Battle of Medina

[js-tx]

Any body going to be there weekend? It's too close to home for me to pass up. That and it's my 1st comp of the year for me, 2nd overall. Wish me luck!

[Boots]

Buena suerte cowboy.

[Tuck]

Luck !


Tuck

[js-tx]

We got 11th in brisket, 15th in chicken and missed final tables in ribs out of 35 or so teams. I really thought chicken was our strongest and brisket was our weakest... Ribs were great but maybe a little too spicy and peppery.. (is that a word? lol) We tasted ribs that made top 10 but we thought they were a little flat and had an apple taste. Hopefully 3rd time is the charm and I'll get a top 10 call...

[Pony Express]

js-tx, whats your team name. We were there for awards.

[TwoGuysBBQ]

We were there too, "Those Two Guy's" BBQ Team. We wlaked away with First Place Brisket and Ninth in Chicken. The cool thing was we placed First in Brisket there last year too so yea that was pretty cool.
It was great untill the rain came, made a mad scramble to put stuff away.

Rick Galindo

[js-tx]

Texas SmokeMasters, but you might not have heard our name, we didn't make top 10 in anything..

It's kinda tough figuring out what judges are looking for. There are some teams like Burnt Bean Co. and JD Team Extreme that seemed to have something figured out, they do pretty good.

[Pony Express]

I walk consistently and have finally realized that you cant figure out what the judges are looking for because it changes from region to region and comp to comp because the judges are always different.

ever notice how earnest and JD don't wander far from home?

Travel too far north or south or east and west, and flavor profiles change. Its a hard lesson to learn but I have finally stopped trying to figure out what I did wrong. I can get 1st place ribs at a comp and next week barely make top 10 or not at all and the ribs are exactly the same! was it me doing something wrong or just a completely different set of judges in a different region!

Here's what the "BIG BOYS" have been telling me for 3 years and I have finally accepted

"Cook what you Know" at the comp. Practice at home.

And consider this also.. Earnest, JD, Darwin and others haven't "figured out what the judges want" per sey, they are just darn good cooks!

[jtilk]

We got 11th in brisket, 15th in chicken and missed final tables in ribs out of 35 or so teams. I really thought chicken was our strongest and brisket was our weakest... Ribs were great but maybe a little too spicy and peppery.. (is that a word? lol) We tasted ribs that made top 10 but we thought they were a little flat and had an apple taste. Hopefully 3rd time is the charm and I'll get a top 10 call...

Either you have what those particular judges want or your dont. There is no rhyme or reason as to why you can get a 1st in some comp's and not even place in others using the same recipe. I've seen teams do what they thought was a "botched" job and somehow manage to place

[ecto1]

I walk consistently and have finally realized that you cant figure out what the judges are looking for because it changes from region to region and comp to comp because the judges are always different.

ever notice how earnest and JD don't wander far from home?

Travel too far north or south or east and west, and flavor profiles change. Its a hard lesson to learn but I have finally stopped trying to figure out what I did wrong. I can get 1st place ribs at a comp and next week barely make top 10 or not at all and the ribs are exactly the same! was it me doing something wrong or just a completely different set of judges in a different region!

Here's what the "BIG BOYS" have been telling me for 3 years and I have finally accepted

"Cook what you Know" at the comp. Practice at home.

And consider this also.. Earnest, JD, Darwin and others haven't "figured out what the judges want" per sey, they are just darn good cooks!

This is so true I went 6 contest in a row top 3 ribs here in the Houston area went to south Texas and got DAL in ribs with the same product that does well in Houston. No need to change things up just know that what you cook and do well with in one are may not do well in another. One of the best bits of advice I ever got was cook for the cause cook for the fun don't cook for the money.

[TwoGuysBBQ]

I was once told, cook the flavors you like. that way any leftovers you take home you know you will eat.

RG

[js-tx]

Thanks guys, it certainly does seem random to a point. I guess so long as you turn in something decent you got a fair chance of walking. Yes Darwin, JD, and Earnest can cook. I need to practice more and follow a method that works for me consistently.

Hey Rick, I was the guy with the 2 bubba kegs and UDS. I was right in the middle almost of the grounds. I'll probably do this comp. again next year.

[js-tx]

DAL in south TX but top 3 in Houston? Wow, that's surprising. If you don't mind sharing, but what's your flavor profile for ribs in Houston.. heck, maybe I need to compete up there!

[ecto1]

DAL in south TX but top 3 in Houston? Wow, that's surprising. If you don't mind sharing, but what's your flavor profile for ribs in Houston.. heck, maybe I need to compete up there!

I like a sweet rib with a little kick the last contest I went to was told by a person who judged no one sauced their ribs but me. With Hog Waller of course.

[js-tx]

DAL in south TX but top 3 in Houston? Wow, that's surprising. If you don't mind sharing, but what's your flavor profile for ribs in Houston.. heck, maybe I need to compete up there!

I like a sweet rib with a little kick the last contest I went to was told by a person who judged no one sauced their ribs but me. With Hog Waller of course.

Well that explains my placing this past weekend as well...

I did a "sweet and somewhat spicy" rib in Schertz last fall and finished 17 out of 38.. so maybe it's a south of downtown SA thing...