# New at cookoffs - need some tips



## Captain Morgan (Jan 17, 2006)

what type of comp was it...local, MIM, or KCBS?  In other words, is there
on site judging?


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## Captain Morgan (Jan 18, 2006)

I can only help so much because I've never done the whole hog on site judging thing, but what I've heard is that presentation is crucial.  A lot of the pork turn in may be very similar, and the little details can make a difference.  Jack W has done well with this type of deal, hopefully he'll be along shortly.


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## Gary in VA (Jan 18, 2006)

Not whole pig but here are the onsite presentations I did on the cooker for a small local MIM style contest.  Also the onsite judging area.  In MIM events you can dress up the stuff on your cooker for onsite judging but not in the blind box.

hope this helps


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## Captain Morgan (Jan 18, 2006)

Thanks Gary, that's what I was talking about..

spritz and garnish!


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## Finney (Jan 18, 2006)

I cooked at the SCBBQ "Q" Cup with Jack doing whole hog and we came in 5th.  Jack has a good idea of what needs to be done and when to do it.  I can't tell you any of Jack's _secrets_ without Jack saying it's okay, but send him a PM and he will probably help you out.  He probably won't tell you everything, but I'm sure he'll give you enough to get (beyond) started.


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## Captain Morgan (Jan 18, 2006)

Jack W.  He'll be here soon enough.  

Jim Minion gave me some good tips about whole hog a few years ago.

And Pigs makes a living out of it.  You might want to listen to his podcast for cooking instructions.

These guys of course actually have lives, and don't spend time accruing almost 4000 posts a year on one board.


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## Jack W. (Jan 18, 2006)

Sorry I'm late.  

Whole hog is a challange.   Lets get the most obvious questions out of the way.  Do you know how to cook a hog?  and what style of cooker will you be cooking it on.

We can leave the discussion here,  there may be others who want to know how to cook a hog.  Pigs cooks many more hogs than I do and can put his .02 in here if anybody can dig him up.

Good Q!

Jack


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## Jack W. (Jan 18, 2006)

What kind of BBQ do you like to make.  Chopped, pulled, sliced?  Do you like to use a sauce?  

Jack


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## WalterSC (Jan 18, 2006)

YaYa said:
			
		

> I like all kinds - In my first competition - Onsite judging was pulled BBQ with an option of sauce - In the blind box  - I had chopped and pulled BBQ with sauce in the side.  What are some tips you are willing to part with that would help my competition chances.



Ok my turn, LOL. In the SCBA we tell compeditors not to put sauce on the side , if you want us to judge your pork plain present it that way , if you want us to judge it with sauce then put it on it. Make sure you fill the plate as well , its makes for a good presentation , as well as making sure the judges have enough for a sample, I usually take enough for the first sample and some for going back and trying again before I do my scoring.Depending on what association you are at ours just want the meat on the turn in plate no garnishes.


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## Captain Morgan (Jan 18, 2006)

YAYA, SCBA is only a judging organization...they don't make the rules.
In other words, if the contest organizer wants on site judging, they do it.
They run one contest a year, in Columbia.  All others they judge based on
what the organizers tell them too.


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## Jack W. (Jan 18, 2006)

Most comps. have a blind score and an on site score.  Usually the blind score is weighted.  So if you can't pull off the "box" you'll never make the money.  I inject and rub a hog and put it on the grill skin side up.  Keep sugar out of your meat rub.  It will turn black.  I rub the skin with mayonaise.  This gives it a deep brown color.  2/3 of the way through the cook we flip.  Whether you flip or not is your first decision.  Some cooks cook skin side down for the entire cook.  Some cook skin side up for the entire cook.   At the flip or at some point you have to decide on whether to foil the beast or not.  You do not want to present a black hog.  Foil will keep our hog from turning black.  I always foil the hams at the flip.  It helps them cook a little faster and keeps the moisture a little better.  I also always foil the chine bones. 

I like to shoot for the hog to be done to my standard about 2 1/2 hours before turn in.  Turn the pit down to as close to 180 as you can. During the last 2 hours start to glaze.  I start with a thin mixture of my finishing sauce(hot) about a 1/2 gal.   Glaze gets applied in layers.  After the first layer is applied I add some sauce(hot).  I keep adding sauce after each layer until the last two layers are straight sauce.  This should produce a very eye appealing, deep redish brown, shiny animal.  Decide which half of the hog looks best.  Keep it fully in tact.  Use the other side to prepare your blind box.  

