COOK-OFF Ribs, fun, music on the menu

An annual rite of passage, the event heats up Cleveland.
CLEVELAND -- The heat. The meat. The sauce. The hospitality.
Such is the criteria for 14th Annual Tops Great American Rib Cook-Off & amp; Music Festival judges Sam Hubish and Jeff Chiplis, who in many ways possess a saucy rib palate similar to the fine wine tastes of Paul Giamatti's character in last year's successful film "Sideways."
"That's pretty accurate," said Cleveland Heights resident Sam Hubish. "I don't know if our vocabulary is as big as they have. And I think they take it a little too serious. But, yeah, the main thing is we do it for fun."
Doing it for fun is exactly how these two friends started out as self-appointed rogue judges, replete with their own score sheets. Beginning decades ago when the annual event was held at Downtown Cleveland's Mall C, these two rib lovers decided to become somewhat analytical when it came time to test all of the rib vendors' delights. Eventually, these bone aficionados were discovered by rib promoter Belkin Productions.
Loving the rib
"I bumped into them about 10 years ago at our rib event when they were doing an on-camera interview with a local TV station," said Marketing & amp; Creative Services Senior Vice President Barry Gabel. "Both had produced their own hats and T-shirts proclaiming their judging excellence and they were taking copious notes regarding all of the ribs: the appearance, the taste, the sauce, etc. And they were eating tons of ribs. Obviously they like ribs and BBQ and were not shy about it."
Because of that happenstance encounter, soon the pair was added as official annual judges. Eventually, this lead to becoming official Kansas City Barbecue Society sanctioned experts in all things saucy, tangy, sweet and zesty.
Added Gabel, "As for being technically schooled in judging BBQ, look at their bellies. I don't think they have missed too many meals." The duo's rib judging isn't limited to Northeast Ohio. Every year, Hubish and Chiplis travel around the country offering their expertise.
In regards to the 14th Annual Tops Great American Rib Cook-Off & amp; Music Festival, which takes place May 26 through May 30 at Tower City Amphitheater, Hubish offers this advice to both vendors and wannabe discriminating eaters.
"The secret to a good rib is that you have to like it," Hubish said. "But, how I see it is you take it in your hand, you take a look at it and see if any bone is revealed at the end of the rib. It should be about a half an inch to quarter inch or so.
"You take a bit of it and it should have a little tug. It shouldn't just fall off the bone. A lot of people like it that way but in my opinion, it should give a little fight like it doesn't want to give up yet."