BBB Serving Acadiana BBQ Cook-off Rules and Guidelines

General Barbecue Cook-Off Rules

This is an amateur cooking contest and it is intended there be no further distinctions regarding entry classifications.

1. Only ONE team per designated barbecue area will be allowed. Multiple pits are allowed. Multiple entries for one meat category from any one team will not be allowed.
2. Barbecue, for the purpose of this contest, is defined as raw or uncured meat prepared over a wood, gas, or charcoal fire, basted or not, as the cook sees fit.
3. Pre-seasoning and trimming of the meat is allowed due to time constraints.  
4. All entries and samples must be prepared in as sanitary a manner as possible. All applicable local health department rules and regulations must be complied with.
5. All applicable local fire department rules and regulations must be complied with.
6. All fires used to prepare meat in this contest must be of wood, gas, or charcoal. However, electrical powered accessories such as spits may be permitted after receiving contest committee approval.
7. Fires are not to be built on the ground.
8. Absolutely no firearms or explosives will be allowed.
9. There will be no refund of entry fees for any reason and the decision(s) of the host contest committee head judge and judges are final.

 

Team Responsibilities

1. Each team is responsible for the maintenance and cleanup of its cooking area. The head cook will be responsible for the conduct and behavior of team members and guests. Any team leaving its space in such a condition that the space requires additional clean-up will be disqualified from participation at future events.
2. Each cooking team will designate one person as head cook and one person as an alternate. Teams will be limited to 3-5 team members.
3. Each team should be equipped with a readily available and visible working fire extinguisher. Minimum suggested is 5lb. ABC.
4. Under NO circumstances are alcoholic beverages to be sold or offered in any form to the general public from a Team.
5. Each Team is responsible for providing samples for the attending event attendees.
6. Competing cooks are not allowed to judge and judges are not allowed to cook. Judges must not be associated with any cooking team or team member in any way that would cast suspicion upon the integrity of the judging process. These rules are intended to be fair and equitable to each and every contestant.

 

Judging Turn-In Requirements

1. No sauces or garnishes will be allowed in the judging container. Sauces may be used during the cooking process but cannot be applied for entry presentation or judging.
2. Each contestant should submit sufficient product, sliced to facilitate adequate judging of the entry by 3 judges. If not enough product is provided, the judges will be instructed to do the best they can but not penalize the other contestants they are judging. The chicken turn-in will be chicken thighs. Spare ribs will be sliced by the competitor.
   
3. A blind judging system is based on numbered containers which will be utilized in all judging categories. Any container that appears to have been deliberately marked or altered will be referred to the head judge who will rule on disqualification. Damaged containers will be replaced by the head judge. Damaged containers must be turned in to the head judge at this time in order to receive a new container. Containers are provided by the Better Business Bureau.
4. All entries will be scored on a scale of 1 through 10 in each of the judging criteria, with 10 being the best.
5. Until announcements are made, the taped envelope should remain attached to the top three category winners' judging containers. At the time winners are announced, the taped envelope will be removed from the container (on stage) and opened by one contest official. A, second official will announce the number. The head cook or team member must present the corresponding half of that ticket to the head judge who will confirm that the numbers match, and announce the head cook's name and team name.

There should be no tags remaining on meat after it has been cut and put into containers.

 

In the event of a tie in any category, each team’s People’s Choice score will be used as the determining factor for the tie breaker.

For questions contact:

Jillian Dickerson, BBB Serving Acadiana

Jillian@acadiana.bbb.org.