The Youth Backyard Cook Off will be held at the Smith County Fair at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 1, 2023. Judging will take place from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
PRIZES (per category):
- 1st Place – $50
- 2nd Place – $25
- 3rd Place – $10
RULES:
1: The three (3) categories will be judged in the following order:
- Chicken (including cornish game hen & kosher hen) @ 4:00 PM
- Beef steak (must be ribeye cut) @ 4:30 PM
- Pork Loin (cut 1/2 inch) @ 5:00 PM
2: Meat inspection will be held from 12:30 p.m.-1:00 p.m. the day of the contest. Once inspected the meat can not leave the contest site. A contestant meeting will be held at 1:00 p.m. All competition meat shall start out raw. No pre-seasoned meat is allowed. Contestant must provide the chicken & pork loins. The Smith County Fair Board will provide the beef ribeye steaks.
3: Teams or individual contestants of 6-12th grade students are welcome.
4: Fire shall be of wood, wood pellets or charcoal. Parboiling and/or deep frying competition meat is not allowed.
5: Contestant shall provide all needed equipment and supplies.
6: Garnish is optional. If used, it is limited to chopped, sliced, shredded or whole leaves of fresh green lettuce.
7: Sauce is optional. If used, it shall be applied directly to the meat and not pooled or puddled in the container. No sidesauce containers will be permitted in the turn-in container.
8: Entries will be submitted in an approved container (provided by the Smith County Fair Board). The number must be on top of the container at turn-in. The container shall not be marked in anyway so as to make the container unique or identifiable. No foreign materials in the container.
9: Each contestant must submit at least three (3) separated portions of meat in a container. Chicken, beef ribeye steak, and pork loin may be submitted chopped, pulled, sliced, or diced as the cook sees fit, as long as there is enough for three (3) judges. Beef ribeye steak should be cooked medium.
10: It is the responsibility of the contestant to see that the team’s assigned cooking space is clean and orderly following the contest.
11: Awards will be presented to the top three (3) in each category (beef ribeye steak, chicken and pork loin). A grand champion award will be presented to the overall highest score. Only contestants who enter all three (3) categories are eligible for the best of show.
Chairperson JERIMIAH WILKERSON and Co-Chairperson STEPHANIE WALKER-DYER
The Youth Backyard Cook Off is sponsored by Kyle Owen Farms.
