Howdy,i2.
It appears you're opinionatin',so I'll opine.
I figure you're tryin' to get a balance of heat,sweet,and salt to tickle all them tastin' areas and hopefully enhance the meat.
The comp cooks are all so good today,that a % here or there is all that determines the winner.
To see several score in the same % is not unusual.
To me all this bred the same,fed the same ,housed the same pork,tastes the same.
They also need to grab the judge in one or two bites.
It is like a course exam where 95% of the students score over 95% and we're just waitin' on that little essay at the end.
The judgin' for presentation should be a given and you shouldn't lose any points there.Some nice pieces of bark mixed in always looks nice.
Almost all the cooks can cook a butt tender,without turnin' it to mush.
Now we're down to taste.What subtle taste makes your's stand apart ,without offending.
Does your's only need a little salt to bring out the flavor?
Would a tiny bit of acid in the sauce brighten it?
Remember that little bark mixed into a large meat mass has to carry all your thoughts on smoke and flavors.
