Friday Find: Judging the American Royal

Here's how KCBS judges decide the winners of the world's biggest BBQ contest.

At the American Royal World Series of Barbecue, each judge eats over two pounds of meat during the scoring process. To become one of the over 200 certified judges, volunteers of the Kansas City Barbecue Society go through an intense training and testing process. Find out what it takes to pick the winner of the largest barbecue contest in the world.

In this episode of Smoke Point from Eater, you’ll meet Rod Gray, CEO of the Kansas City Barbeque Society, who discusses the passionate members who make up his organization. You’ll also meet Certified Master Barbecue Judges Mary Ellen Winter and Cliff Davis, who have judged over 30 contests, volunteered at events, and cooked with teams. This insightful video explains how judges score entries based on taste, tenderness, and appearance.

Ryan Cooper
Co-Founder, The Smoke Sheet