PlazaJen: Passion Knit

Last night, the Wo and I became certified Kansas City Barbecue Society judges. We'll be receiving our BADGES and certification in a few weeks; the class was truly a unique experience! We learned about the KCBS rules (and yes, oh yes, there are RULES), and we were instructed on the qualities to look for when judging the four meat categories. (Chicken, Pork, Ribs & Brisket.) I think I was starting to take it really seriously, as I felt myself morphing into Juror Mode, and we all know how I feel about truth, justice, and the law & order way of life. Now I can add barbecue to that list!

I think the biggest challenge is that you have to set aside (to some extent) your personal preferences, and since I abhor fat on meat, I still took a bite of the chicken skin to get the flavor; same with cuts of meat - just because you don't like dark meat, you can't score it "Awful". So I'm looking forward to a real judging experience one of these days, and you can be sure, I'll take it seriously. Sadly, you cannot drink beer while judging, and that's of course for the cooks' benefit - all your work and Sloshy McSlosherson declares your chicken "road kill!" and taints the entire table!

The big goal, of course, is to get ourselves into the Grandaddy of 'em all - the American Royal. Maybe I'll work my way up to Meat Judge by starting with Side Dishes. Or Desserts! :)

Labels: kansas city, life