totally Raw/uncooked turn in @ Troy Pig Out, Troy NY, 7/20,14

[DawgPhan]

meh...the whole qualifier system is weird.

Blanket state championship proclamations are way worse than the fake team to get to 25.

 

[BBQchef33]

i dont see the problem. Something was entered and appropriately scored by the judges. It really doesnt matter what or why it was entered because no matter what, the DAL would be in effect. Parted, uncooked, foreign object in box, whatever, result would be the same. IMO, this is no different than someone sending in undercooked chicken that judges deem inedible at the judging table when the juices are bloody.

The last minute team thing has been going on for years. If thats a problem(generally) that someone feels need to be addressed, then take it to the board with a solution.


that being said.. IMO, it was a dumb move. If you want to make a statement or joke of a hopeless entry, OK fine. Roll it in the grass and send it in on a bed of sand, but theres more creative ways than turning in raw which can contaminate or make someone sick. ... :twisted:


edited to be more clear.

 

[polishdon]

I was not there but my teammate was. Apparently this team only planned on doing ribs and chicken. They were told they needed to hand in all 4, even if raw. Another team gave them a butt and this is what happened.

I don't understand why you would pay the entrance fee if you only intend on doing 2 meats. But to each their own.

I Also don't know why you would encourage anyone to hand in raw meat, that's wrong and potentially dangerous.

 

[tugbone]

We were there in troylet and there was talk about a couple teams that were more interested in peoples choice than the kcbs part of the cook and since we were a team shy heard yanni stepped up to make it a 25 team cook very cool guy by the way. Also at cooks meeting it was said that all teams must turn in food in every category to keep it a qualifier status. One of said teams only had a 22 kettle to cook on.

 

[goodsmokebbq]

I was right in the middle of this so here is what happened:

The team in question was a volunteer involved with the event. He was asked by the organizer and reps to compete so the event could keep its qualifier status as a couple teams backed out / couldn't make it. He only wanted to do chicken and ribs. The reps and organizers said that they needed him to do all four and that is when the raw thing came in. The reps specifically said that turning in raw pork is ok and would count for qualifier status. Same with brisket which they said he could even grind up and make burgers, though I am not sure what he did in this category.

I actually donated a left over raw pork butt for him, thinking that he would actually cook it, but it seems he took the reps advise.

I do thank the volunteer for stepping up and giving it a shot. The reps and organizers did what they could to make sure the event was a qualifier, but how far is to far?

 

[rickv14623]

I was right in the middle of this so here is what happened:

The team in question was a volunteer involved with the event. He was asked by the organizer and reps to compete so the event could keep its qualifier status as a couple teams backed out / couldn't make it. He only wanted to do chicken and ribs. The reps and organizers said that they needed him to do all four and that is when the raw thing came in. The reps specifically said that turning in raw pork is ok and would count for qualifier status. Same with brisket which they said he could even grind up and make burgers, though I am not sure what he did in this category.

I actually donated a left over raw pork butt for him, thinking that he would actually cook it, but it seems he took the reps advise.

I do thank the volunteer for stepping up and giving it a shot. The reps and organizers did what they could to make sure the event was a qualifier, but how far is to far?

If you are talking about the KCBS reps then how dare they act surprised/shocked when it happened. How dare anyone tell a team it is ok to turn in raw food? KCBS cd that is played lists cooking temp. Did they knowingly encourage rule violation and endanger judges?

 

[chromestacks]

Wow! This is really making me think twice about going back to Troy! I have always like this venue as it is the closest to home I get. The staff and organizers usually do a nice job. I completely understand trying to keep it a qualifier although, so what if it is not. I have paid my entry fee many times to a contest that is not a qualifier. Of course we have never GC for one reason or another. Last year I got completely spanked at troy and drove home thinking what the fark??? It was the best cook we ever had and the food was excellent. darn near DAL in every category. I was looking forward to this year to redeem our status. Unfortunately that did not happen. I also don't understand why they had so much trouble getting teams this year. this contest usually fills 4-6 weeks in advance. maybe because there were two other contests near by? There is usually 30-34 teams at this event. All I can say is wow! Wow!

 

[BBQchef33]

< Open unsolicited wise ass comment>

thats just dumb... if all they had was a kettle, butterfly it and grill it and turn in a pork chop..

<Close unsolicited wise ass comment>

:mrgreen:

 

[ModelMaker]

A few years ago in Marshalltown IA I was TCing and got to brisket and my last box felt really,really light, as I opened it for appearence score a big wiff of doughnut hit me. I looked in the box from upside down and here was a funnel cake! I hollered for the Rep and he says "oh, I know whos' that is". Seems to vend there you have to turn in the 4 meats and he didn't want to cook a brisket.
Never brought it back for us either.
I think as long as no harm is done to any team, shananigans are what they are.
Ed

 

[CBQ]

I also don't understand why they had so much trouble getting teams this year.

The organizers created that problem for themselves. They moved the contest date so it fell on the same day as the auto-qualifier in RI. Many of the teams in RI have cooked Troy in the past - ourselves included.

 

[CBQ]

How dare anyone tell a team it is ok to turn in raw food?

Sounds like it was a team decision to do that. They could have just turned in the wrong cooked meat, or maybe no meat at all (donut?) and get DQ'd for that. From a safely point of view, they would have been better off to just toss a leftover rib in the box and be done with it.

 

[CBQ]

Did this team pay an entry fee and pass an inspection?

A team in Stamford two weeks ago told the reps that they were intending to enter the contest with only 2 meats. (It was announced at the cook's meeting that this team was doing this.) It was a local backyard team that had cooked in Westport before, and wanted to try their hand at doing the same categories against a KCBS field.

