Here come 'da judge

When it comes to judging barbecue, S.C. sets the standard

Chris Moore / The Item

Something 'bout BBQ y'all

By ANNABELLE ROBERTSON
Item Staff Writer
arobertson@theitem.com

There's barbecue judging, and there's barbecue judging. And according to Lake High Jr., president of the South Carolina Barbecue Assocation, never the 'twain shall meet.

At least if he has anything to say about it.

"We have trained the best judges in the nation – without a doubt," said the retired stockbroker, who founded the SCBA in 2004 to correct what he and others insisted were sloppy contest standards. "Our training is better, our system is better. We have people who travel the world judging barbecue and after getting certified elsewhere, like Kansas City and Memphis, come to us for training. They tell us it's the best they've ever had."

Unfortunately, that wasn't always the case.

"The judging situation in South Carolina was horrendous," High said, his voice filled with a faint trace of disgust. "If you had someone in, say, Sumter, who put on a barbecue benefit, they'd bring in the local disc jockey and the sheriff and the mayor's wife and maybe the town drunk – whoever was available, and whoever gave them the most PR."

	Do you have what it takes? Requirements for certification as a S.C. Barbecue Association judge:   Complete a one-day seminar -- offered twice yearly, in July and January   Judge in four different contests (of which two must be SCBA events)   Available to judge/work in the Carolina Q Cup   Fully-paid dues Visit www.scbarbecue.com for more information

And what's wrong with that?

"One, they don't know to judge," said High, warming to his subject. "Two, they aren't trained. Three, they generally talk among themselves – and that's a no-no among the SCBA judges. They can talk about their mother-in-law or their truck, but they can't talk about barbecue. We even separate husbands and wives, put them at other tables, because they can read each other's body language."

Also, High said, there used to be a lot of "on-site judging" — as opposed to blind judging, where the 'cue is put in unmarked boxes then tagged by number.

"The Memphis people literally put the name of the team on the box," he said. "This is heresy, as far as we're concerned. It's hard to give a man a low score when you're looking him in the face."

They know this, High added, because they have studied it. High's partner, Walter Rolandi, who has a doctorate in clinical psychology, took a very academic approach to the issue of judging and, as a result, the pair have come up with a long list of guidelines for their judges, which they put into place for contests around the state. Right now, SCBA judges participate in about 30 events a year.

Chris Moore / The Item

"Thank god he used his damn Ph.D. for something," High quipped.

Sumterite Fred Harmon, 63, has benefited from that research. During the week, Harmon works as a weathercaster at Shaw Air Force Base. On weekends, however, he's traveling the state, tasting the 'cue. The North Carolina native — who grew up around Lexington, N.C., which is famous for its vinegar-based sauce — received his SCBA certification three years ago.

"Growing up in that area of North Carolina, I always loved barbecue, so the idea of becoming a judge down here was unique, because I was able to try different barbecue in different places," he said. And the camaraderie in our association, which has members from all over the state, is a lot of fun. It doesn't pay anything, but it's a great hobby."

It's the learning experience he enjoys most, he said.

"I love seeing the way different cooks do the barbecue," Harmon said. "The judging is easy compared to the cooks. That's a long process, and to get that woodsy, smokey flavor is unique to barbecue pork."

Also unique is the fact that South Carolina plays host to the four main types of indigenous barbecue sauces — mustard, vinegar, light tomato and heavy tomato. Lucky for them, judges taste them all.

Chris Moore / The Item

After completing a mandatory day-long seminar under the tutelage of High and Rolandi, wannabe judges are sent out to earn their certification at four separate barbecue contests. Unlike other states, where components are equally weighted, SCBA judges give more points for taste and texture than for aroma and appearance.

"It's like wine," said High, who is also state-certified as a wine judge. "It can have a beautiful color, but as soon as you put it to your nose, you smell cork or acetate."

That's something Lamar Kennedy, 40, learned the hard way, after he and a couple of buddies — Dennis Craven and Jake Buddin — decided to take their weekend barbecue to the annual Smoke at the Lodge event in Summerville three years ago.

"We just expected to just show up and win, but little did we know, we had some learning to do," he said. "What normally makes for good barbecue may not be what the judges are looking for."

The trio has since mastered the art of the 'cue. They've taken both first- and second-place honors in Manning, at the annual PigTales Festival Barbeque Cook-off. They've won the Calhoun County Cook-Off. They even returned to Summerville and snagged that blue ribbon.

Last year, their barbecue sauce beat 50 other teams for first place at Myrtle Beach's prestigious Beach, Boogie and Barbecue. The sauce is now sold by the Shriners, who sponsored the contest, and at the IGA store in Manning, which Kennedy owns.

It isn't just about location, though. Asked about the real secret to good barbecue, High laughed.

"There are lots of secrets to barbecue — lots of secrets," he said, with a smile still plastered to his face. "Anybody can cook ribs, but it takes an artist to cook whole hogs."