Thought this might be of interest to some of you,

found on AJC.com at

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Class will make righteous judges out of 'cue fans

By CLINT WILLIAMS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/31/07

When it comes to barbecue, everyone is a critic. But not everyone
knows what they're talking about.

"You hear people all the time [say], 'Those ribs are so tender the
meat falls off the bone,' " says Tony Stone. "Well, if the meat is
falling off the bone, the ribs are overcooked. The meat should have a
slight tug when you take a bite."
(ENLARGE)
Mears


Stone, a barbecue cook-off judge since 1990, will be teaching the
finer points of smoked meats in August.

Students will gnaw their way through ribs, chicken, pulled pork and
beef brisket, discussing the criteria of award-winning barbecue as
they chew. The class includes two hours of lecture and two hours of
eating.

The class is tightly structured in an effort to make judging
standards, well, standard across the country, says Stone of
Cookeville, Tenn. At the end of the session, students will become
official Kansas City Barbeque Society judges.

The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the Aug. 11
class to develop a pool of judges for the Cherokee Pignic, a cook-off
held in October. The competition needs at least 60 judges.

Canton neighbors Allan Mears and Nick DeAngelo signed up for the
class. They figured it was time to shed their amateur status.

"We eat a lot of barbecue, and we thought it would be kind of neat to
have credentials," says DeAngelo, a Texas native partial to beef
brisket. "We're always in search of the perfect barbecue."

Mears is a ribs and pulled-pork guy.

"I keep a notebook of the barbecue places where I eat in the
Southeast," he says.

The class cost is $70. You can register by calling the Cherokee County
Chamber of Commerce at 770-345-0400. Please call by Aug. 1.