Barbecue judging criteria

[TAPrice]

I've always been curious about how barbecue competitions are judged. Are there specific criteria that judges look for in each type of meat? How are the various criteria weighed? And does sauce matter?

Anyone who's been a judge want to spill the beans?

[Chris Amirault]

And how are different styles treated? If you're judging in a North Carolina contest, for example, how do you handle Texas cue?

[TAPrice]

If you're judging in a North Carolina contest, for example, how do you handle Texas cue?

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My guess is that in the Carolinas you feed that Texas stuff to the dogs.

But seriously, the regional variations in judging criteria would also be interesting to know. Not knowing much about the barbecue circuit, I don't know if there are competitions that incorporate various regional styles.

[Fat Guy]

Jeffrey Steingarten discussed this in a piece he did way back when. He judged a barbecue competition. There was a film that explained to the judges how to evaluate the meat, etc. I recall that Steingarten implied that not all the judges actually watched the film or took the standards seriously.

[TAPrice]

Jeffrey Steingarten discussed this in a piece he did way back when. He judged a barbecue competition. There was a film that explained to the judges how to evaluate the meat, etc. I recall that Steingarten implied that not all the judges actually watched the film or took the standards seriously.

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Do you know if this got collected in one of his book?

[Fat Guy]

Now you're asking the hard questions. Let me see if I can track it down.

[Fat Guy]

Yes, it's the chapter "Going Whole Hog" in the Man Who Ate Everything collection.

[chileheadmike]

I've always been curious about how barbecue competitions are judged. Are there specific criteria that judges look for in each type of meat? How are the various criteria weighed? And does sauce matter?

Anyone who's been a judge want to spill the beans?

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Depends on the sanctioning body. I'm a certifed judge for KCBS and have judged several of their competitions. There are three criteria

Appearance (does it look like something you would want to eat, should not be confused with presentation)

Texture/tenderness

Taste

The judge give each a score between 2 and 9, 9 being the highest. 1 is reserved for disqualifed. 6 is average.

[johnnyd]

Last August the Maine State Barbecue challenge brought contestants from as far away as St Louis. The competition used the Kansas City Barbecue Society rules & regulations (PDF).

I pulled up a couple pics from my visit that day,

Entries are recorded in the judges tent:

As chiliheadmike said, appearance is a big factor,

KCBS has special placemats for the judges. Criteria, perhaps?

Plating in progress,

A winning entry - four of six judges posted 9-9-9's - in the steak category,

Yeah, I'm getting hungry too...

[chileheadmike]

Nice pictures. There are generally four catagories for KCBS events: Chicken, ribs(pork spares or baby backs), pork butt, and brisket. Sometimes they have sausage. I've never seen steak, as it isn't really barbecue. Looks good though.

Each judge is given a placemat and scorecard for each catagory. The placemat has 6 separate squares on it. Each team provides a box of at least 6 separate servings of each meat. There are 6 judges to a table, plus one table captain. Chicken is first meat to be judged. The table captain opens each box and shows the judges. The judges then write the score on the scorecard. Once all boxes have been scored for appearnce, they are passed around, and a piece is placed on the teams corresponding square on the placemat.

Judges taste each piece and score for tenderness/texture and taste.

All the scorecards are gathered and the results are tabulated. There is a weighting system. I don't have the formulas with me, but taste is approximately double weighted.

[Chris Amirault]

So what's the ideal taste? Or texture? We've had a gazillion discussions, for example, about rib meat toothiness and the connection between bone and meat (fall off? just barely holdin' on? grasping tightly?). Are there guidelines to these more subjective criteria?

[chileheadmike]

So what's the ideal taste? Or texture? We've had a gazillion discussions, for example, about rib meat toothiness and the connection between bone and meat (fall off? just barely holdin' on? grasping tightly?). Are there guidelines to these more subjective criteria?

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Taste is subjective, its what tastes good to you. That's why 6 different judges taste every entry.

For ribs, we were taught that falling off the bone is overcooked. That the meat should tug cleanly off the bone.

[Kent Wang]

I should add that barbecue contests are only compatible with styles of barbecue that can be cooked on mobile equipment. The Central Texas style of cooking in huge, immobile concrete pits, therefore, cannot be judged this way.

[JimH]

I should add that barbecue contests are only compatible with styles of barbecue that can be cooked on mobile equipment. The Central Texas style of cooking in huge, immobile concrete pits, therefore, cannot be judged this way.

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I'm confused, why not? Those immobile concrete pits are operated like offset pits, heat & smoke flow from one end, over the meat, to the other. Cooking time & temperature would be the same for both. The biggest difference between the two would be the seasoning & saucing. CT BBQ does not rely heavily on either but could still be judged (favorably) on appearence, texture, taste etc.