Blind box should have all parts of the hog in it and identifiable.  Classically, hams are chopped, loins are chopped or sliced, and shoulders are pulled.   Organize your box accordingly.  Keep your sauce from pooling and make it as eye appealing as you can using the textures you have created.  Bark and smoke ring presentation are a must.   Keep your pulled chunks about the size of your thumb and your chopped meat should be chopped, not pulverized.  Your trying to convey to a judge that your stuff is moist, tender and flavorful.  Your scoring criteria are probably appearance, tenderness, texture, flavor and overall impression.  All will be weighted.  You need to know the weights.  

30 minutes before on site judging turn off the heat and decorate the hell out of the pit.  We use a piece of material tucked under the hog and draped out the front to cover the front of the pit.   Collard greens cover the grill all around the animal.  They are sturdy and can stand the residual heat.  Then add all the color you can afford.  Kale and mustard greens are also good for depth and texture.  I like to buy peppers of all colors, oranges, grapes, bannanas, melons, eggplants, pineapples, apples...anything with good colors.   The judges say they won't be judging garnish.  Bull.  Everybody eats with their eyes first.  If the pit looks great, you're ahead of the game.  1/2 of your hog has been tampered with.  We process each area classically and return it to it's part of the carcass as our version of BBQ.  It's very explainable at the pit presentation and IMHO looks better than missing parts.  It also gives a judge the opportunity to taste your BBQ at the pit.  When you open the pit you have to be confident that you have nothing to hide and that this animal is the best on the lot.  Let the judges do what ever they want and offer gloves so they can feel or taste any part they wish.  

Sit your judges at a table and let them judge BBQ that you have prepared.  Make certain that you convey the fact that this is the sample that you wish to have judged.  Be extra nice,  allow for questions and have all the answers.  You have about 10 minutes.  You need to be selling your sample and conducting a judging class the entire time the judges are in your area.  10 minutes dosen't seem like much until you have to do it.  Practice your speech ahead of time and answer all of the questions that someone my have in your speech.  If there is a judging school before the contest, attend it.  That will give you the basis for your speech.  

Many times a sample will be turned in and sit on a table for a while before it gets to a judge.  Make sure your BBQ tastes good cold.  Stay away from heat in your Q.  Pleasingly sweet and a little tang always does well.    

I'll be happy to clarify any thing that seems hazy.  Let me know.  I'm gland I could offer my opinion.   Morgan's way that Jim Minion taught is very popular and does very well.  There are many ways to do this.  Mine is just one.  

Look for a thread on Carolina Children's home and you can see a few pics of the box we turned in.  I'm not sure whether we posted the Q cup pictures or not.  Look at that thread as well.  Both are located under the travel catagory.

Good Luck

Jack


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## Jack W. (Jan 18, 2006)

YaYa said:
			
		

> Walter - on the SCBA - is the plate with no garnish - is that blind box or onsite judging?  BTW - who judges the CCH in Columbia, SC in May?  That was the contest I was in and it was never fully explained what was expected.



This contest is judged independently.   A fella named Mike Sexton organizes the judging based on MIM Whole Hog rules.   I was there under the name Pigs on the Wing.  This contest has evolved over the years.  I'm not sure into what, after last years performance.

Jack


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## Finney (Jan 18, 2006)

There you go Sports Fans.


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## Captain Morgan (Jan 18, 2006)

Ask and ye shall receive..and receive...and...

wait'll Pigs gets here.


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## Jack W. (Jan 18, 2006)

YaYa said:
			
		

> Jack - as a Judge - what do you look for on the onsite judging? - would you have a plate prepared for the judge ahead of time or would you wait until they are present to cut the hog?



I'm an experienced cooker and judge.  My expectations get me into trouble on occasion.  I know what the bar should be and I sometimes have trouble cutting a break.  

