Question...If a barbeque team wins Memphis in May...or another
cook-off, is winning the championship based just on the taste of the "Q"
or is it based on a combination of Taste,showmanship & presentation???
Is it a combination of those points that makes a winner??? Thanks!!
Mark

Mark wrote:
> Question...If a barbeque team wins Memphis in May...or
> another cook-off, is winning the championship based just
> on the taste of the "Q" or is it based on a combination
> of Taste,showmanship & presentation??? Is it a
> combination of those points that makes a winner???
> Thanks!! Mark

I can't answer for MIM, but most other BBQ championships are based on
appearance, texture and taste in the four main categories of Pork,
Brisket, Chicken and Ribs.

The JackDaniels and the American Royal use KCBs Rules.

You could search for the MIM website. They will have their criteria
listed somewhere on the site.

BOB

Mark wrote:
> Question...If a barbeque team wins Memphis in May...or
> another cook-off, is winning the championship based just
> on the taste of the "Q" or is it based on a combination
> of Taste,showmanship & presentation??? Is it a
> combination of those points that makes a winner???
> Thanks!! Mark

This should give you more information than you'll ever need about MIM:
http://www.memphisinmay.org/pdf/05bbqapp.pdf

You need Adobe Acrobat Reader(free) to view the .pdf file

BOB

Thanks for the reply. I found
this:http://www.bbqjudge.com/webpages/mim_handbook.htm
I haven't read it thru but will. The reason I am asking this there is a
local "Q" hotspot called "17th Street Bar & Grill" They profess winning
'Memphis in May". Most of the locals think that the Q sucks, me
included. The "out-of-towners" rave about it. More or less a prestige
thing like "I ate at 17th Street". Big deal..LOL There are allot off
local mom and pop places that have just as good Q and at allot lower
price....Oh Well. What I want to find out is it a combination of points
that makes you a winner and not JUST the taste of the "Q". Thanks! Mark
BOB wrote:
>
> Mark wrote:
> > Question...If a barbeque team wins Memphis in May...or
> > another cook-off, is winning the championship based just
> > on the taste of the "Q" or is it based on a combination
> > of Taste,showmanship & presentation??? Is it a
> > combination of those points that makes a winner???
> > Thanks!! Mark
>
> I can't answer for MIM, but most other BBQ championships are based on
> appearance, texture and taste in the four main categories of Pork,
> Brisket, Chicken and Ribs.
>
> The JackDaniels and the American Royal use KCBs Rules.
>
> You could search for the MIM website. They will have their criteria
> listed somewhere on the site.
>
> BOB

Mark wrote:
> BOB wrote:
>> Mark wrote:
>>> Question...If a barbeque team wins Memphis in May...or
>>> another cook-off, is winning the championship based just
>>> on the taste of the "Q" or is it based on a combination
>>> of Taste,showmanship & presentation??? Is it a
>>> combination of those points that makes a winner???
>>> Thanks!! Mark
>>
>> I can't answer for MIM, but most other BBQ championships
>> are based on appearance, texture and taste in the four
>> main categories of Pork, Brisket, Chicken and Ribs.
>>
>> The JackDaniels and the American Royal use KCBs Rules.
>>
>> You could search for the MIM website. They will have
>> their criteria listed somewhere on the site.
>>
>> BOB

> Thanks for the reply. I found
> this:http://www.bbqjudge.com/webpages/mim_handbook.htm
> I haven't read it thru but will. The reason I am asking
> this there is a local "Q" hotspot called "17th Street Bar
> & Grill" They profess winning 'Memphis in May". Most of
> the locals think that the Q sucks, me included. The
> "out-of-towners" rave about it. More or less a prestige
> thing like "I ate at 17th Street". Big deal..LOL There
> are allot off local mom and pop places that have just as
> good Q and at allot lower price....Oh Well. What I want
> to find out is it a combination of points that makes you
> a winner and not JUST the taste of the "Q". Thanks! Mark

You have to remember that competition cooking is absolutely nothing like
commercial restuarant cooking which is completely different from back yard
cooking. Three completely different things.
In competition, the teams buy the best cuts of the best meats that they
can find. This would be prohibitively expensive in a restuarant where the
bottom line is to make a profit. The "17th Street Bar & Grill" has their
following. They are (likely) making money from the tourists, whether it
is good food or not.
As far as I know, if they say that they have won MIM (or any other
contest), it has to be true, *BUT* they aren't necessarily using the same
technique that they didi when they won. The winning team members may not
even work for "17th Street Bar & Grill" now or ever. Maybe "17th Street
Bar & Grill" only sponsored them?

BOB

BOB wrote:

> As far as I know, if they say that they have won MIM (or any other
> contest), it has to be true, *BUT* they aren't necessarily using the same
> technique that they didi when they won. The winning team members may not
> even work for "17th Street Bar & Grill" now or ever. Maybe "17th Street
> Bar & Grill" only sponsored them?
>
> BOB

Considering they haven't been in competition since 1994, chances are the
Q is different and more 'commercialized' I've known a few joints to lose
the flavor over the years, no doubt because of streamlining the
technique to improve throughput.

However, I've never had their 'Q. I wish the OP would comment on what
they didn't like about it. I know that many it is not uncommon for a
person that is used to vinegar based sauce to dislike sweet tomato based
sauce (or vice versa)

-CAL

> BOB wrote:
> > As far as I know, if they say that they have won MIM (or any other
> > contest), it has to be true, *BUT* they aren't necessarily using the
same
> > technique that they did when they won. The winning team members may not
> > even work for "17th Street Bar & Grill" now or ever. Maybe "17th Street
> > Bar & Grill" only sponsored them?
> >
>CAL wrote:
> that ...it is not uncommon for a
> person that is used to vinegar based sauce to dislike sweet tomato based
> sauce (or vice versa)
================================================== ==
Can't comment much about "contests" and the like, but it seems to me that if
you
Q ribs (or most anything else) in a smoky pit with good rubs and the like,
you can
count on having a fine response to whatever BBQ sauce you like (or that
others
like) thereafter. The sauce I prefer and that my "eaters" seem to go for
OK, is
sort of like a combination of eastern Carolina style "vinegar" based stuff
and the
kind of Texas style BBQ sauce that we seem to like so well over here...
some tomato
stuff, lots of spices, some vinegar or lemon juice, and some nice zesty
mustard as well, and
add to that either some molasses or brown sugar... but don't slop it onto
your Q during
the smoking. Rub is for the smoking. Sauce is for later.

Best to all,
Gus Kilthau, Houston, Texas

We like a fruity Q' sauce.a little pineapple juice,a little lemon
juice,spices and some moes bbq sauce mixed together.