pork rule question?

[rookiedad]

do you feel the new pork rule has made the money muscle the grail of yesteryear in the pork catagory now that it is easier to get it out at proper temperature? if so, what is the new focus of judges while judging the pork box? chuncks, perhaps? also i saw photos of a largre sliced muscle that was presented as the money muscle, but it looked like it came from the interior. any comments on this?

 

[bbq.tom]

Talk in the judges tent still revolves mostly around the MM for pork (at least in the SE). Not that it is required, but that just seems to be the most commonly found item in a pork box. Still seeing a few boxes that are mostly pulled pork, but I'd say that about 75% - 87.3% of the boxes have MM. Many more boxes are including chunks this year, but seems that chunks (and tubes) go with MM more than not.

I have seen a few boxes with some slices of round muscle that is about 4-5" in diameter (usually with a fat streak through them).

Whatever is in the box is what I judge. NOT what I expect to be in the box!

 

[mobow]

Money muscle is definitely more frequently included than it was. Pulled and or chunks are also almost always present as well. Very rare to see pulled by itself anymore. Keith

 

[sslak]

I think it mainly prevented people from under cooking whole butts just to get MM in the texture they wanted - thus it prevents a whole lot of wasted meat.

I think it's a good change, and evens the field for teams that didn't want to spend the money to cook two or three whole butts for each event just to slice off the MM on a couple of them.

 

[tduffy]

I dont think it's changed anything.

 

[djqualls]

I prep and cook my pork the same way this year as I have in years past.
The rule had no effect on my profile or technique.

 

[Gowan]

Here in Georgia, money muscle has been in 85% of the pork boxes at KCBS events for years. Haven't seen any indications of that changing in 2014.

 

[Weberlamp]

Has not changed how we cook. Even with the rule change still have to cook it well and make it taste good, still a lot of variables to contend with.

 

[tduffy]

I prep and cook my pork the same way this year as I have in years past.
The rule had no effect on my profile or technique.

Same here.