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Thoughts from a brand new CBJ

5/29/2011

6 Comments

 
I remember the very first BBQ competition that I judged.  It was in Marshalltown, Iowa way back in June of 2007 (geez, I'm on my 5th year already!) and I was one nervous puppy, let me tell you.

I'd cooked with a team (Q'n for Fun) 4 or 5 times by now and I thought that I knew what good BBQ was supposed to look & taste like.  The fact that I couldn't make it look or taste like that is beside the point. :>)

I was judging with my buddy, John, who is a Master CBJ and a comp cook and he's the one that got me started in this sport/hobby/obsession.  We got there early enough to get seats at the same table and he started introducing me to some of the judges that he knew.  I made it a point to introduce myself to the Reps and our Table Captain and let them know that they had a newbie in the house.  I asked the T.C. to keep an eye on my scores and let me know if I was way off from the other judges' scores because I didn't want to be giving 6s and 7s if everyone else thought it should be 8s & 9s or vice versa.

Now, I'd been warned that there would be 2 to 3 pounds of food put in front of me that day so I had better not eat breakfast and pace myself if I didn't want to be overly stuffed before we were done judging.  BUT ..... when that first chicken box opened and the tantalizing smell hit my nose - well, it was all that I could do not to grab that box from the Table Captain & dig right in.  Somehow I managed to restrain myself, but it wasn't easy!  After we got all 6 samples on our plates it was time to taste, evaluate & score each entry.  And that, my friends, is a whole lot harder than it sounds.  We had some thighs that must have been dipped in honey (I'm not big on sweets) and we had sliced chicken breast that was very moist & tender. One was tough and dry.  Each entry has to be judged on its own merits "as presented by the cook" and no comparing entries to each other! I did the very best that I could do to judge each entry fairly and to the best of my ability.

As a cook, I knew how much time, work and money went into these contests, and as a judge I'm not supposed to think of this.  The only thing that I'm supposed to worry about is this a good example of what the cook was trying to create?  I must have done ok because our Table Captain said that my scores were right there with the other judges most of the time.
 
I think that I learned more from talking to the other judges in between categories than I did in the judges' class.  After 50 or so contests I'm sure that I learned more by talking to the other judges.  "What did you think of number three?", "Number six was all about chili powder - nothing else!", "Number two was one of the best ribs that I've had all year!", "Number four was going good with his sliced and pulled pork - then he ruined it with those chunks!".  Like I said, you can get an education at a judging table.

One of the big surprises, at least to me, was that there were a few entries that just flat out were not what I would call competition quality.  Not many, but still a few.  At the time I wondered why anyone would turn in something like that after paying the entry fee, buying the meat, doing all of that work - why, why, why? 

Now, five years and 50 contests later, I understand that sometimes things just don't go right no matter what you do, but you're gonna keep on trying until you get it right.

-- Dave
6 Comments

Getting the Fire Started

5/16/2011

3 Comments

 
Hello out there!  This is the first time that I've tried this "blog" business, so bear with me,ok?

I'm into my fifth year of KCBS judging and it's still about the best "hobby" that a guy could have.  Think about it;  I get to travel around the midwest visiting with some of the nicest people in the country and eating BBQ that John Q. Public can only dream about. 

I started this journey when a buddy of mine by the name of John Parks (Q'n for Fun BBQ Team), who was a Master CBJ even way back then, invited me to a comp that he was cooking in State Center, Iowa.  I hung out all that day helping where I could but mainly getting in the way of John & his wife, Mary.  Then came another comp & I went with John on Friday morning, setting up EZ-ups, hauling water, unloading smokers, lifting that bale, toting that barge, etc.  After we got all set up we had a chance to go out & visit with the other cooking teams. We had a few beers, met a lot of new friends, tasted some of the side dishes that everyone seems to do sooo well!  Then it was back to "our" spot, starting the cookers, getting dinner going, doing the final preps on the compition meats, eating, loading the big meats in the cookers, but this time I wasn't in the way so much!  By the time that my third comp came around I was actually helping John & Mary a bit instead of getting in thier way. 

After I had helped (?) out at 2 or 3 comps I took the CBJ class at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa that was taught by Mike & Theresa Lake.  We learned what was expected of us as judges, how to tell if the box contained illegal meat or garnish, what the scoring system meant, how the KCBS defines different meats, what the Table Captains & Reps jobs are and a whole bunch of other things that a judge really needs to know.  What we did NOT learn was anything about a "flavor profile" or how an entry "should" taste - that's all very subjective for each judge.  We're NOT supposed to judge as to what we like, but rather to judge if this was a good example of the style that the cook was trying achieve.

And what could be the most important thing of all - at least to a cook - judging the box "as presented" by the cook.  To me that means that if it's in the box it's gonna get judged!  When you build that pork box you'd better make sure that the slices, chunks or pulled is "up to snuff" or leave that part out of the box.  It also means that if you turn in wings, then I should ask myself if these are some dang fine wangs, not beotch that I didn't get the candied thighs that seems to be the norm.  It's all about "As presented by the cook".

That's it for this episode of a newbie cook turning into a newbie judge - see ya later!

-- Dave Compton

Editors Note: Here is a video of Dave Compton giving a lesson on how to smoke cheese. I've had the pleasure to experience Dave's cheese at several BBQ contests. Tasty stuff! Very interesting video, too. Enjoy! HK

3 Comments
    Picture

    Dave Compton
    June 5, 1948 - Dec 19, 2020

    Dave Compton wrote this blog prior to being elected to the Kansas City Board of Directors. Hope you enjoy reading Dave's thoughts and opinions on BBQ.

    When Dave passed away in 2020, it was sad to see him go. On a positive note, Dave is now with our Lord & Savior Jesus in Heaven.

    One day we will meet again, my friend. - HK

    DAVE'S BBQ BIO:

    KCBS Master BBQ Judge

    Competition Cook

    Judged over 100 BBQ Competitions

    KCBS Board Member and served on KCBS committees including
    Philanthropy and
    Rules Committee.

    Known as Judge#6

    Loved making Smoked Cheese and shared with judges & cooks.

    Big sense of humor
    Big Heart
    Loved by all!


    VIDEO: Dave Compton recites the Judge's Oath at a contest in Nevada, Iowa and judges his 100th contest.

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