How To Be a KCBS Certified BBQ Judge

By Dru Chai

It seemed like only yesterday that I sat through a BBQ judging class. People from all walks of life were crammed into a hotel conference room in San Diego, eager to learn about the strict judging standards set forth by KCBS. Since then, I've judged over ten BBQ competitions. Each judging experience is different from the other, but one thing's for sure -- I always get excited when I'm sitting at the judge's table, ready to dig my fingers into another meat category.

So it's no surprise that the most commonly asked question is "how do you become a BBQ judge?" When I tell them that all they need to do is take a class for a few hours, the usual response is "that's it?" Yes, that's it. But the problem is finding a class that's local. You can search for the nearest class on the KCBS website, or simply go to Las Vegas on November 7.

The World Food Championships official logo...
See the fork and spoon in there? Yes, intentional.

Yes, Las Vegas! The 2nd annual World Food Championships will be held from November 7-10 and luckily for those who are in Southern California or nearby states, now is your chance to become a BBQ judge. Classes just don't happen very often, especially on the West Coast. So if you've ever wanted to become a BBQ judge, now's your chance.

This year's World Food Championships is a bit more low key, taking place in downtown Vegas. Last year's event was hosted by Adam Richman (who has since slimmed down) along with other celebrity judges and chefs. While it was a fun event to judge and attend, I felt like the food competition was overshadowed by all the glitz and glamour of the Strip. I can already tell that for this year, the focus will be on one thing, and one thing only -- the FOOD!

Sign up to become a certified BBQ judge.

ACM BBQ Throwdown in Vegas & What is Considered "Bad" Competition BBQ?

By Dru Chai

Las Vegas hosts plenty of conventions and trade shows, so it was a no-brainer that a BBQ competition be thrown into the mix. Promoted by Smoke on the Water, the ACM BBQ Throwdown was part of a weekend full of festivities leading up the ACM (Academy of Country Music) award show. It's only natural to see country music and BBQ teaming up together. Of course, the total prize of money of $50k helped draw over 100 teams from around the country.

I'm not much of a country music fan, but I just couldn't resist making the 3.5 hour drive to Vegas to judge some top-class BBQ. I was able to squeeze in as one of the last judges. If I couldn't go, well, I'm sure it would've broken my "achy breaky heart."

The parking lot of the Mandalay Bay was a nice location for the competition. There was plenty of wide open space, and the BBQ smoke filled the air (when it wasn't windy). Combine that with sunny 80+ degree weather and free admission, I was actually surprised that there wasn't a bigger crowd.

Other than eating and drinking, there was plenty of "country" related entertainment -- country line dancing, mechanical bull riding, and even lassoing. I was hoping Carrie Underwood would show up as a last minute surprise performance, but of course that didn't happen. 

After getting over the initial excitement of judging my first contest in Santa Anita a few weeks ago, I had a better "feel" of what to expect the second time around. Not that I have years of experience or dozens of contests judged under my belt, but my BBQ judging taste buds are getting a good workout. Obviously, BBQ judging is subjective and everyone is different, but everyone is generally in the same ballpark when it comes to what is good or "bad" competition BBQ. The regions also matter too -- west coast judges tend to like spicier, bolder flavors, while the east coast favors the mellow and traditional flavors.

Here are my thoughts, and my thoughts only:

Chicken - In competition BBQ, chicken thighs not only have to be juicy and flavorful, but have "bite-through" skin as well. Smoking meat generally produces tough, leathery, and rubbery skin. Judges typically take one bite, so you don't want the skin to completely slide off. That skin has to be edible and taste good too. Every team has their own secret or tricks of the trade when it comes to treating chicken thigh skin.

Ribs - Most ribs that I've judged look fairly identical upon first glance, but that completely changes after the first bite. Ribs present the best opportunity for that "blank canvas," as most teams try to provide their own distinct and unique flavor -- whether it's the rub or the sauce. Most judges I've talked to seem to be like their ribs on the sweet side.

Pork - This category is the one that many teams have trouble with appearance, which is open to interpretation. Unlike the other categories, pulled pork meat can be presented in different ways within that styrofoam box -- in all shapes and sizes. When it comes to texture, I find that a lot of samples are mushy and overcooked, which is easy to do with pulled pork. 

Brisket - Everyone agrees that brisket is the toughest category in terms of tenderness. But the taste and flavor of brisket varies so widely with each team. Some teams may opt to use a certain type of injection, which just stands out. Some judges may like it, and some don't -- it all depends. For me, I like brisket to taste natural and smoky, and not have any weird and distinct off taste. One judge said to me, "beef should taste like beef." Amen to that!

Insider's View of a Certified BBQ Judging Class

By Dru Chai

I'm not gonna lie. As I mentioned before on this blog, a big reason of why I wanted to become a BBQ certified judge was for the free food. I mean, who wouldn't be excited for that? If you eat, breathe and sleep BBQ, free food has to be on the top of the list. Heck, BBQ is expensive!

