Rant: A guy at the Memphis in May contest told me my brisket was 'too tender'

I was competing for the first time last spring, feeling pretty good about my cook. A judge, a real old-timer with a 'Grand Champion' pin on his hat, stopped by my tent. He took one bite, put his fork down, and said, 'Son, this melts like butter, but you can't taste the meat.' He explained that I'd cooked it so long the fat had completely rendered out, leaving no flavor behind. It happened right there by my smoker, with the sun coming up. Has anyone else gotten a piece of advice that seemed wrong at first but actually helped?

2 comments

2 Comments

jessicaw111mo ago

That "you can't taste the meat" line hits home. I got told my ribs were "too clean" once, meaning I'd trimmed off all the good flavorful fat. It stung in the moment, but my next cook was much better for it.

the_sean1mo ago

Man, that "too clean" comment is brutal but it's real. I used to scrape the membrane off ribs so hard I'd take half the meat with it. You need some of that fat and silver skin left on. It melts into the meat and keeps it from drying out. Now I just score it and leave it be. Makes a huge difference.