Knights of Columbus Council 14512
6th Annual Chili Cook-off
Saturday, November 11, 2017
(Benefiting the American Wheelchair Mission)
I. CHILI COOKING RULES
· TEAMS: An entry may consist of one “head cook,” up to four assistant cooks, and 4 servers.
· CONDUCT: The “head cook” is responsible for the conduct of the participants and guest in his/her area and also for keeping the area neat and clean. You should bring your own trash bags so that you can clean your area completely when you leave. Leave it cleaner than ya’ found it!
· Legal Disclaimer: Each team by paying the registration fee agrees to prepare their chili in a sanitary manner and warrants their recipe is fit for human consumption. Additionally, each participant accepts responsibility for their actions and the actions of their minor children if present, and holds the Knights of Columbus and participating council members harmless of liability.
· BEVERAGES: THERE IS NOT AN ALCOHOL PERMIT IN PLACE FOR THIS EVENT. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN TO SELL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ON THE PREMISES. ANY CONTESTANT WHO VIOLATES THIS RULE WILL BE DISQUALIFIED AND COULD BE PROSECUTED. However, each team may bring alcoholic beverages for their team member’s consumption. There will be a central location for beverage distribution for the public. The public will be able chose their choice of beverage (beer, soda, or water) when they purchase a chili sampler kit.
· SUPPLIES: You are responsible for bringing the following equipment and supplies:
Mandatory:
Approved Meat- Beef*, Ground Pork*, Ground Turkey*, (New this year at the team’s option: “Ground Bison*” may be used. (* The meat must be purchased from a store or meat market and sealed in a package with the “sell by” or “expiration date” on/or after November 11, 2017.) NO OTHER MEAT PERMITTED.
Seasonings and tomato sauce/paste base,
Burner, No open or wood fires – (No holes or dug pits will be permitted.),
Fuel tank with fuel,
Cooking pot or Kettle,
Cooking utensils,
5 gallon water keg or 5 one gallon jugs full of clean water (To wash hands and clean utensils),
Booth table,
Optional:
Canopy tent(s) not to exceed a total area of 20 feet wide per booth. All tents must stay within the booth area assigned to the team.
Booth chairs,
Portable generator-No electricity is available so each team may bring one portable generator however it must not be accessible to the public, including the fuel necessary for operation, or interfere with any competitor’s booth. Generator fuel must be stored in a UL approved container at least 30 feet from any flame source.
Note* Cooking units affixed to a trailer must be COMPLETELY OPEN so the judges can readily view the cooking process. The trailer must be securely parked within the 20 foot wide assigned booth area and not encroach on any other team.
· SCHEDULE:
· 6:00 a.m. Entrants may arrive at the site and begin setup. Each team must submit their sealed raw meat (Beef, and/or ground Pork, and/or ground Turkey, and/or Bison) in the original store packaging with the “sell by” or “expiration date” on/or after November 11, 2017 to the Head Judge for inspection prior to the start of cooking.
· 8:00 a.m. Head Judge will hold a “Cooks Meeting” to review the schedule, rules, and make an inspection of the approved raw meat if a team has not done so already. The Head Judge will give each Head Cook one approved container with lid so the chili for judging can be submitted when called.
· 10:00 a.m. Contestant Booth set-up must be complete and vehicles used for setup parked in the adjacent parking lot.
· 10:00 a.m. Gates open to the public.
· 10:00 a.m. Teams begin serving their five (5) gallons of chili to the public.
· 2:00 p.m. TURN-IN TIME FOR JUDGING. Via the loud speaker, an announcement will call for the Head Cook of each team to deliver to the Head Judge their team’s chili entry in the approved container supplied at the “Cooks Meeting.”
· 2:00 p.m. All designated table monitors and Judges are to report to the Judging area.
· 3:00 p.m. Public Voting for “People’s Choice” chili will conclude.
· 4:00 p.m.-ish. Judging should conclude in the 4 o’clock hour. Winners will be announced after the scores have been tabulated and confirmed. Teams must continue to serve chili to the public until all winners have been announced or the team has informed the Head Judge that their entire five (5) gallon pot of Public Tasting chili has been served.
· 5:00 p.m.-Dark. Each team is responsible for their booth area being disassembled and cleaned of trash.
· COOKING:
1. Chili Submitted for Judging:
· The Head Judge shall appoint Referees to assist in monitoring each team to insure all teams are in compliance with the rules, that food is handled in a sanitary manner, and the competition is done in a safe manner.
· Each “head cook” must prepare the chili that he/she intends to be judged. At 2:00 p.m. the Head Judge will call for (1) judging sample (in the approved 1-quart container given at the “Cooks Meeting) of chili. No more than one judging sample may be taken from any one pot. If an approved container is contaminated or damaged, it must be returned to the Head Judge by the Head Cook prior to judging. Note: Only one replacement container will be available. A team will not be issued a third container.
· All chili must be prepared out in the open. No cooking inside motor homes, etc.
· All chili must be cooked at the site the day of the cook-off from scratch. “Scratch” is defined as starting with approved raw meat (beef, ground pork, ground turkey, bison). (No advanced marinating is allowed). Beef Chili grind or regular ground beef is permissible. Regular commercial chili powder is permissible, but complete commercial chili mixes (“just add meat” mixes that contain pre-measured spices) are not permitted.
· All chili must be made with USDA approved meat that is not older than the “sell by” or “expiration date” on the packaging. The Head Cook for each team will present the raw meat in the original store packaging to the Head Judge for review prior to cooking.
· Your chili may not have “fillers” such as beans, macaroni, rice, hominy or other similar items. (Applies only to Chili for Judging.)
