[Mike P in Tucson]

Ok, on Saturday, Matt and I did a full practive cook for the Freedom RV event.  Started at 6:00 AM and kept to the timeline we will use at the Freedom RV event.

We had mixed results and hope to improve.  But here are our "turn-in"boxes.  All I could find was a black clamshhell, so please try to overlook that.  And we didn't want to spend a lot of time with the putting green, so just used foil.

I would be happy to get any feedback on presentation.

[Gizzy's Smokin Crew]

I'm not to familiar with comps......Looks tasty though.....Shouldn't there be a little more smoke ring on the brisket

[Mike P in Tucson]

The brisket definitely should have had more of a smoke ring.  We couldn't figure out why it didn't, because it was in smoke for over 2 hours.

[Mark]

This will be a BCS comp, but KCBS tells you to avoid considering smoke rings since they can be artificially induced. That said, most folkjs think they are purdier with them.

Mike, your meats look consistently appetizing. Nice job. Methinks you're gonna give all your competitors a run for the money.

[Crash]

Since you asked Mike, I'll be happy to throw my .02 in.

Chicken - Try trimming a bit more aggressively if you are going to use thighs.  You want all 6 pieces to look as uniform as possible.  Each piece should be roughly 2" x 3" or  a bit bigger.  A nice glaze really helps presentation on chicken...think shiny with no blemishes at all.

Ribs - They look good, but the brush marks are apparent and give it that corduroy look that a lot of cooks try to avoid.  A brush with finer bristles is a simple fix.

Pork - Looks great, but fill that box up.  Might want to use pulled pork as a base for your chunks to lift it up a bit.  Just make sure the pulled is good though, it would now be a sampleable piece.

Brisket -  A deeper smoke ring couldn't hurt.  Also might want to consider adding some shine to those pieces with Au Jus or Beef Broth.  The picture makes them look dry, even though they may not be.

Hope that helps and take it that critique with a grain of salt.

[Mark]

Crash is zactly right on all his fine-tuning comments. Take em to heart and you'll really be swinging for the fences.

[Mike P in Tucson]

I really do appreciate all the comments and suggestions.  We are still very new to competition, so all help  and criticism is welcome.

For the comp, we will be special ordering the chicken from Sunflower, trying to get thighs all roughly the same size and on the small side.  These were from Costco and the sizes were all over the place.

I did notice the brush marks on the ribs, Crash.  I think I will get a few of those foam rubber brushes.  And will definitely use the good old spray bottle on everything.

[Mark]

The silicon brushes are great. They can take the heat and don't need marks. I use them for all kinds of cooking.

Your brisket looks plenty moist to me. Personally, I don't care for brisket that has been painted with pan drippings. First, it looks like brown shoe polish has been applied. Secondly, it leaves a lot of specks and unappetizing bits on the slices.

[Mike P in Tucson]

Matt did the chicken and brisket, I did the pork and ribs.  Since I don't eat chicken, it would be really hard for me to spend the time it takes to get the thighs trimmed correctly.

[Mark]

Comp chicken has gotten to the point where it almost doesn't look like chicken anymore. It's now smooth, molded pucks of bird, heavily glazed like a candy apple on top and coated with a half-inch of parsley on the bottom; the centerfold of poultry. If we were presenting orange juice, it would be a perfect dome of Tang with a straw next to it for snorting.

[AzScott]

Comp chicken is a strange beast indeed. 

[bbqphx.com]

Here's my CBJ and often mid-pack competitor opinions:
Chix-I'll agree with Crash and the other guys that comp chicken just ain't what it used to be.  Uniformity is very important.  The picture makes it look a little black and, to me at least, black is not good.  A glistening mahogany is what we shoot for (yet rarely seem to turn in).
Ribs-they look pretty good.  I'd almost say a bit underdone (though that is certainly subject to the individual slabs) as the meat is only coming back from the bone a 1/4" or so.
Pork-I'd say this is your most appealing photo.  Again, you really need to pay attention to every stinkin' little detail-most comp cooks will tell you they go absolutely crazy when putting together the boxes.  It's never quite perfect enough.
Brisket-I'll echo the sentiment of a dry look and the lack of smoke ring.
You need to understand making an award winning turn-in box is not for the faint of heart.  As I said, details matter but think about how your entry is presented-the table captain will open your box and carefully go round the six judges at the table and they write down their appearance score (yes, before they even taste it).  If they look at the box for 30-60 seconds while it's being waved around, that's a very careful inspection.  Will they score you down for too-wide brush bristles??  Maybe, but probably not directly.  A flawless box will definitely take you further than a shlocked-together box.

The greater the detail the sharper the overall picture. 

[azchef1]

My Opinion... 

Chicken- I know you mentioned getting the smallest thighs for next comp, you may want to rethink that. I have noticed when I go too small you have less room to trim or shape. For me its easier to get a good size thigh then trim them all to the same size, for uniformity.  But my chicken entries SUCK!!

 Ribs- I have to agree with the brush strokes, maybe a different brush or a glaze with slightly less viscosity will give you better flow.

Pork- Looks good, try to include sliced money muscle , thats my favorite!!        

Brisket- Smoke ring could be more distinctive, slices look a bit dry to me. I just cooked a wagyu brisket, no chance of these drying out.

Looks like you guys have a good handle on things, should be a fun comp! See you out there. Good Luck!

[Mike P in Tucson]

Thanks for the comments, Tracy and Tracey

Actually, the ribs were a smidgin overcooked.  The pork was overcooked, too.  I tried to slice the money muscle, but it fell apart.  This was just my second try at cooking hotter, so I need to adjust cooking time a bit.

I guess we will get bigget thighs.  Matt will just have to be more aggressive with his trimming.

I think I may add a bit of apple juice to the sauce to thin it out a bit to avoid those brush stroke.

[Bam Bam]

Chicken hint: thin sauce, dunk don't brush Another trick to get rid of brush strokes is a fine mist spray of water. pork: use some aus jous from the pork or some sauce to give it a shiny/moist appearance. I agree with everyone else on brisket and ribs.

Good job!!