Should cooks turn in 6 samples required or fill the box with more meat?

7/11/2014

QUESTION

For KCBS, is it better to fill the turn in box or to supply the minimum required, in this case enough for 6? I've heard some say the judges like to see a full box of meat while others not. Your thoughts?

David Van Way
Wayne, NJ

T G

7/11/2014 08:40:14 am

As a competitor, I always make sure to fill up my boxes as much as possible. A full box, to me, shows confidence.

Hank

7/11/2014 08:40:29 am

For me a fuller box is more appealing over a less populated turn-in

Dan KCBS CTC,MCBJ

7/11/2014 08:42:27 am

Speaking as CTC its nice to see more than six but you don't want to over fill. That is a fine line you will have to walk for each box.

Bob

7/11/2014 08:44:25 am

Food is the only reward for the volunteers and the Table Captains, so I suggest adding as much as possible while keeping the box attractive. The addition of more meat will often score the appearance higher as well.

Jeff

7/15/2014 11:30:01 pm

I agree. But there are mixed messages going on right now. I've judged at competitions where TCs and volunteers were forbidden to sample leftovers and judges told not to take any home. I've seen so much good food thrown in the trash. If organizers are going to enforce such rules, they should require only six samples per box.

Neil Buchwalter

7/11/2014 08:51:48 am

Love to see a full box.

Bill

7/11/2014 08:52:01 am

A full box looks better. When you don't put any more in than the bare minimum, I think you are sending the message that this was all you could salvage

Maria

7/11/2014 08:57:01 am

As a judge I think its always nice to have a little extra to view as well as choose from. Plus its nice to have a something extra for the Table Captains too! Just my opinion.

Todd Meyers

7/11/2014 08:58:46 am

As a judge, I don't award points for a full box or deduct points for the minimum. I judge only what is presented to me.

A judge who reads anything into a smaller box is a poor judge.

As a cook, I don't put it in the box if it's not top-notch. It's better to have a smaller box that's all excellent than to compromise just to pack the box.

steven - CBJ/KCBS

7/12/2014 12:09:35 pm

I couldn't have said this any better !!!!!!

Mark MCBJ/KCBS

7/27/2014 11:26:51 am

I agree with Todd a judge that deducts or gives more point depending on what they would like to see has forgotten their judge's training. Judge what's in box .

Robert F.

7/11/2014 09:10:07 am

Fill the box. Give every judge a choice, instead of the 6th having the choice made for them.

Vern V.

7/11/2014 09:14:05 am

A full box looks better if all is neatly placed...

mic

7/11/2014 09:19:29 am

As a judge, I judge what is in the box. Not what I think it should look like. Not what the others look like but what that one box looks like. 6 awesome pieces are as good as 12 awesome pieces. Judge the presentation not the perception.

Cullen

7/11/2014 09:20:12 am

I don't think one is better than the other. It has to do with overall presentation. I've seen overloaded boxes that looked great and overloaded boxes that looked horrible.

It can be difficult to get more than 6 ribs in, especially if you do a "Hollywood" cut. Make sure your boxes look great. That is the most important thing.

David Dornhoffer

7/11/2014 09:51:20 am

No.. there should not be more regs. One nice thing, though, about fuller boxes, totally unrelated to this, is it gives us more cue to give the TCs, reps and volunteers.

Doyle H. KCBS CMJ/CTC

7/11/2014 10:51:02 am

As a CMJ, I judge what ever is presented. full box? That depends on the category. Sometime more that 6 pieces of chicken is too crowded, however, ribs & brisket sometimes 6 isn't enough. I guess that would depend on how confident you are on your slices? 6 pieces and one isn't sliced through, well, someone didn't get something to sample and the cook just got a DQ. I like nice looking boxes without being crowded..........make sense?

joe

7/11/2014 11:12:40 am

Fill the box, it allows every judge to choose the piece they will evaluate. Stay on the positive side.

Seth

7/11/2014 11:21:22 am

Too much in a box could hurt you. As long as each judge can try the product, that is all that matters. A full box is nice, but remember we judge everything that is in the box. Yes it is nice to have extra product to share with TCs, reps and volunteers. I agree! If six pieces look incredible and the rest are not, why take the risk?

Larry (MCBJ)

7/11/2014 11:54:35 am

The cook puts what they want in the box. I simply judge what's in the box when opened. I don't imagine what should've or could've been placed in there. NOT my job or any judges. Doesn't matter if the judge "want's to see" burnt ends or sliced "money muscle." Folks need to just "get over it." Or, cook your own to be judged by everyone who criticize but never cooked a contest. Off my horse now...

Jim CBJ-SBN/KCBS

7/11/2014 02:46:39 pm

Yes, more than the minimum 6 is better. SBN requires 8 samples because the last judge to select meat has nothing to choose from in the case of ribs, chicken or brisket. With 8 samples, judge #6 still has three samples from which to select.

Jean

7/11/2014 03:05:31 pm

Yes more than 6 is better just for safe measure.

Eric KCBS CMBJ

7/11/2014 11:45:59 pm

As a Master Judge, I have seen many boxes of meat samples (about 1800 after a quick calculation). Some boxes look great with many samples and some look great with the standard number of samples. I judge only what is in the box presented to me per the rules – a conscious decision.

That being said, there is most likely a subconscious factor in my scoring decision. I consciously decide what score to give but if I am on the fence, who’s to say that, all other things being equal, a heavier box may or may not get the higher score with a little nudge from my subconscious? My gut tells me I would go higher. The TCs, reps, and volunteers all benefit from a fuller box.

If it is all the highest quality a cook can produce, I can only think of two downsides – a cracked box or a dropped box. (The TCs are usually very good about warning judges of heavy boxes so we handle it appropriately. Irrespective of the “no talking during judging rule”, I also warn the judge I’m passing to of a heavier than normal box since I don’t want to be involved in dropped box incident.)

However, if there is even one sample that looks inferior to the others, cooks should be aware that it might cost them my higher appearance score.

Finally, a heavier box “may” subconsciously affect my appearance score, but it has no impact on my taste or tenderness score.

Tom - CMJ/KCBS; CBJ/MBN,NCPC,NCBS,NCBBQA & comp cook

7/16/2014 08:19:23 am

As a judge, I look at what is presented and judge that without personal preference or bias as to what I "like". As a Certified Table Captain I like to see "more" in the box than what is required as I will the have the opportunity to try something myself.
A box that is fairly full often "looks" better than one with less, but when judging you are to judge what is presented, nothing more and nothing less.

Suteck

7/22/2014 04:33:23 am

If it's a good looking entry; It speaks for itself. If filling the box makes it look better...

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Should cooks turn in 6 samples required or fill the box with more meat?

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