TMD BBQ Cook-Off — Rules & Information Camp Mabry
All essential definitions, timelines, locations, turn-in rules, judging, and contact information for the Texas Military Department BBQ Cook-Off.
Definitions & Basics
- Ancillary
- Any food item prepared for a contest category that is not one of the main barbecue meats of half chicken, pork spareribs, or beef brisket. Also known as a jackpot category.
- Barbecue
- Preparation of meat, usually outdoors, by smoking over wood or charcoal. The word derives from the old European word barbacoa ("sacred fire pit"): a smoker or grill consisting of a raised platform resting on sticks.
- Contest Officials
- TMD officials assigned to manage the judging area. They enforce rules and procedures and are trained to apply them fairly and consistently.
- Cooks Meeting
- Organized session where officials welcome participants, review rules (with site specifics), announce team counts and all turn-in times. The initial meeting occurs the morning before judging; the Head Cooks meeting occurs the evening before the first meat turn-in. The head cook for each team is required to attend.
- Participant / Contestant
- Any group or individual (a team) cooking in the contest, comprised of a head cook and assistants. Only one turn-in box per meat category per team (one head cook per team).
Timeline
Initial Team Meeting
0800 on December 4 — Building 8 cafeteria.
All meats distributed. Briskets via lottery based on requests; chicken and pork based on counts requested.
Head Cooks Meeting
1900 on December 4 — Serving Area location.
Officials announced; turn-in containers issued; awards info shared; turn-in times & location covered.
Turn-Ins — Chicken & Ribs
1000 on December 5
Turn-Ins — Brisket & Dessert
1030 on December 5
Serving Area Setup
By 1100 on December 5 — All teams staged to serve.
Awards Ceremony
Time & location announced during Head Cooks meeting.
Contest Site & Areas
Contest Site: Camp Mabry.
Cooking Area
Teams set up at locations identified on the Contest Site Map.
Serving Area
Teams set up trays, plates, and utensils on numbered tables matching Cooking Area sites. Canopies encouraged (not provided). See Contest Site Map.
Turn-In Area
Southeast corner of the front porch of Building 1.
Judging Area
Front porch of Building 1. Spectators welcome to watch.
Cooking Area and Serving Area locations are first-come, first-served. Site Map also identifies chemical latrines, portable light tower/generators, and hot coal disposal.
Breakdown: Teams break down at their discretion. Hot coal disposal locations are marked on the Site Map.
Cooking Meat & Equipment
Cooking Meat
All meat provided by TMD and cooked on site. Distributed at the Initial Cook’s Meeting. Teams may begin processing immediately. Marinating, injecting, and pre-seasoning are allowed. No meat may leave the site after the initial meeting concludes.
Equipment
Teams supply all required equipment. Only wood and wood/charcoal products may be used as heat sources for cooking. Gas/electric may start combustion but not complete cooking. Electric augers/rotisseries allowed. Pellet grills allowed.
Sanitation
Prepare barbecue as sanitarily as possible. TMD provides limited food safety supplies. Conditions subject to inspection at any time. Head Cooks are responsible for site cleanliness.
Categories
- Chicken
- Pork Spareribs
- Beef Brisket
- Ancillary — Dessert: Ingredients not provided by TMD. No restrictions; may be cooked offsite and brought to the competition.
Double Tickets & Product Containers
Double-Blind Tickets
Two tickets with the same number are used: one hidden on the container, the other retained by the head cook. Winning numbers are revealed during awards.
Product Containers
- Styrofoam, no internal dividers, hinged lid, single piece of aluminum foil lining the bottom only.
- No garnish or condiments beyond the single foil; containers must be clean and unmarked.
- Meats may be cooked with sauces/liquids, but no additional liquids may be added once in the tray; no puddling allowed.
- No sculpting/unique positioning to identify entries.
