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Judging BBQ Takes Good Taste

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By Jere Hough Meteorologist / Feature Reporter

Published: Tue, March 27, 2007 - 6:03 am
Last Updated: Wed, August 29, 2007 - 3:49 pm

Jere Hough

CAN YOU LIVE IN THE SOUTH AND NOT LIKE BARBECUE- FROM BIG RESTAURANT CHAINS TO MOM-AND-POP CARRYOUTS, IT'S EVERYWHERE...INCLUDING BARBECUE COMPETITIONS, WHERE THERE IS BIG PRESSURE ON THE CHEFS, AND EVEN BIGGER PRESSURE THE PEOPLE WHO MUST NAME A WINNER AS METEOROLOGIST JERE HOUGH FOUND OUT JUST DOWN COUNTY ROAD 5.

A Certified Master Barbecue Judge tells his audience,-"Raise your right hand! And repeat after me."

Stephen Smith is reminding the actual judges-for Mobile's Hog Wild Festival just how important their job is.

The Hog Wild Festival is a major event with national champions among the 100 plus barbecuers here...and the top prizes involve cash and prestige. All the judges have taken classes in tasting and are certified.

Smith explains,-"They are judging in three criteria today. They will be judging in appearance. They will be judging in tenderness. And they will be judging in taste."

Incidentally, the judges know that tenderness doesn't mean "falls apart easily."

Smith says,-"Tenderness is not a score of how soft something is. Tenderness is a score of how perfectly something is cooked."

Judges score the barbecue separately in appearance, tenderness, and taste from 2, for poor, to 9, for excellent.

Their starting point- Smith says, "...to establish a line in the sand when they arrive at the contest. ...to say, 'Okay, this is what it takes to give you a six in these three criteria.'"

Of course, good tasting barbecue is more enjoyable, but it is also more challenging

Louisiana Judge Ann Holland says,-"When you get a bunch of good, that's hard...because you have to have a winner."

It's also a lot of food...including the crackers and water judges use to "clear the palate" between entries.

Jere Hough holds a piece of the best fried catfish he's ever tasted and says, "Judging barbecue is a huge responsibility...very important, very serious. Is it worth it-"

Hough tastes the fish and smiles. "You bet. On County Road 5 at the 2007 Hog Wild Festival in Mobile, I'm Jere Hough, News 5."

YOU CAN FIND OUT HOW TO BECOME A CERTIFIED JUDGE FROM THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE www.kcbs.us/default.php

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