· Cooks are required to cook chili in as sanitary manner as possible.
· Teams that choose to use a single recipe for Judging and Public Tasting must adhere to the Judging specifications above and the five gallon provision listed below.
2. Chili for Public Tasting:
· Each “head cook” is responsible for cooking one (1) five gallon pot of chili for Public Tasting.
· All chili must be made with USDA approved meat (beef, ground pork, ground turkey, ground bison).
· Your chili may have “fillers” such as beans, macaroni, rice, hominy or other similar items. (Applies only to Chili for Public Tasting.)
· Cooks are required to cook chili in as sanitary manner as possible.
· Each team must serve continuously been 10:00 a.m. and when the results are announced or by 4 p.m., whichever is later. (Exception: The Head Cook has informed the Head Judge that the entire 5 gallon batch has been exhausted).
· JUDGING CUPS & TURN-IN:
· The Head Judge will distribute (1) approved container with lid at the 8:00 a.m. “Cooks Meeting.”
· At 2:00 p.m. The Head Judge will call for each team’s Head Cook to deliver the chili in the approved container to the Judging Area.
· The Head Judge will give each Head Chili Cook a piece of paper to print in ink with their first and last name, team name, and KC Council number if applicable. The Head Judge will collect the printed paper and seal it inside of a security envelope that will be attached to the side of the approved container during entry collection.
· Judging Cups must be filled within ¾ to 1 inch of the top of the cup.
· At the discretion of the head judge, chili cooks may be required to taste their chili when turning it in for judging. If a contestant refuses, his or her chili will be disqualified.
· The Head Judge shall assign each entry a confidential designation (letters and/or numbers) which will be anonymous to the Contestants and Judges, and marked on the outside of the security envelope. The Head Judge shall maintain a confidential roster that cross references the letter and/or number and the Head Cook and Team name listed in the sealed envelope attached to the approved Chili container. This roster will be publically posted when the winners are announced.
· PYROTECHNICS: No chili contestant may discharge firearms or use any pyrotechnics or explosives.
· RULES: All of the above rules and conditions are subject to inspection by the judging committee and referees. Failure to comply may result in disqualification. Anyone disqualified will be immediately notified.
· AWARDS: There will be awards for the top three chili entries as determined by our tasting Judges. There will also be “People’s Choice Award.” This year the Public will vote how the contestant’s chili tastes. The chili team that receives the most “People’s Choice” tickets from the public will win this award. Note, the public is entitled to one (1) “People’s Choice” ticket per sampling kit purchased and may vote as often as they can afford. New this year, there will be an award for the Best Theme Booth. The Chili Cook-Off Chairman will select a panel of “secret judges” who will determine the winner of this award.
II. CHILI JUDGING RULES
A. APPROVED JUDGING CUPS WITH LIDS - All cups must be identical in color, size, and shape and provided by the Head Judge.
1. HEAD COOK”S NAME/TEAM NAME –
a. A piece of paper containing the Printed name of the Head Cook and team name of each contestant will be affixed to the side of the approved cup and will be concealed until all judging is completed.
b. Care will be taken by all cup handlers and cooks to avoid damaging the approved submission cup and lid. Only (1) Replacement cup will be issued, and this will be done in the presence of the Head Judge.
2. SIGN FOR JUDGING CUP – During the “Cooks Meeting” each Head Chili Cook must sign a roster confirming they were issued an approved judging cup with lid.
3. TAMPERING - Any cup that appears to have been marked or altered will be grounds for disqualification. All such cups will be referred to the head judge for a ruling concerning disqualification.
4. DAMAGED CUP - If a cup is damaged, only (1) replacement cup will be issued and in the presence of the Head Judge.
B. CHILI JUDGES – Five (5) or more people will be appointed as Judges for the first round of Judging and three (3) or more Judges will be appointed for the Final Round of Judging, by the Head Judge. All Judges must be adults (18 years or older). Judges must abstain from tasting chili prior to judging. Judges must not be associated with any cook at that cook-off (e.g., one spouse cooking and the other spouse judging; member of cooking team judging if another member of same team is cooking).
C. JUDGING CRITERIA AND SCORING - A single score takes into consideration the five criteria for scoring chili:
Aroma
Consistency
Red Color
Taste
Aftertaste
1. SCORING - Each cup of chili will be scored on its own merits with a whole number from 0 to 10, 10 being the highest. Each Judge will circle a whole number on the Judging form for each of the five criteria for scoring chili. No pluses (+), minuses (-), fractions (½), or decimals (.5) will be taken into consideration.
2. EACH CHILI MUST BE SCORED - If a judge determines (by aroma, consistency, and/or color) that he/she does not want to taste a chili, that chili still must be given a score.
Preliminary Round
Only the Top Ten (10) entries will advance to the Final Round of Judging unless one or more entry is tied for the top ten.
Final Round of Judging
a. All Top Ten Entries will be scored on a blank Judging Score Card by the Final Round Judges.
b. The Top Three (3) places will be determined by the Final Round Scoring.
3. TIES
a. Chili for Judging. Only ties involving the top three places in the Final Round of Judging shall be broken. Two or more entrants who are tied for one position will enter into the special tie breaker tabulation. The special tie breaker will consist of a Round of Judging by the Head Judge, and the Referees.
b. People’s Choice Chili Competition. If the top two or more teams receive the same number votes then the winner will be determined by the highest score obtained in the “Chili for Judging” category.
D. JUDGES INSTRUCTION
1. JUDGING SHEETS - Official Judging Sheets shall be provided to each Judge by the Table Monitor. (Ample copies of Judging Sheets must be available.)