I would imagine they could only have passed the inspection by declaring their intentions up front. With only 20 teams there, qualification was not an issue.

 

[HarleyGirl14226]

I also don't understand why they had so much trouble getting teams this year. this contest usually fills 4-6 weeks in advance. maybe because there were two other contests near by? There is usually 30-34 teams at this event. All I can say is wow! Wow!

As Chris said, the organizer changed the date - which caused the conflict with the RI auto-qualifier, as well as another contest in Warren, PA - which pulled teams from the WNY region that may have gone to Troy instead...

 

[Rookie'48]

I was at a contest last year where the cook told the Rep that he was turning in his chicken but it was almost raw and he didn't want the judges to get sick. The Rep then brought that box to my table and told us what had happened. The Rep showed us the box to score for Appearance and we all deemed the meat to be "inedible" and gave it a 2 in both Taste and Tenderness.

To me, at least in this instance, the cook showed some class in that he didn't want to get a zero for no entry but also he had the decency not to endanger the judges' health. By the way, there were plenty of teams at this contest so the "qualifier" part didn't matter.

 

[Bentley]

So how did his pork do in Peoples Choice?

 

[mchar69]

After what I've read in this and other comp threads,
the ONLY reason I'd do comps is to make friends.
But then - no-one wants to be friends
with DFL in all categories!

 

[Red Valley BBQ]

As Chris said, the organizer changed the date - which caused the conflict with the RI auto-qualifier, as well as another contest in Warren, PA - which pulled teams from the WNY region that may have gone to Troy instead...

Let's not forget this was a Sat-Sun comp. That's the reason why I won't consider Troy and the same reason I wouldn't cook Brockport. It's too hard for me to cook Saturday night, clean up and drive 300+ miles home on Sunday so I can be at work on Monday.

The reps and organizers should be ashamed of themselves for these antics, even if they are within the "rules." Grabbing a volunteer to cook the contest to make it a qualifier is a slap in the face to the organizers that run a "legit" comp. The Warren, PA comp struggled to get teams and at one point were within 2 teams of being a qualifier. To my knowledge there were no inquisitions to the teams or volunteers to create teams to make it a qualifier. They were short teams, but kept the integrity of the of the comp intact by working with the 21 teams that showed. When a team chooses to pay their entry fee for a comp, they take their chances on whether enough teams show to make it a qualifier. Should I feel slighted that the organizers/reps of the Warren comp didn't bend the rules so that it would be a qualifier? What about the other 20 teams? I realize a team had to back out of Troy because of mechanical issues, but chit happens sometimes. It sucks that it happens, but to create a team to fill that void and then tell them that turning in raw pork is within the rules so that it can be a Jack qualifier is just wrong.

Congrats to Jacked Up for the GC, :thumb: and I hope the organizers/reps shenanigans hold up so they get a bung in the hat.

 

[Vince RnQ]

During the pork competition, my table had an entry that was just totally raw (uncooked at all) pork in the box.

From the 2014 Jack Daniels Qualifying Criteria
Established contests that have a “state championship” proclamation must have a minimum of 25 competing teams. Teams must have cooked, turned-in, and been judged in the required categories.

What is in question here? The meat was "totally raw (uncooked at all)" and The Jack criteria requires the meat to be "cooked".

Debate the fairness or logic of the criteria all you want but it is pretty clear that the required criteria wasn't met by all 25 teams in all categories.

 

[Collector-X]

I've been in the same situation. Showed up to judge, but there were only 24 teams and because I was a previous competitor they knew I could cook. Entry fee was waived and the KCBS reps said as long as I had my own area and wasn't sharing space or equipment they would allow me to cook and make it a qualifier but I had to do all 4 meats.

I was loaned everything. One team basically had a 2nd complete backup setup with canopy, tables, utensils and everything. I was loaned a smoker from another team and other teams donated meat for me to cook. 1 butt, 1 flat, 8 pieces of chicken and 1 rack of ribs. I also borrowed some rub from a fellow cook.

In the end, I actually beat my buddy with his own rub and took 4th overall and also took 1st in pork butt. Needless to say, he has never let me "borrow" anything again. hehehe

I couldn't believe the scores as they came in. I was just as surprised as everyone else, but it just goes to show, that if you have your techniques down, you really can cook on anything at anytime, anywhere. As I didn't have to pay an entry fee it was bonus. At the next competition however, I did give every team that donated items for me to cook with at that contest $100 to say thanks.

 

[BeastMode]

I've been in the same situation. Showed up to judge, but there were only 24 teams and because I was a previous competitor they knew I could cook. Entry fee was waived and the KCBS reps said as long as I had my own area and wasn't sharing space or equipment they would allow me to cook and make it a qualifier but I had to do all 4 meats.

I was loaned everything. One team basically had a 2nd complete backup setup with canopy, tables, utensils and everything. I was loaned a smoker from another team and other teams donated meat for me to cook. 1 butt, 1 flat, 8 pieces of chicken and 1 rack of ribs. I also borrowed some rub from a fellow cook.

In the end, I actually beat my buddy with his own rub and took 4th overall and also took 1st in pork butt. Needless to say, he has never let me "borrow" anything again. hehehe

I couldn't believe the scores as they came in. I was just as surprised as everyone else, but it just goes to show, that if you have your techniques down, you really can cook on anything at anytime, anywhere. As I didn't have to pay an entry fee it was bonus. At the next competition however, I did give every team that donated items for me to cook with at that contest $100 to say thanks.

I'm sorry but that's hard to believe. How can you just show up to judge and manage to cook all that in that little time? In my area judges typically meet around 10 AM. Turn in starts at noon. How did you turn everything in on time without using another team's already cooked meat?