Barbecue Competition Pork

[pjplovedog]

HI all,
I am a "certified"  barbecue judge and I judged a competition a couple of weeks ago.
I noticed all the pork entries, whether they were pulled, sliced or ribs were extremely (in my opinion) sweet.  Sweet rubs, sweet sweet sauces, a lot of honey being used, etc. Every entry that I judged was sauced, non were served "dry". I had a hard time scoring them highly, as for me it was out of balance.  Am I the only one who prefers less sweetness?
I wonder if that is the trend all over the nation or is it just up here in the Northwest that sweet sauces and rubs are the favorite for pork.
Also, the chicken entries were also coated in sugary sweet sauces, with one exception.
When I cook at home, I go fairly light on the sugar or sweet flavors, I like more savory barbecue...

Comments, opinions?  I'd like to hear what y'all think.:)
 

[Wildcat]

I concur. It does seem that people are beginning to think BBQ means sauce and most seem to like it sweet. One reason I rarely eat at a commercial BBQ establishment. Some establishments simply cook in an indoor oven (no smoke) and just slather a bunch of sweet sauce on it and call it BBQ. I like most of my BBQ or smoked foods without sauce. Sometimes I add some but not the sweet stuff. When it is added I only want a small amount and when it comes to sauce on ribs or birds I would prefer it to be put back on the grill to partially (or mostly) dry the sauce. You will find un-sweet sauces in the southeastern part of the U.S.

[WoodlawnSmoker]

First, that's awesome you are a certified judge, very cool for sure.  I am Canadian and we don't really have a BBQ tradition, but I very much agree with you about sauces and the sweetness.  My preference is too smoke mostly dry and then offer different sauces on the side.  But as I'm venturing down this path, the books I've been reading describe how each region in the US seems to have their own style and BBQ preference, kind of interesting.

[KyNola]

As a KCBS CBJ I agree with everything you said pjplovedog.

[GusRobin]

I also judge but in the southeast (Miss., TN, AL. areas). In my experience down here sauce is added more as a flavor accent than drowning in sauce. Of course there are a few that over sauce but those usually score low. The most sauce is on the chicken, with ribs next. The pork usually has minimal sauce as well as the brisket. (again there are always exceptions.

[Habanero Smoker]

What area are you judging in? I've judge many contests in the Northeast, New England, and a few mid-Atlantic states. Starting about three years ago, I started noticing the barbecue becoming more uniform in flavor. It has gotten to the point that KCBS has recognized this, and a few years ago changed it's scoring system to give more weight to tenderness. Over the past few years, the trend has been sweet in all categories except brisket; and to get that sweetness they use a sauce. The sweetener used most often in the sauce in my area is maple syrup or agave, with additional brown sugar. For ribs there is generally a glaze, chicken is the same except generally the glaze is applied more heavily, and then you have the occasional entries that are drowned in sauce. It is rare to get pulled pork these days, though you may get "chunks", it is mainly sliced from the money muscle, with very little glaze. Just note, these are general trends that I am seeing. I've talked to judges who are snowbirds, that travel from the Northeast to Florida. I've spoke with judges from the mid-West, and the West Coast, and they say it is pretty much the same.

I prefer a dry rib, and chicken with a charred skin, but that is not likely what you will find on the barbecue circuit. A few weeks ago, one pork entry came to my table. It was just seasoned with salt and pepper. I thought it was a great entry, and scored it very high, but the rest of the table, gave it low scores across the board. The teams are producing what the judges are expecting. With all the money involved, they are afraid to take risks, and to try something new. Often, teams that try something new get "penalized"..

I approach judging as to what I like, and not what traditional barbecue is suppose to be. If the sauce is well balanced in the cook's flavor profile, flavorful, and is an enhancement to the meat (you can still taste the meat), I will score it high.

[pjplovedog]

Hab- am in the Northwest, judging mostly in Washington and Oregon.
The brisket was the only meat in the most recent competition that didn't have a sweet glaze or sauce.  A lot of the entries turned in both pulled pork and sliced money muscle.  The pulled was not sauced as much, but almost every sliced muscle had sweet sauce or glaze. 
For me, in almost every case the sweet sauce overpowered the pork flavor.  Other judges at my table, however, did not seem to mind all the sweet "stuff".
On the chicken entries, all but one had really sweet, sometimes thick and sticky sauce.  To me, this was just not palatable. 
At home, I do use some sugar in my rub, which is usually a variation of  the Jan's rub on this site.  If I sauce at all, I make a sauce that is spicy/tangy with a bit of vinegar, and a fairly low level of sweetness compared to the stuff I have been experiencing at the competitions. When I wrap my ribs, I never add sugar or anything sweet to them. I really love a dry rib also, with sauce on the side if at all.  I also prefer a brisket that is not  rubbed with a sweet rub, I use a rub that is similar to Jan's but has a lower sugar ratio.
Hab- I agree with you that teams aren't taking many risks.  There wasn't much risk taking with spices, either, non of the entries really made my tastebuds "pop", for lack of a better term.  They also are very gunshy with the heat spices such as cayenne, etc.   
Thanks for the feedback, I like to hear what is going on in other parts of the U.S.     

[Habanero Smoker]

More often than not, from the contest I've judged, the flavor profiles in most entries often have that "pop", if really good; a "WOW" factor. The "WOW" factor is when you just need one bite to get all the flavors; except for this year I haven't received many great entries. It is still early in the season, so most teams; that haven't been traveling south during the winter months, are just beginning to get their sea legs.

These days, I seldom make my own rubs or sauces. I often ask the teams what they are using. There are just too many good rubs and sauces out there. When I find a good rub or sauce, I will add or adjust the seasoning to make it my "own". If a sauce is overly sweet, I will cut it with some cider vinegar to give it some "tang".

With the money the teams put into a KCBS contest, it is hard to take a risk. I've had some good barbecue from teams that tried something different (also bad), and the rest of the judges didn't like. For example, one team sent in a excellent box of ribs. The other judges didn't like it because it had an Asian flavor. The common remark at the table was, "That's not barbecue flavor."

I too like dry ribs, but when I'm cooking for company, I know my quest are going to want them sweet and sticky. I draw the line at tenderness. I try not to serve fall off the bone. Fall off the bone is what most of my guest like.

[Wildcat]

I generally prefer my ribs not be fall off the bone, but not tough. Fall off the bone tends to be to wet.