1. COT1. CONTESTANT - A contestant is any individual, group, restaurant, etc. hereinafter referred to as a team that will prepare and cook an entry or entries for the purpose of being judged.

2. INTERPRETATION of RULES - Not applicable. 

3. EQUIPMENT - Each team will supply all of the equipment necessary for the preparation and cooking of their entry including a cooker, wood, charcoal, or wood pellets. No team may share a cooker or grill with any other team.

 

4. MEI 4. MEAT INSPECTION - Prior to cooking, all meat that is resting in preparation for cooking must be covered at all times. All meats must be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F. After cooking all meat must be maintained at a minimum temperature of 140 degrees F in a covered container until turned in for judging.  

5. COOKING FUELS - The only approved cooking media are wood, charcoal, or wood pellets. Gas (any type) or any electrical heating element may be used only to start the initial fire or to start burn barrels, charcoal chimneys, etc.  

6. APPROVED COOKERS - Any cooker, homemade or commercially manufactured, will be allowed to compete. Only wood, charcoal, or wood pellet fired cookers are permitted.  

7. CONTESTANT’S SITE - Each team will be assigned a cook site. All equipment including cooker, canopy, trailer, etc. must be contained within this space. If additional space is required the team should contact the contest organizer and make satisfactory arrangements. 

8. BEHAVIOR - Every team, including members and guests, are expected and required to exhibit proper and courteous behavior at all times. Failure to do so may result in disqualification or expulsion from the contest.  

9. CLEANLINESS AND SANITATION - All teams are expected to maintain their cook sites in an orderly and clean manner and to use good sanitary practices during the preparation, cooking, and judging process. The use of sanitary gloves is required at all times while handling food. Failure to use sanitary gloves may result in disqualification. Teams are responsible for cleanup of their site once the competition has ended.  

10. MEAT CATEGORIES –
Pork Ribs: Loin back (baby back) or spare ribs only. No country style ribs.

11.  JUDGING - Entries will be submitted in an approved container, with NO garnish, or decorating of any kind. Only the entry to be judged is allowed in the container. Marking of any kind will disqualify the entry. Each entry will be judged on PRESENTATION, TASTE / FLAVOR, and TENDERNESS / TEXTURE. Meat may be sauced or unsauced. A minimum of 6 separate and identifiable portions must be submitted.

12. DISQUALIFICATION – An entry can be disqualified by the Judges or Chief Scorekeeper. An entry can be disqualified for any of the following reasons:

a)      There is evidence of marking or sculpting that identifies the team to the Judges.

b)      There is anything in the box besides the meat.

c)      There are not a minimum of 6 separate and identifiable pieces.

d)      There is evidence of blood such that the meat is uncooked

e)      The entry is turned in after the officially designated time

f)        Gloves are not used while handling food products.

13. JUDGING PROCEDURE – The Team captain brings the box to the Chief Scorekeeper. He or she announces the number of the box to be judged, opens that box and checks for rules violations such as marking, insufficient number of samples, etc. Each judge then takes a sample and scores this box for taste and tenderness. The table captain makes sure that all scores for that box are recorded before moving on to the next box.  After all the boxes have been scored the table captain will return the boxes to a designated area. The use of eating utensils is not allowed.

14. TURN IN TIMES - Pork Ribs:  1 p.m.