The Fine Print
The Fine Print
Critter Cookoff
TERMS and CONDITIONS
RULES AND GUIDELINES
EVENT DATE: May 18th, 2024
Location: Nelson Hart Park
1204 Nelson Hart Drive
St, James, Mo. 65559
Applications must be signed by the Chief Cook and must be paid in full by 12:00 AM on May 11th.
A COOK TEAM shall be comprised of no more than four members: One Chief Cook and three assistants.
Fee: $100.00 per team.
Make checks payable to: Critter Cookoff or
VENMO YOUR TEAM INFORMATION AND FEE TO
@critter cookoff or pay on crittercookoff.com or on the Critter Cookoff Facebook page.
Mail application and fees to:
Critter Cookoff
37 St. Ann Avenue
St. James, Mo. 65559
All contestants agree to indemnify and hold Critter Cookoff, Patrick C. Ybarra, and its employees, agents and volunteers, harmless from any and all claims made against the same, including without limitations, all costs, liabilities, judgments, expenses, damages, and attorney’s fees arising out of or in connection with (1) any structure erected by contestant, (2) any apparatus, equipment or personal property used by contestant, (3) any act or omission to act of any contestant, its agent, invitees, participants, representatives, employees and servant, and (4) any claims made on account of or resulting from any contestant’s participation in the contest.
I. GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS
1. Wild game is defined as the meat of a non-domesticated animal. All wild game must have been legally killed. The Sale or offering for sale of any wild game is illegal and strictly prohibited.
The Chief Cook for each team will be required to show the meat is in safe condition and kept at 40 degrees or colder.
2. All game meat must be cooked on site. Any type of cooking device and fuel may be used. All fires must be contained in a grill, smoker or other similar device. ENCLOSED fires on the ground are permitted.
Meat may be marinated prior to inspection but must still be in a form that is recognizable as wild game until the start of the competition. Any ground wild game to be used for chili, etc., must be ground after the start of the competition. All booths, teams and meat will be inspected @ 8:30 am. If the meat is not present and ready for inspection when requested, or if the meat is not recognizable as wild game, that team will not be judged or allowed to compete.
If you have any question as to whether the meat will be recognizable as game, please contact us prior to the event.
3. Plan to provide samples to at least 6 judges; small bite size samples for members of the public are recommended, but not required. You are not required to provide the same cut of meat, or dish, to the public that you provide to the judges. Other Ingredients may be included in the dish, as long as the MEAT is wild game meat and is prepared on site. Therefore, stews, chili, casseroles, etc. are not excluded, provided they meet the above requirements.
Time of event is 9:00 am. The cooking period will be 4 hours (time of cook differs with draw of turn in). This is the total time to chop, cook, prepare and plate your entrée and Side dish.
Judging will begin at 1:00 pm. Scoring by the judges will be on taste, appearance, texture and overall use of game.
4. Each contestant shall supply all his/her own game, fuel, cooking ingredients, cooking devices, utensils, serving dishes and tables. The contestants will be provided a cooking area, necessary sanitary facilities, along with judging food containers.
All contestants must adhere to all electrical, fire and other codes of Phelps County, State of Missouri and the United States of America.
A team identification sign must be displayed in your cooking area. Since this is an outdoor event, rain or shine. It is suggested that you bring suitable shelter, as weather may require.
5. Teams may arrive at Nelson Hart Park the night before and set up camp if necessary.
Each team must have an appropriate fire extinguisher within their cooking area, which could be an ABC type or K type for deep frying.
All liability/risk for items left in the cooking area Friday night shall be assumed by the contestants. The Critter Cookoff, Patrick C. Ybarra and associated support disclaim any liability for any items left in the cooking area.
6. The Chief Cook will be responsible for the conduct of team and guests. Please remember you represent your team, company, business organization, your community and ours.
7. The Chief Cook may have no more than 3 assistants or Co-cooks. A MAXIMUM OF 4 PERSONS SHALL CONSTITUTE A COOKING TEAM.
8. Each applicant must comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Missouri Department of Health and the Phelps County Health Dept.
including, but not limited to, the following:
a. Meat must be stored at 40 degrees or less before cooking. Coolers with ice will be sufficient.
b. After cooking, the meat must be maintained at 140 degrees or above in a covered container.
c. Cleanliness of the cook, assistants, and the contestant’s area is required.
d. No live animals are allowed in the cooking area.
9. Each team must check in at the registration area and will receive their cooking area assignment at that time.
10. There will be a Chief Cook’s Meeting at the Judging Area on site prior to the meat inspection on Saturday, May 18th at 9:00 AM. If a team does not have a representative at the Chief Cook’s Meeting, that team will be allowed to compete; however, that team will be responsible for meeting any requirements or changes announced at the Chief Cook’s Meeting.
12. Cooking area must be left as you found it. Police your area please.
II. JUDGING SYSTEM:
1. Judging will begin at 1:00p.m. Team 1 will be called first and will continue in numerical order.
2. Any team which does not have its entry ready to be judged at the required time will be docked a maximum of 5 points.
3. Each team will be provided with an official serving dish to present its entry to the judges. Any item in the box that is turned in will be thrown away after judging—bowls, serving ware, garnish)
TEAMS SHOULD HAVE A 3” x 5” card with ONLY food information describing the food in the box. No team information can be on this card.
4. A member from each team will be responsible for delivering their team’s entry to the judging area at the assigned time. Judging may be staggered to accommodate the number or entries.
No team member may be present at the judges table during the judging process.
5. A Cook-off Co-Chairman will ensure coordination of entries being judged and keep the judges table cleared of all entries for which sampling has been completed.
6. All judging will be anonymous. Each team will be assigned a number, and their entry will be marked with that number. The judges will not know team numbers.
7. A Cook-off Co-Chairman will remain at the judges table throughout the judging process to ensure accuracy.
8. A panel of judges will judge no more than 20 entrees and sides. The judges will select the top dish from their table.
9. Awards presentation will take place on site at the conclusion of the judging. (around 3:00pm)
III. SAMPLING SYSTEM:
1. This is a public event, if you have time and would like to, you are encouraged to prepare small samples for the general public. Sampling can be similar to your entered recipes or other and may be prepared prior to the event.
2. Samples encouraged but are not required.
4. Each competing team shall have a sign posted at its Cook-off area identifying the team by name.
5. A Cook-off volunteer will be assigned to oversee the cooking area and will alert Cook-off personnel to any unruly/inappropriate conduct.
V. NON-DISCRIMINATION:
Critter Cookoff policy is not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or disability. During the cook-off, it is expected that all contestants and their representatives will adhere to a similar policy, and anyone deemed not to be adhering to such a policy will be disqualified and asked to leave the event.
VII. ALCOHOL--No participant will be allowed to sell or distribute alcoholic beverages of any kind during the festival. No participant will be allowed to sell food items, including beverages. The Critter Cookoff has exclusive rights for all sales.
.
PLEASE KEEP A COPY OF THESE RULES AND REGULATIONS WITH YOU THE DAY OF THE FESTIVAL.
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING
Critter Cookoff