The very first thing judges note when sending in the sample is appearance. No matter what — barbecue is all about taste — but the look is an important part of setting up the expectation.
The panelists agreed that entries have to be seriously prepared and presented with no sloppily arranged
sauce pools or overtly charred meat—not because presentation is important,
but because sloppy sauce pools are distracting or off putting. The meat should be indicative of proper smoking or good cooking — a deep, even smoke ring on brisket, a rich mahogany bark on ribs, and so on.
Uniformity of slice is just as important. Judges look for clean consistent cuts and skills, for example are there certain skills in the haircut,
is the haircut paying attention to detail. For instance, all judges should be able to judge brisket slices by texture and moisture easily given that slices are of equal thickness.
The cooking temperature shall allow no meat to be burnt off or dry, as it is an indicator that the pitmaster controlled his cooking temperature.
In a nutshell, neat and pleasing presentation shows professionalism and respect for the job of the judge.
The flavor: Barbecue excellence is in the flavor.
One’s entry can’t have a bad flavor, as this is what defines any barbecue contest entry and also determines a large portion of the judges’ scores.
They desire to accomplish the blend between smoke intensity, seasoning, sauce, and natural flavor of the meat itself.
The rub seasoning should not overpower but complement and be definitely on the side of the meat and bring out the meat unique qualities not making the meat lose itself.
Extreme situations are very sensitive to judges. It can cover too much flavor, or too many different flavors at once, i.e. have overly salty,
spicy or sweet profiles. Additionally, low scores might result from not enough smoke or tasteless seasoning among others. A good entry has layers of flavor,
which continue to bloom in each bite, from underlining smokiness to play off a well rounded rub and a sauce that amps up rather than overtakes.
This balance is not easy to achieve and requires one to practice, know a precise ratio of ingredients and have great control over the smoking process.
Ideal Texture for Each Cut
Barbecue quality can be measured for the tenderness side. But one must keep in mind that every type of meat has its own expectations regarding the tenderness, so it is important to understand where those boundaries lie. Judges are looking for a brisket that bends easily and not apart completely. This means that the connective tissue (the muscle fibers themselves) have melted and with it, the muscle fibers release a juicy, tender texture.
The meat should pull cleanly from the bone, not fall off too easily, from the ribs. The fact that the ribs can be pulled off is an indication that the ribs have been cooked to the ideal doneness, which means they have all the moisture and are tender enough to be easily bitten into. For pulled pork, you’ll want pork shoulder or Boston butt which should easily shred without being dry or tough.
It’s a fine balance of achieving the right tenderness, which takes perfect control over both cooking time and temperature. Both, over cooking the meat can make it dry and crumbly and under cooked meat will be chewy and tough. These textural differences are trained to be recognized by judges — they rate accordingly.
