Specialty Chefs category is known for innovation when preparing numerous meals as you will soon learn from this write up. This category will only be for chefs who go an extra mile, try something unique, new techniques or new implements, new recipes or new products to prepare varieties of barbecued dishes. Though the slow cooking technique as practiced by most barbecues is retained, the new generation specialty chefs operate more freely by cross pollinating the flavor and techniques of cooking of the finalized product and the manner of serving it.
In this section, the judges weigh how far these chefs push barbecue away from a standard yet how closely they succeed in the paradigms that create unfairness in barbecuing — smoke, spice and taste.
The dishes that can make part of this category can be foods that prepare offal, seafood, exotic meats, fusion and minimum preparation foods or those foods which apply draftsmanship techniques such as sous-vide smoking or reverse searing. Some of those specialty chefs are more apt to take flavors from other forms of cooking, such as Asian or Mediterranean and completely revolutionize what traditional barbeque is while still making it extremely delicious.
Hence the Specialty Chefs category has been always interesting at this event as it opens space for creation. This is where attendees will be given information on how they could transform the style in which BBQ foods and beverages are presented and cooked- new instruments utensils, spices or concepts. For example, in one year it would be expected of the competition that chefs cook using such techniques as molecular gastronomy like barbecued infused ice cream, while in another year chefs are grilling sushi or sweets. This category is just the next step or even exaggeration of the Barbecue grilling.
Judging Criteria
The Barbecue Battle Judging Criteria are intended to leave no stone unturned to leave no single aspect of competition’s barbecue dish unscrutinized, more impartially of course. The alla-pit judges have various important elements we will learn about our judges involving pitmasters, cooks, critics as well as fans involving foodophiles and even stars. In effect, these judges respect the process of barbecuing and the skills of producing right combination that creates that plate. Three main aspects which every food item is assessed are the Taste, consistency, and the appearance. We will describe every category in more detail as well as their impact on the summary scores.