Turn-In Quantities
Chicken
One half (1/2) fully jointed chicken including skin, breast, wing (wingtip optional), thigh, and drumstick. Must fit with lid closed; backbone may be removed.
Pork Spareribs
Eight (8) ribs, bone in, meat side up; four (4) stacked atop four (4), both layers parallel to the hinge.
Beef Brisket
Four (4) slices about 3/8" thick (≈ width of a #2 pencil). Each slice cut in half. Fat cap may be removed; ends may be blocked before/after cooking.
Dessert
Eight (8) small samples arranged neatly in the container.
Turn-In Times
Turn-in times are set by the TMD contest official and announced at the mandatory Cooks Meeting. A window of 10 minutes before to 10 minutes after the set time is recognized. Entries outside the window are not accepted.
Judging
- Contest officials selected and trained annually; announced at the initial Cooks Meeting.
- Judges are selected from personnel attending the event.
- Two rounds for all categories: Round 1 (top 5 advance) and Final (Round 2).
- Round 1 Scoring: Whole numbers 2–10.
- Round 2 Scoring: Half-integers 6.0–10.0.
- Approved TMD score sheets with criteria descriptions are used.
Judging Protocol & Logistics
- Minimum four (4) judges per table.
- No smoking in the judging area.
- Beverages and crackers provided (no dairy). Nitrile gloves provided.
- For chicken, judges choose white or dark meat consistently; forks/knives provided.
- Potential raw chicken is escalated to officials. Judges score immediately after tasting and do not compare entries.
Judging Criteria — Meats
- Aroma: Does it smell like barbecue?
- Appearance/Color: Does it look like barbecue and have eye appeal?
- Taste: Overall flavor, smoke, spice balance.
- Texture: Moisture and doneness; chicken skin crispiness; bark.
- Tenderness: Ease of eating: bite, chew, slice hang/pull.
- Overall: Total impression.
Judging Criteria — Desserts
- Aroma: Mouthwatering smell.
- Appearance/Color: Appetizing with eye appeal.
- Taste: Ingredient harmony, elevation of flavors.
- Texture: Moisture and doneness; crust flakiness, filling creaminess.
- Overall: Total impression.
TMD Contest Official Duties
Prior to Judging
- Seat judges; judging begins when all tables are staffed.
- Provide judging sheet and pencil for each judge.
- Ensure toothpicks, napkins, palate cleansers, beverages, and trash cans are available.
Starting the Judging
- Issue a new judging sheet for each container.
- Inspect containers (inside/out) for unauthorized marks, garnish, sauce puddling, etc.
- Pass container down the line; confirm serial numbers recorded correctly.
Completing Round 1
- Collect score sheets for each container.
- Tabulate each scorecard; aggregate totals for the container.
- Record serial number & score on the Round 1 master roster; advance top five to Round 2.
Completing Round 2
- Collect score sheets for each container.
- Tabulate and aggregate totals.
- Record on Round 2 master roster; select 1st, 2nd, 3rd based on highest scores.
A TMD Contest Official may disqualify any judge for just cause.
Disqualifications
- Containers in violation of rules may be disqualified at the sole discretion of TMD officials.
- Marked containers are prohibited and will be disqualified.
- Chicken entries deemed raw will be disqualified.
- Disqualified entries receive a score of 1 per participating judge (only if directed by officials). Decisions are final.
Winners & Prizes
| Place |
Award |
| 1st |
1st place trophy + $100 gift card |
| 2nd |
2nd place trophy + $50 gift card |
| 3rd |
3rd place trophy + $25 gift card |
Winning ticket numbers will be announced at least three times at the awards ceremony. Teams must present the matching ticket to claim prizes.
Tie Breakers
In the event of a tie (any category/place in the final round), a panel comprised of judges who already judged that product will re-evaluate the tied entries. Panels always have an odd number of judges. After tasting, judges rank entries by preference; scores determine final placement. Repeat until all ties are resolved. Decisions are final.