Smokin' Showdown Brisket and Ribs Competition Guidelines

Competition Rules

Entry Requirements
- All teams Must Register and pay by the specified deadline, July 1st, 2025 @5pm
- All entries MUST INCLUDE both Brisket AND Ribs this year
Meat Categories to be judged
- Contestants can cook any and all categories, but only brisket and ribs will be judged
Cooking Equipment
- Team may use any type of grill or smoker
  - Wood, wood chips, pellets, propane, charcoal are all acceptable
- You may start your brisket/ribs before you arrive as long as it's started on the same day as judging and completed by judgment time (5:00 pm, July 19, 2025)
Meat Preparation
- Dry rub, injection, store bought sauce and homemade sauce are all accepted. This is our first year, so we're starting easy and fun!
- Must be smoked on site for the majority of cook time
- Wrapping in acceptable
- Turn in times will be strictly enforced
- Late entries will be disqualified and eaten on site!
Presentation
- Competition plating material will be provided. Submissions for judgment must be plated on material provided

Judging Criteria
- Appearance: Visual appeal of the entry, including smoke ring
- Tenderness/texture: How well meat is cooked
- Taste: Overall flavor, including seasoning and smoke
Scoring system
- Numerical value for each of the criteria above (1-10, with 10 being the best)
- Scores are tallied anonymously to ensure fairness
Blind Judging
- Entries must be presented in identical containers with no identifying marks
- Judges should not know which team cooked which entry. We will do this by having each team draw a random number when plating and numbering the plate to match
Disqualification
- Entries can be disqualified for late submission, undercooked meat, or rule violations
- Disqualified competitors/entries will not receive a refund
Sampling procedures
- Judges will cleanse their palates between samples with water and crackers
- Each judge must taste each sample

Impartiality
- Judges must act impartially
Substance Use
- Consumption of drugs or alcohol by judges before prizes have been awarded is prohibited
Interaction between judges and competitors
- Judges and competitors should avoid unnecessary contact during the competition
- Questions should be directed to the competition organizer
Confidentiality
- Judges may not discuss scores or rankings with anyone until official results are announced
Sportsmanship
- Competitors will be respectful of each other and of judges in words and actions

Prize for top entries will be based on cumulative scores
- 1st: $200
- 2nd: $100
- 3rd: $50
Tie breaker
- In the event of a tie, the highest score in the taste category will win
Announcement of Winners
- Winners will be announced at 5:30 pm
- Scores and feedback will be available to competitors afterwards