Any Questions, folks?

[JEC]

At what point does placing pulled pork for example neatly in a box stop being placed and become moulding? If my hand makes a perfect mound in the box surely by these rules it may be considered moulding, however if I used my novelty rabbit jelly mould from my childhood in the 80's then fair enough. Surely the only way to police this is to have a witness in each camp to testify each box hasn't been moulded or remove the ruling or perhaps give more guidance, for example pulled or chopped pork may be shaped using a ramekin or small pudding bowl or simply placed by hand

[Toby]

I understand your point but it wouldnt do the teams justice to move too far away from what is practised in the states. Ano example is pork being cooked as a single piece of meat, that is imposible to police so i removed that rule as irrelevant.

[JEC]

That was the kind of point I was going with as you couldn't police the money muscle and this isn't really something you can police either, I know it's hard, maybe someone like John has some comments to add based on his international experience? Doesn't Myron Mixon mould his chicken, as far as I'm aware he's never had any problems?

[Toby]

The chicken is trimmed prior to cooking, the sculpting rule applies to your finished presentation to avoid identifying marks. Lots of options available for presentation, everyone will find their own style, its not this way or the highway its whatever looks good with what you have

[keith157]

Myrons is entered as "Cupcake Chicked" and cooked in a mould so there is no doubting what it is.

[Toby]

Myrons is entered as "Cupcake Chicked" and cooked in a mould so there is no doubting what it is.

It is cupcake chicken when people refer to it, many people use the same method in backing trays of all sizes and shapes. So many people use this method now that the judges in the states i have spoken to crave a normal looking chicken thigh or leg

[Steve]

That was the kind of point I was going with as you couldn't police the money muscle and this isn't really something you can police either, I know it's hard, maybe someone like John has some comments to add based on his international experience? Doesn't Myron Mixon mould his chicken, as far as I'm aware he's never had any problems?

Don't forget there are several other forum members with just as much international experience. In fact Toby probably has most out of us all in terms of US experience, but ironically the least uk experience None of the teams I've been on have used a mould for pork and I'm not aware of my close BBQ buddies (who are VERY successful) using moulds. However this doesn't mean they don't, no matter how much they disclose to you, there's always the "other" 10%

Its the line between sculpting an moulding, also I wouldn't consider cupcake chicken the same as you're not moulding the chicken to the shape of the pan, it just stops spread and holds your braising liquor in place. As you pointed out earlier, one can mould with their hand, I reckon US judges would likely only DQ on clearly sculpted meat, but as Toby pointed out it only takes one judge to object and it's game over.

To put this in perspective, in July 2010 after a difficult night and being very tired, we turned in a rib with a hair on it. One rib which one judge quite rightly refused to taste, we bombed ribs and came third by half a point from first, when we should have been GC. That is the impact one judge can have, it's one thing thing when your own carelessness costs you accidentally but it would really suck to get a DQ for something like sculpting.

[bencops]

That's a very good point
<cancels hemispherical pork mould order>

[keith157]

Myrons is entered as "Cupcake Chicked" and cooked in a mould so there is no doubting what it is.

It is cupcake chicken when people refer to it, many people use the same method in backing trays of all sizes and shapes. So many people use this method now that the judges in the states i have spoken to crave a normal looking chicken thigh or leg

There's nowt wrong with a good looking leg...............................even on chicken

[Eddie]

[quoteIt is cupcake chicken when people refer to it, many people use the same method in backing trays of all sizes and shapes. So many people use this method now that the judges in the states i have spoken to crave a normal looking chicken thigh or leg [/quote]

Even though you crave and would prefere people to have bone in chicken. If someone was to do cup cake chicken on IBQN would they be DQ or de-graded ?

Eddie