Interesting weekend.

Caneyscud · August 23, 2010, 07:19:53 AM

Yesterday was the 1/2 day contest I've done the last 3 years. Fun contest in conjunction with a church picnic - 2000 people - so we do a lot of samples also. Judges are KCBS trained. We had 16 or 18 teams this year. They also had a homemade ice cream contest (wowzers) and pot luck on desserts. Tables and tables of desserts.

As usual, no place on the pork - although I turned in some killer shoulder. Moist tender, full of pork flavor, but did not use any sauce. Gotta come up with something that the judges will like. Also did a stuffed (fig, blue cheese, walnut) pork tenderloin wrapped in a bacon weave with a maple flavored glaze. Did not like it so did not turn in. Also did a seasoned cornmeal encrusted pork tenderloin, that was very good, but the team thought the shoulder was better.

Ribs, also as usual, no place. I just can't seem to do ribs very well at that contest. They were cooked perfectly, and I thought tasted good - not great but good. To accommodate the apparent like of the judges from past years, I decided to do a glaze (completely out of my norm) and I had a good one - had the idea to use jalapeno jelly as the base of the glaze. Problem was that it did not marry with the rub very well. And for some reason, there seemed to be too much rub.

Chicken, came in third. Cooked four chicken dishes. Three whole chickens - all spatchcocked. One a yogurt marinated - that did nothing for me - maybe it would have been better grilled. Did a Cornell chicken, turned out great eventually, but did not get done in time. Third was a lemon/rosemary chicken. Marinated in a lemon/garlic mixture all night, then stuck some sprigs of rosemary and thin slice of lemon between the meat and the skin. Very flavorful. Thought it had a chance for 1st, but was afraid the judges wouldn't know what to do with the lemon and rosemary under the skin. The other dish, I've made twice now, but needs work or just have to do it in a kitchen or only during cool weather. Boneless thigh, rolled around goat cheese and green onion - wrapped in bacon. So far so good, but then I wrap that in crescent roll dough. Well the heat of the day does bad things to the dough. It doesnt unroll and sticks together. Also did them both times in a foil pan, uncovered - so the bottom ends up soggy and greasy. Will have to do them on the racks. Good idea, but has to be executed better and tweaked.

Beef - got champion for a brisket. And I did not intend to turn in the brisket - just use it for samples. Did two dishes of short ribs. One was flavorful, but would not get tender - so no turn in. Second was with boneless short ribs, was spot on in flavor, but not quite as tender as I wanted. The team said why not taste the brisket and they voted to turn it in. With a 5 hour beef turn in time, how did I turn in a brisket. They allow precooking. But it rained the night before and could not smoke it in a smoker - and since it was just to be used as samples, I decided to "cowboy" it - then finish it off in the smoker at the contest. I can't believe I got champion beef, with essentially a cheater brisket. Even my wife said it was one of the best briskets I had done. My head hung in shame as I held the trophy. The Brisket Belt Pitmasters, not to mention my relatives are turning over in their graves. Go figure!

KyNola · August 23, 2010, 07:32:33 AM

Congrats Caney.

classicrockgriller · August 23, 2010, 07:38:19 AM

I have been reading up on "searing" a brisket and applying smoke to finish it.

Sounds like a fun thing to try.

Congrats on the unexpected!

FLBentRider · August 23, 2010, 07:39:56 AM

That's the way it goes sometimes.

Congrats!

TestRocket · August 23, 2010, 07:54:39 AM

Congrats Caney,

You must have been worn out from all that in such a short time!

ArnieM · August 23, 2010, 08:29:05 AM

Congrats Caney. Sometimes when you least expect it ...

Sailor · August 23, 2010, 08:32:14 AM

Congrats on the brisket. Now the question is.....can you duplicate it? ;D Sometimes the best result happen when we least expect it. Great job!

Caneyscud · August 23, 2010, 08:54:27 AM

Quote from: Sailor on August 23, 2010, 08:32:14 AM
Congrats on the brisket. Now the question is.....can you duplicate it? ;D Sometimes the best result happen when we least expect it. Great job!

Technique and recipe yep. It was that cowboy braise that STC has used, but minus some ingredients - did not have CYM, Guinness, or Cider vinegar - but cobbled the rest together. My Chocochilicinnijava rub and Hill Country Mop. But the brisket itself blew me away. White fat but the bend test was not all that impressive. But the marbling - what I would imagine a Kobe or Wagyu to be like! Even into the point.

SouthernSmoked · August 23, 2010, 09:02:52 AM

Congrats Caney!

Sometimes your best result can come from an unexpected effort...

...Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory, but only if you win!

What ever!!!

Congratulations on your first place with the brisket!

Pachanga · August 23, 2010, 09:31:51 AM

Caney,

I can't believe what I am reading.

You should write an article. Maybe call it "BRISKET, DEMYSTIFIED". ;D

I don't care what your relatives say about you, I think you are OK. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do (and it turns out great).

Good luck and slow smoking,

Pachanga

DTAggie · August 23, 2010, 10:11:21 AM

I will not start a petition to have your Aggie blood taken away.

classicrockgriller · August 23, 2010, 10:43:01 AM

Caney did you get any pics of this food fest?

That would be awesome if you could post some pics.

TIA

beefmann · August 23, 2010, 03:43:47 PM

sounds like a lot of people tasted a lot of food and had fun along the way

hal4uk · August 23, 2010, 04:30:07 PM

Congats, Caney! Way to go!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'll tell ya what... I have an idea for "judging".
Instead of KCBS judges, I think they should let the crowd draw straws to be judges...
Then everyone could just cook what they think tastes good, instead of trying to cook what they think the judges want.
Awrighten.

BuyLowSellHigh · August 23, 2010, 05:23:27 PM

Congratulations, Caney !

Don't worry about how, be proud of the fact that a TX brisket-belt native took 1st and never tell 'em how!

Your story reminds me that many of the world's great discoveries were lucky accidents that were recognized by a prepared mind. Now tell just us friends how ya did it. Please ?

Interesting weekend.

beefmann