Tag Archive: judges

  1. A Chicken in a Pair of Blue Shorts

    Comments Off on A Chicken in a Pair of Blue Shorts

    by Todd Rushing, Pitmaster for No Rush Q

    One of the funniest things I have seen lately was a video of a chicken running around in a blue pair of shorts.  I’m not sure why I thought this was so funny, but it was simple and it made me laugh.  Why would someone put a chicken in a pair of shorts?  Even better, why would someone post it on social media and it get thousands of views?  Who thinks of this stuff?  But it served its purpose and it caught my eye.

    In the mastery of cooking KCBS chicken have we gone so far as to put our chicken in the preverbal “blue shorts”?  Maybe so.  Having cooked many competition over the past few years I am as guilty as the rest of trying to make the perfect pieces of symmetrical little pieces of meat that taste like chicken.  Running the gamut of pans, tins, toothpicks and such to make that box get appearance scores of “9”.

    All of us eat with our eyes first.  If it looks great then we have won half of the battle.  But who decides what looks great.  Well of course the judges do, but have we polled them and asked lately what constitutes “great” looking chicken?  I’m sure some have and others have not.  But I am also sure that if you ask 10 judges you will most assuredly get 10 different answers of some variation therein.  In the end, I know that appearance scores are not weighted nearly as high as taste and tenderness but you better not overlook them or your overall scores will suffer.  However, as of late it does seem that chicken can look more like “chicken” and be okay.  That’s good news in my book.  It allows us to focus more on cooking the meat and flavor profiles.

    This sport of competition barbecue is so very subjective.  There is no defined goal line, goalpost, or home run wall that will give you a predetermined score.  Your game plan must involve the knowledge and experience gained over time to hopefully be at least 1/10th of a point better than your competition. As it relates to chicken…well if that means putting it in blue shorts make sure you check his waist size and get some that fit nice!

  2. Richmond Judge Hosts Judges Social Before Sam’s Club Event

    Comments Off on Richmond Judge Hosts Judges Social Before Sam’s Club Event
    By Bill Jones, MABA Board Member and KCBS Master Judge, Table Captain, & Life Member
    When I became a judge some 5 years ago, I quickly found out the BBQ would is one huge tailgate party. Seldom have I attended a contest in which multiple teams are not hosting a Friday evening meal and time of socializing. 

    So when Sam’s Club started hosting contests in Virginia three years ago in Richmond, and just a scant few miles from our home, we decided to host a judges social at our home. Judges come from all over to judge barbecue contests, so we thought it might be fun to have a social at our home and welcome the visiting judges coming in the night before . We also invited any local judges who may not be judging the contest, along with local KCBS reps and teams.
    KCBS judges enjoy an evening of good food and fellowship prior to Sam's Club Richmond.
    KCBS judges enjoy an evening of good food and fellowship prior to Sam’s Club Richmond.

    This year, 16 judges were able to join us during the evening to meet and greet judges they already knew as well as some they did not. Our menu included a crab and shrimp boil, cajun coleslaw, cheesecake and key lime pie. 


    Screen Shot 2016-08-16 at 9.18.14 PM
    All left hoping Sam’s Club will once again grace us with a contest in 2017 so this yearly get together can continue.
    Bill & Mary Jones
    Richmond, VA