I dunno?
I'm kinda into using injecting, marinating, Jaccarding, curing agents, Amino's, Phosphates, glutamates, MSG, layering rubs, combining sauces and cooking meats spot on for ungrateful and opinionated professional eaters. I had my 15 minutes of fame!
A KCBS BBQ competition cook's opinion of BBQ Judges?
KCBS isn't the only game in town! Pacific Northwest BBQ Association is one of the oldest and largest next to KCBS with more sanctioned events in WA, OR, ID, MT and Western Canada than the big kid on the block.
I've cooked and assisted at several KCBS and PNWBA CBJ Classes here in Washington state, and cooked good to mediocre meats for training new judges. I'll be honest when I say that I've heard comments like "that was the worst BBQ I've ever tasted!". (my wife was one!) And I don't blame them for that. But when I have assisted at PNWBA Pitmaster Classes, they are BBQ 101 type instruction, I kind of enjoy the basics. I see very few go on to Competition BBQ.
This season I kind of took a break from the comp scene, both my teammate and myself had home, family and work issues that came first and the hobby came in last. But over the past few years I've attended classes from some great teams. Teams that cook KBCS, CBBQA, IBCA, FBA, GBA, MABA, NEBS etc. and a few that have been on BBQ Pitmasters or The Kingsford Challenge.
More often, I was looking to pick up on regional flavors and techniques AND cooking styles.
You know you are in the right place when VERY successful teams are in attendance. I tasted some very good comp BBQ from those classes, but nothing that rocked my world. Techniques is what I'm after and how to recover when things go south. From the instruction I've gotten from teams that are successful on specific or multiple pit types, I've gotten the confidence to be able to cook on practically anything. Nothing really groundbreaking, but more "A-HA moments" that I can count.
Backyard BBQ, Comp BBQ and Commercial BBQ are 3 different things.
Simple is best!