NEWBERRY — The Southern BBQ Network will hold a training class on May 13 in Newberry at Central United Methodist Church at the corner of Caldwell and Friend streets.

Once the class is completed, participants can start judging the next week at Clinton’s “Smoke on the Rails” competition, benefiting the Clinton Community Cares Utility Billing Assistance Fund and then at any upcoming competition the SBN sanctions.

SBN judges an assortment of meats ranging from whole hogs, pork butts, different varities of pork ribs, all kinds of chicken from Cornish hens, free range and whole chickens prepared (uncut, halved or in pieces) and beef (brisket, steaks, tri-tips, etc.).

Judging uses three categories — appearance, taste and aroma, and texture and tenderness — and each has to be studied in detail and samples tested to determine the quality of each meat and render a skilled judgment.

Appearance deals predominately with the presentation. In other words, does it look like something you want to eat? Aroma simply means what kind of an aroma does it have — smokey, spicy or none at all?

Taste includes a variety of things, both positive and negative, such as the spices that were used, sauces, taste of the smoke, too much, too little and so on.

Texture and tenderness are closely related and deal with the skill of the cooker. The class teaches the cooking techniques needed to determine if the product was properly prepared.

Once the person has the concept grasped, then the scoring methodology is explained. The organization uses a “double” blind scoring process, which assures that both the competition, cookers and judges do not know whose products are being judged.

SBN has judges score on a one decimal point scale of 1.0 to 10.0 with 10 being the best score. The categories of appearance, aroma and taste and texture and tenderness are “weighted” with appearance being the lowest in value and texture and tenderness being the highest, the reasoning being the ability to prepare the meat is more difficult than making it look good.

Score sheets are collected, reviewed and then entered into a computer program that calculates the scores. Detailed reports are provided to the event coordinator so they can announce the winners and to the cookers to show how they placed in the competition.

This class is being conducted by Jack Waiboer, president and an original founder of the Southern BBQ Network. He has conducted SBN classes for over five years across the South.

The class will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with lunch provided. The fee is $25, plus $35 for annual membership. You must be a member to judge. Seating is limited.

Persons interested in becoming a certified BBQ judge can sign up on the SBN website at http://sbbqn.com/ by clicking on the “Certification Classes” pictures.

Contact Mike Wright at dmwright7015@gmail.com or at 843-425-4186 for more information.

Staff Report

Learn to judge BBQ

The Southern BBQ Network will hold a training class on May 13 in Newberry at Central United Methodist Church at the corner of Caldwell and Friend streets. The class will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with lunch provided. The fee is $25, plus $35 for annual membership. Seating is limited.