A judge told me my brisket was too salty at a Memphis competition last fall

He said the rub was overpowering the meat flavor. I'd been using a full cup of my usual rub mix on each packer cut. For the next month, I cut it back to a half cup and focused more on the smoke. The bark still formed well but the beef taste came through much better. I placed third at a smaller event in Nashville after making that change. Has anyone else had a judge give specific advice that actually improved your results?

3 comments

3 Comments

paul_morgan2mo ago

Honestly, that's a win when a judge gives you something you can actually use. I had one tell me my ribs were "mushy," which just meant I was wrapping them way too long. Cutting the wrap time by half fixed the texture completely. Sometimes they actually know what they're talking about.

adam_anderson62mo ago

Yeah, that's solid advice... and @paul_morgan is right about the wrap time too. Had a judge say my chicken was "dry as sawdust"... turns out I was cooking it way too hot, just rushing it. Slowed the cook way down and it made all the difference.

finley7771mo ago

Man, hard disagree - sometimes you gotta trust your own recipe over one judge's opinion.