Am I the only one who thinks competitive BBQ judges favor sweet over smoke?

I went to a competition in Kansas City last weekend and watched 12 racks of ribs get judged. Almost every winner had a heavy sauce or glaze, like candy on a bone. Last month I was at a smaller cook-off in Memphis where a guy won brisket category with a rub that was basically brown sugar and cinnamon. Three years ago I started competing myself, learning from old pitmasters who said smoke and salt should be the star, not sugar. I feel like the trend is shifting toward sweet profiles because it's safer for big crowds, but it drowns out the meat flavor. My own ribs got punished for being bold on pepper and hickory smoke, just too dry for today's palette I guess. Has anyone else seen this at their local competitions or am I just old school?

3 comments

3 Comments

paulnguyen8d agoMost Upvoted

I heard a podcast guy say sweet judges are just "flavor of the month" chasing.

wells.evan8d ago

Yeah @paulnguyen that podcast guy's missing that sweet judges are actually backing up the hype with real runs.

margaretc428d ago

That bit about "brown sugar and cinnamon" winning brisket is exactly the problem. Most judges at these competitions, especially the big KC events, have gotten used to sweet profiles because it masks any flaws in the cook. You can get away with a slightly dry or uneven bark if you drown it in a sugary glaze. Smoke and pepper are harder to get right, and a bad smoke taste is way worse than a bad sweet taste. The judges are just taking the safe route so they don't have to eat a poorly smoked rib.

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