Lakeshore Rib Cook-Off III
Yes, it is true, I am back again for another installment in the ongoing “Battle of the Neighborhood Rib-Cookers.” (For lack of a better phrase.) This time, the annual Lakeshore Lounge local rib cook-off was held on 16 August 2008 with the following participants: Tony, Bill, Roger, Curt (stand-in Adam), Tyrone (son Tim), and Ryan. I will, for the sake of privacy, only write of them as A, B, C, D, E and F so as not to COMPLETELY offend anyone.
As usual, I took my time, allowing some of the patrons to have a bit of fun at my expense. I line up each sauce and go through them once, eliminating those that make me cringe immediately. Next I go through again to determine which I think has the next worst flavor and so on. My preference is always for a bit of sweetness without an overpowering heat, just enough to let you know its there, you know. That fake smoke flavor, although just a hint of it is fine, is one of my immediate turn-offs. Anyway, it usually takes me a good twenty minutes; mind you I only get 6 pre-sauced ribs, to make my decision. That, of course, is why people find it humorous. Some think I take it very seriously, that is not the case; I just don’t like to make snap judgments when it comes to food, especially when some of the “Rib-Cookers” DO take it incredibly seriously. Come on guys, a little levity here would be nice!!!!!
I first want to make a statement here regarding this year’s festivities. Denny and Sharon usually run this thing like a well-oiled machine. That was not the case this time. In fact, I think it has become nothing more than a popularity contest. All of the cookers were lined up in alphabetical order AND their names were on the voting ballots, which made it too easy to know which rib was whose. I never want to know for whom I vote until the end but that is not the case with many folks, and to my mind the results proved that.
We arrived at about 3PM on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon and the smells on the back patio were wonderful. All six cookers had ribs burning, two cookers per grill (this fact will become more important when I tell you of the drama). I had a couple of beers before getting my “judges” order. I sat down with my note page and my six ribs and began tabulation.
As is always the case, there was one that immediately tuned me off. It had a very odd flavor and I, in fact, didn’t even finish it. These ribs ended up winning the popular vote by some twist of fate, as everyone I talked to had the same comment as I about the flavor. The remainder of the judging took a bit more time.
One of the five remaining choices had a superb flavor, F, the ribs were just a bit underdone but they were best flavor wise. My second, was C. These ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and the sauce was pretty tasty. (Two of us actually decided to mix the two for our take-home order. We got the ribs from C and had the sauce from F, which made for a really good overall slab.) I choose E as my third because it was different. It had all of my pre-requisites and something else, which I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Anyway, it was the third best. I have to admit, though, that I went back and forth between E and D but found D to be boring. B was quickly out of the running because it just wasn’t very good. It wasn’t as if it had an “ewww” flavor it just wasn’t what a rib should have been.
Now let us get to the drama, by the way, Dale, nice wearing of the sauce all day! There seemed to be one of the cookers who was constantly doing something to aggravate some of the others. First off, he did not seem to be very clean with his area, nor self, actually. Secondly he kept taking over the half of the grill reserved for another cooker. This may seem like small potatoes, and it is when we think of the global problems we have, BUT in a cooking contest the last thing you want is someone else’s stuff mixing with yours. Come on, man, have a little common courtesy. Then there was the IDIOTIC racist joke that was told at full voice by one of the cookers. How is it you do not realize that it is 2008 and stupid ass jokes like that are not acceptable anywhere! I want to start ranting here, but I will leave it alone as that would prove no purpose.
My end note is this: Tyron and Bill, maybe you guys have something there. As far as I know, no one else rated two slabs mixed as did you two. Regardless of the outcome, you two had at least three or four people thinking you were “up there.” Maybe you should team up for the next try. As for the cook-off as whole, some things should be changed before next year (a blind ballot makes imminently more sense). I hate it when popularity, or whatever it might be, overtakes the true meaning of the cook-off.
As usual, I took my time, allowing some of the patrons to have a bit of fun at my expense. I line up each sauce and go through them once, eliminating those that make me cringe immediately. Next I go through again to determine which I think has the next worst flavor and so on. My preference is always for a bit of sweetness without an overpowering heat, just enough to let you know its there, you know. That fake smoke flavor, although just a hint of it is fine, is one of my immediate turn-offs. Anyway, it usually takes me a good twenty minutes; mind you I only get 6 pre-sauced ribs, to make my decision. That, of course, is why people find it humorous. Some think I take it very seriously, that is not the case; I just don’t like to make snap judgments when it comes to food, especially when some of the “Rib-Cookers” DO take it incredibly seriously. Come on guys, a little levity here would be nice!!!!!
I first want to make a statement here regarding this year’s festivities. Denny and Sharon usually run this thing like a well-oiled machine. That was not the case this time. In fact, I think it has become nothing more than a popularity contest. All of the cookers were lined up in alphabetical order AND their names were on the voting ballots, which made it too easy to know which rib was whose. I never want to know for whom I vote until the end but that is not the case with many folks, and to my mind the results proved that.
We arrived at about 3PM on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon and the smells on the back patio were wonderful. All six cookers had ribs burning, two cookers per grill (this fact will become more important when I tell you of the drama). I had a couple of beers before getting my “judges” order. I sat down with my note page and my six ribs and began tabulation.
As is always the case, there was one that immediately tuned me off. It had a very odd flavor and I, in fact, didn’t even finish it. These ribs ended up winning the popular vote by some twist of fate, as everyone I talked to had the same comment as I about the flavor. The remainder of the judging took a bit more time.
One of the five remaining choices had a superb flavor, F, the ribs were just a bit underdone but they were best flavor wise. My second, was C. These ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and the sauce was pretty tasty. (Two of us actually decided to mix the two for our take-home order. We got the ribs from C and had the sauce from F, which made for a really good overall slab.) I choose E as my third because it was different. It had all of my pre-requisites and something else, which I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Anyway, it was the third best. I have to admit, though, that I went back and forth between E and D but found D to be boring. B was quickly out of the running because it just wasn’t very good. It wasn’t as if it had an “ewww” flavor it just wasn’t what a rib should have been.
Now let us get to the drama, by the way, Dale, nice wearing of the sauce all day! There seemed to be one of the cookers who was constantly doing something to aggravate some of the others. First off, he did not seem to be very clean with his area, nor self, actually. Secondly he kept taking over the half of the grill reserved for another cooker. This may seem like small potatoes, and it is when we think of the global problems we have, BUT in a cooking contest the last thing you want is someone else’s stuff mixing with yours. Come on, man, have a little common courtesy. Then there was the IDIOTIC racist joke that was told at full voice by one of the cookers. How is it you do not realize that it is 2008 and stupid ass jokes like that are not acceptable anywhere! I want to start ranting here, but I will leave it alone as that would prove no purpose.
My end note is this: Tyron and Bill, maybe you guys have something there. As far as I know, no one else rated two slabs mixed as did you two. Regardless of the outcome, you two had at least three or four people thinking you were “up there.” Maybe you should team up for the next try. As for the cook-off as whole, some things should be changed before next year (a blind ballot makes imminently more sense). I hate it when popularity, or whatever it might be, overtakes the true meaning of the cook-off.
posted by johnathan e at 5:35 PM
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