Amateur KCBS help

[pmbasile06]

Hi all,

I have only done 1 KCBS amateur event in the past and they had supplied the meat. We are getting ready to compete in a new event this upcoming weekend and are required to bring our own meat. We need to turn in pork ribs and chicken thighs. My question deals with the pork ribs, in your experience, do St. Louis spares score better than baby backs or is there no difference? We are definitely more comfortable cooking baby backs but don’t want the scorecard to suffer because of that. Before we go pick up our meat, I wanted to ask if it would be a mistake to put baby backs in the box. Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

 

[thirdeye]

As long as your entry looks appealing, is cooked well, and is flavorful it should stand on it's own merit and be scored accordingly.

KCBS does have some judging guidelines for both chicken and ribs. And I assume most judges have completed the online JCUP courses. For example:

Chicken skin should be left in place, and it should not be rubbery or tough. The chicken itself should be moist and easy to bite through. Tenderness is based on mouthfeel and chewing experience.

Ribs: First bite should come away with a slight tug, but only where the bite was taken. Mouthfeel and chew should be a pleasant experience. Meat falling off the bone indicates tender, or overcooked meat.