Barbecue Cookoff & Jackpot Beans

You can now complete the entry form in one of two ways:

Submit the Cookoff Entry Form online
- or -
Download the Cookoff Entry Form

Friday, September 30 - Saturday, October 1

Winners will be announced around 4pm on Saturday, October 1. Head Judge for the cook-off this year will be Mike Jonas, assisted by his wife Julie.

RULES & GUIDELINES:

1. A contestant or team consists of one chief cook and assistants. Contestants may check into the barbecue cook-off grounds beginning Friday, September 30, 2011, at noon, and they must be in place by 8 a.m. Saturday, October 1, 2011. All vehicles must be moved from cooking area by 9 am on Saturday.
2. Entry fee is $85 and includes four day passes to the Guadalupe County Fair.
3. Categories for the Guadalupe County Fair Association Barbecue Cook-Off are:
   • Beef Brisket. (Turn in 7 slices)
   • Pork Spare Ribs (SLAB) (No Country Style, Baby Back or Loin Back) Turn in seven full ribs, cut apart.
   • Chicken halves (No Cornish Game Hens. Turn in one half of a whole fully-jointed chicken; half must include leg, thigh, wing and breast portion.) Must be fully cooked or will be disqualified.
   • Pinto Beans (No canned beans). Anything added to the beans must be cut up no larger than a bean. Turn in a 20 oz. cup.
   • Cook's Choice must be cooked on the pit or dutch oven (no brisket, spare ribs, chicken halves or beans can be entered.) Turn in a 20 oz. cup or foam plate.
   • Fair Association Showmanship Award
4. Cooked on site: All meat will be brought to the site RAW. Meat may be inspected at the check-in.
5. Sauce: You may COOK with sauce but DO NOT add sauce, marinade, sop or juice to meat or container once the meat is prepared for turn-in.
6. Cooks are to prepare and cook barbecue in as sanitary a manner as possible. Cooking conditions are subject to inspection by the Cook-Off Committee. Conditions found to be unsanitary will be grounds for disqualification from the cook-off. Fire must be wood or wood substance. NO gas or electric fires are allowed (except for beans). No holes, open fires, or dug pits will be allowed. However, a burn-down barrel will be allowed but MUST have some type of safety barrier placed across the top and around the sides of the barrel. Precautions MUST be made to prevent fire threat. No fire, burn-down barrel, pit or other cooking apparatus allowed on any asphalt area.
7. The Chief Cook for each team will be responsible for the conduct of his/her team, guests, or invitees. As well, the Chief Cook will be responsible for his/her team's compliance with the rules and regulations herein set forth. EXCESSIVE use of alcoholic beverages will be grounds for disqualification. Contestants must not give, offer, sell or donate alcoholic beverages to the general public. Teams will not offer barbecue for SALE. Any offensive conduct will be grounds for disqualification from the Cook-Off and expulsion from the Barbecue Cook-Off Grounds.
8. Any nudity, lewdness, or any form of vulgarity will NOT be allowed. No pyrotechnics or explosives are allowed. Any intentional use of the above by a team will result in disqualification and removal from the grounds.
9. Music within your team area is allowed. HOWEVER, excessive loud music and/or sounds which interfere with announcements, schedules, live bands and entertainment on stage, or which intrude upon or interfere with the comfort of fellow contestants will NOT BE ALLOWED NOR TOLERATED. Offenders will receive no more than 3 warnings from either the Barbecue Chairman, Vice Chairman or Security Vice Chairman, and non-compliance will be grounds for disqualification from the Cook-Off and expulsion from the Barbecue Cook-Off Grounds.
10. The BBQ Cook-off Chairman and Head Judges reserves the right to make additional rules and regulations as situation warrants.
11. Decisions of the BBQ Cook-Off Committee and Judges of the contest are final.
12. Animal(s) of any kind WILL NOT BE PERMITTED in any contestant's contest space nor will any animal(s) be permitted on the Barbecue Cook-Off Grounds, EXCEPT for seeing-eye dogs.
13. Teams may be asked to judge.

JUDGING:

1. Contest meats will be judged on Saturday, October 1, 2011. Contest meats must be delivered to the Hall of Fame, located on the west side of the baseball field.
• COOKS CHOICE: 10:00 a.m.
• PINTO BEANS: 11:00 a.m.
• CHICKEN: 12:30 p.m.
• PORK SPARE RIBS: 2:00 p.m.
• BEEF BRISKET: 3:30 p.m.
2. The official time will be that one as kept by the Cook-Off Judge.
3. Double Blind Judging: Teams will receive 4 foam trays and 2 20-oz. cups with lids. Each of these trays will have a double-matched theater ticket which has been affixed to the tray with masking tape. The Chief Cook only will sign the back of the ticket on each tray. The Chief Cook is responsible for removing and keeping in a safe place the signed ticket. Teams MUST present the signed ticket to claim any prize when the winning tickets are announced at the award ceremony.
4. Winners will be announced at 5 p.m. with an awards ceremony. Upon completion of Judging.
5. Cash Awards will be given to 1st-3rd places in the brisket, chicken and pork spare ribs competitions. A trophy will be presented to the 1st place team in each category, as well as a showmanship trophy. Ribbons will be awarded for 4th-8th places. Fifty percent of the pot will be awarded to the best Jack Pot Beans and Cook's Choice with the remaining 50 percent going to the Scholarship Fund. A special Grand Champion award will be given to overall best chicken, ribs & brisket.

SAFETY/SECURITY/SANITATION:

1. A licensed peace officer will provide security on behalf of the Cook-Off Committee from 7 p.m., Friday, September 30, 2011 until 7 p.m., Saturday, October 1, 2011. However, the Cook-Off Committee is not responsible for theft or damage to the property of a contestant, its members or its guests. Furthermore, the Cook-Off Committee is not responsible for any injury to any such person(s).
2. Teams participating in the contest must not damage in any way the premises on which the contest is being conducted. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES are there to be any open fires on the grounds. They must be contained in a fireproof container. Security and safety are the sole responsibility of each team/contestant.
3. Each team is responsible for ensuring that its space is clean following the contest. All trash must be placed in the dumpster provided. All flames and hot coals must be extinguished and disposed of properly. A team may be disqualified from further participation in the contest or any subsequent contest in the event that the team either causes damage to the grounds or leaves its space in disarray or with loose bundled garbage following the contest. Each team must provide their own trash bags. There will be dumpster located on the grounds to drop trash and receptacles will be provided.
4. Alcoholic Beverages: NO glass beer or soft drink bottles are permitted in the contest area. TABC rules must be followed at all times.
5. Let us know if you are going to compete in showmanship.
6. No golf carts, ATV's, scooters etc. will be allowed on grounds, except by committee chair.
7. Official Judges: Mike and Julie Jonas