But as I sat through 10 hours of BBQ judging class at the NBBQA Conference & Trade Show in San Diego, I realized something. I realized that the world of BBQ competition is serious business. When I mean serious, I'm referring to everyone's passion, love, and dedication for BBQ.

The NBBQA Conference rarely happens in SoCal

As a certified BBQ judge, I want to make sure that I'm judging each piece of BBQ meat with fairness and equality. There is no such thing as a BBQ expert. Everyone has different taste buds, and their own idea of what constitutes good BBQ. BBQ judges take their "job" seriously and look that way on the outside, but make no mistake -- I'm doing a happy little dance inside each time I taste a tender, flavorful, and mouth-watering piece of BBQ.

So how was the BBQ conference and the judging classes? Well, I consider myself lucky. Both judging classes and the conference rarely make an appearance in Southern California. So I had to take advantage. Since both classes took up the entire day, I didn't get a chance to check out some of the other how-to presentations, guest speaker seminars, or the trade show. I barely had a chance to taste some BBQ, but this one was clearly my favorite.

Neil "Bigmista" Strawder serving up some pulled pork

Flavorful and tender pulled pork from Bigmista BBQ

That BBQ sauce was da bomb

MBN Judging Class Overview
Memphis Barbecue Network competitions is all about the swine -- judges blind taste test pork shoulder, ribs, and whole hog. What sets them apart from others is that there is on-site judging as well. This means they get to visit and talk with the cooks and pit masters in person, who have the opportunity to explain their cooking methods and present their food personally to the judge. We went through two demonstrations to get a feel of what it would be like.

Showing what pork shoulder is all about to a "test judge"

Pork shoulder goodness, the money muscle

Some teams will show their sauce and rub, but it's all about the meat

The class was small in size at around 20 people, and understandably so. After taking the class, we were only MBN "trained." We only become officially certified once we judge 3 competitions. MBN sanctioned competitions rarely occur on the West coast, so finding one in Southern California will be tough. Chances are, I'll probably be just an MBN trainee for a while.

KCBS Judging Class Overview
Kansas City Barbecue Society competitions occur all over the country, and quite a few of them take place up and down California. So I knew this was going to be a popular class -- there was about 60 people in attendance, jam-packed in rather small conference room. Many in attendance were BBQ teams, wanting to know more about the judging process, so they know what to look for when putting out their BBQ during competitions.

Getting ready to do some practice judging

Pulled pork category, not so good... but it's practice

This class was definitely a lot louder than the smaller MBN class. After going through a presentation, we were presented with BBQ samples from each category (pulled pork, ribs, chicken, and brisket) for our own judging session. Unlike MBN, there is only blind judging for KCBS competitions. There are a few things to look for that could disqualify an entree, so they purposely threw in some screwballs to test us. I'll definitely be looking to judge as many KCBS events as possible!

Lining up for some BBQ samples

Now that's old school

Just don't BBQ his pet

Certified BBQ Judge? I Like The Sound of That!

Yup, I'm still here. I know it's been a while since I've posted on this blog, but honestly there just hasn't been anything interesting to write about. I'm not one to babble just for the sake of babbling. But I do want to give a huge thanks to those who have ordered from my little catering business on the side. You know how there's a lady that sells tamales at work? Well, I'm the dude that sells brisket at work. I've sold pulled pork, ribs, and chicken, but the brisket has been the hot seller by a landslide. Thus far, I've done about 30 orders and it's been a blast.

I drool every time I look at this picture

Dirty Smoke BBQ brisket is always a favorite

If you've been a reader of this BBQ blog, you'll know that I'm constantly trying to learn new things. There are so many great BBQ websites out there that give you how-to instructions, videos, and all types of info. Of course, that isn't my goal here. Although, I don't want to be seen as a BBQ expert, I'll still share my experiences (good or bad). As we kick off the new year, I want to make an effort to chronicle more BBQ experiences outside of the backyard -- whether it's writing about restaurants, products, or events.

So what's first up this year? Back in June '11, I wrote about wanting to attend a certified BBQ class. Well, that time has arrived. I just signed up for not just one, but TWO certified BBQ judging classes on February 25 in San Diego. It's part of a BBQ convention organized by the NBBQA (National BBQ Association). If you're new to the BBQ world, there are quite a few acronym-loving BBQ organizations out there. It can be hard to remember and keep track of them all. One of the classes is by the MBN (Memphis BBQ Network) and other is by KCBS (Kansas City BBQ Society).

So what's the difference between the 2 classes? Well, they both judge different meat categories. KCBS is the most popular one that sanctions a lot of competitions and probably most people know about -- they judge ribs, chicken, pork shoulder, and brisket. The MBN judges whole hog and pork shoulder only. I could write more, but Professor Salt from the Grill Marks blog over at OC Weekly explains it in more detail. Of course, all this BBQ fun doesn't come cheap. Each class costs $90. But once I become certified, hopefully I'll more than make up for it by eating lots of "free" BBQ at competitions. Oh and yeah, that BBQ competition knowledge will help too.