Make sure you are clean and well organized.  You should take a judge to the pit and allow me to see just how great your hog is.  Prepared BBQ and unsauced and unseasoned BBQ are available at this time if you do things as I have outlined.  Bones should pull clean.   Your BBQ sample should be in a container and kept hot until the judges sit at the table and served like the most knowledgable waiter or chef that you have ever had the pleasure of knowing.   Sauce on the side is a decision you have to make.


Jack


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## Jack W. (Jan 18, 2006)

Captain Morgan said:
			
		

> Ask and ye shall receive..and receive...and...
> 
> wait'll Pigs gets here.



I was waitin on Pigs.  He's the man for a whole hog cook.   My process is 16 hours.  I thought I did pretty good with the bandwidth.   I left out the check on Finney and make sure he's at least a little sober, and entertain The Big GQ part.   :razz:  :grin:


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## Captain Morgan (Jan 18, 2006)

:lmao:  :lmao:  :lmao: 

Finney is good for keeping a seat warm.  GQ will entertain you!  Even when you're trying to sleep!


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## Pigs On The Wing BBQ (Jan 18, 2006)

Never did a whole hog in competition. The ones I cater go 10 - 16 hours direct in my big tin can cooker. The ones that are done on a cinder block pit go 16 - 20 hours. I think if I ever get the chance to turn in a box if whole hog parts I would chop a little of every thing with a little chopped crisp skin, No sauce of course.  [-X   :grin:


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## Finney (Jan 18, 2006)

Captain Morgan said:
			
		

> :lmao:  :lmao:  :lmao:
> 
> *Finney is good for keeping a seat warm.*  GQ will entertain you!  Even when you're trying to sleep!



At least I know not to wake you up as soon as you start to fall a sleep.  Otherwise you would have been talking to Big GQ most of the night... not me.  I love that boy, but i think I'll kill him if he keeps starting conversations as I'm dozing off.  How do you sleep through that Cappie?  I seem to be the one that's up most of the night (not that I want to be).  Jack, you don't have to worry about the sober issue... I realized long ago... it's a marathon, not a sprint.  That's why I drink the good stuff and drink it slow. 8-[


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## jminion1 (Jan 19, 2006)

YaYa
We did 5 hogs for a MIM competition a few years ago, I have never cooked SCBA sounds like it is run very much like it is run on a MIM format. Jack's advice sounds very good to me. 

I will say from what I experienced I did not see glazing as an advantage, sauce on the side was how we handled presentation. 

I'm interested in what you have to say after the competition, after going through the onsite judging. Good luck.

Jim


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## Finney (Jan 19, 2006)

YaYa said:
			
		

> Jack - I would like to "glaze" the BBq for preparation for the onsite judging as outlined in your instructions - this would include: rubs and bbq sauce for the glazing  - correct?  I just wouldn't have the pig chopped up and sauced for the blind box - was this your meaning or am I thinking incorrectly?



Ya Ya, 
You take all the meat out of one side of the hog and process it however you want it to be in your box.  Then pick the actual meat for your box and arrange it in the box in the manner you feel represents your best effort.  Then put all the meat (minus bones, fat, etc) back in the skin of the hog in its respective area of the pig.  That way when the judges come for the on site, they have the visual of "prepared" meat and the untouched 1/2.


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## Jack W. (Jan 19, 2006)

ChipotlePat said:
			
		

> what size of pig do you cook?



Most are 100 -120# dressed.


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## Pigs On The Wing BBQ (Jan 19, 2006)

Formal or casual?  :lmao:


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## Jack W. (Jan 19, 2006)

jminion said:
			
		

> YaYa
> We did 5 hogs for a MIM competition a few years ago, I have never cooked SCBA sounds like it is run very much like it is run on a MIM format. Jack's advice sounds very good to me.
> 
> I will say from what I experienced I did not see glazing as an advantage, sauce on the side was how we handled presentation.
> ...



I'm still learning on this myself.  The process I outlined earned me a solid 5th place finish on the last outing.  Therefore, I've got 4 places to go.  How did the Pit Master handel preparing the BBQ.  I've seen guys take judges to the hog and select pieces to take to the table.  Did the the judges pick the meat or did the Pit Master?

Good Q!

Jack


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## Jack W. (Jan 19, 2006)

Pigs On The Wing BBQ said:
			
		

> Formal or casual?  :lmao:



Working attire.    :-k


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