. We seem to be all over the place on chicken according to scores; although, we use the same recipe week to week (or did...we have a new one, and method, to try for this season). We were really strong in pork two seasons ago, and the start of last season, but it slowly fell off and became a problem area for us with no real understanding of why.

Ribs is our best as we consistently do well in that category.
 
I feel:
Chicken is the hardest to figure out, but then when one does discover a technic/recipe that works for them - it's the easiest to replicate each comp.

Ribs is easiest to undercook/overcook, error on side of overcooking

Pork is pretty much all good unless it sucks. But it takes great pork to score well consistantly.

Brisket, of all the meats, can be impacted the most based just on the piece of meat. One brisket does it thing perfectly, the next brisket requires the cook to be part magician to make it marginal. How some teams can be consistant with brisket is beyond remarkable.
 
Last edited:
Chicken has the greatest chance to go sideways, your trying to cook 12 to 30 pieces of meat from 12 to 30 different animals and try to make each one identicle in size, shape, tenderness. The only plus is you get to control taste profile (mostly).
Ed
 
Chicken takes the least amount to cook a few minutes it can go either way.
 
Whole Hog is my toughest category. I'm now able to get all the parts done at the same time (shoulders/hams/loin/etc) without anything dried out or mushy, but getting the skin crispy (a judging factor) is still my challenge.
 
They are all tough!!... with all the classes out there, it's became easier to master each category. I remember 10 years ago, ribs were a crap shoot because everyone cut their teeth on them, and everyone had good ribs, Pork has always been up in the air, but for chicken and brisket, you pretty much knew before awards who were going to walk on those.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
Mystery Meat Ideas
2
Replies
26
Views
2K
BackYardRob
BackYardRob
J
Has the interest in BBQ contests dried up?
Replies
10
Views
431
Brandon_Lutz
B
F
Highest Brisket Temp?
Replies
16
Views
553
SmokeOCD
S
C
Competition timing question
Replies
7
Views
625
thirdeye
thirdeye
Maylar
What's a rotisserie good for?
Replies
8
Views
673
txsmkmstr
T
Back
Top