Loading…
12
Writing off the chili cook-off as a popularity contest, then I judged one in Fort Worth
Honestly I skipped our block party chili cook-off for three summers because I figured it was just a popularity contest with watery beans. Last October the organizer in Fort Worth begged me to be a judge since two people dropped out, so I said fine. There were 14 pots and every single one was numbered, so I had no clue whose chili I was tasting. The winner was a retired guy three doors down who I had never talked to, and his pot had a smoked brisket base he cooks for 6 hours. Now I show up early with my own spoon and a jug of water between entries. If your street does a cook-off, how do you keep the judging blind when everyone knows everybody's pots?
1 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In1 Comment
jason118h ago
every single one was numbered, so I had no clue whose chili I was tasting" is the whole trick right there, and the thing nobody plans for is how the pots get to the table. On our street the cook walks his own pot over and sets it down, so you can watch the door it came from. Fix is to have one neutral person collect all 14 pots in a wagon and set them out in a row, and the cooks stay home till the tasting starts. We also flipped the numbers after the pots were placed, so even the wagon guy couldn't say which was which. Takes one extra body but it kills the guessing game.
5