Sierra Lutheran Church Put Up or Shut Up Chili Cook-Off General Information and Rules

GENERAL INFORMATION This is our first annual Sierra Lutheran Church (SLC) Chili Cook-Off. All proceeds will support the activities and programs of Sierra Lutheran Church. Definitions: (1) Traditional Red Chili is defined by the International Chili Society (ICS) as any kind of meat or combination of meats, cooked with red chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients, with the exception of BEANS and PASTA which are strictly forbidden. (2) Chili Verde is defined by the ICS as any kind of meat or combination of meats, cooked with green chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients, with the exception of BEANS and PASTA, which are strictly forbidden. Chili Cook-Off Team: Each SLC Chili Cook-Off team will consist of one chef/cook and one or two assistants for a maximum total of three team members. Mandatory Meeting: One person from each team must attend the meeting conducted on Chili Cook-Off day from 7:30 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. at the registration table. At this time, we will review instructions and answer questions. Deadline: Early bird team registration now through October 28 ($25 per team) OR $40 from October 29 through November 4. All entry forms and fees due no later than Friday, November 4, 2011. RULES The following SLC Chili Cook-Off rules must be followed by all cooks, team members, and judges: 1. Check-in. All teams report to the Sierra Lutheran church parking lot, at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 12, 2011. Teams will be assigned a random and anonymous entry number and a 10x10 cooking area, SLC will provide small tasting cups and spoons for the public. 2. Set-Up. Cooking areas must be completely set up by 8:00 a.m. No electricity will be provided for booths. Teams may bring a table and chair(s). A small pop-up tent or canopy (maximum 10x10) may also be brought to shade the work area. Onsite outdoor preparation may not exceed the boundary of the assigned space. After set-up is complete, no more than three team members may be present in a booth at one time. All teams must supply their own cooking utensils, products, and accessories related to preparation of the chili. This includes a heating apparatus-camping stove, stoves, fuel, canned fuel (i.e., Sterno), etc. Water will be available from the church kitchen. 3. Safety. For safety and integrity purposes, after check-in/set-up is complete, at no time should any booth or chili pot be left unattended. Heat generating equipment must be located inside each booth and blocked off from the public by a minimum of three feet to prevent burns or other injuries. 4. Health. It is the responsibility each team to ensure that their area is kept clean and safe, and that all cooking is done in a sanitary manner. Conditions are subject to inspection by the judges. Adjacent to the booth area, a hand wash station will be provided exclusively for the use of team members. Hands must be washed before handling food and after using the toilet. A sanitizer water container (one gallon of water and 1 tablespoon of beach) will be provided at the hand wash station. This is for use when wiping down food contact surfaces like counters and cutting boards. 5. Ingredients. No ingredient may be pre-cooked in any way prior to the commencement of the SLC Cook-Off. The only exceptions are canned or bottled tomatoes, tomato sauce, peppers, pepper sauce, beverages, broth and

grinding and/or mixing of spices. Regular commercial chili powder is permissible, but complete commercial mixes are not permitted. Meat may be treated, pre-cut or ground. Meat may not be pre-cooked. All other ingredients must be chopped or prepared during the preparation period. A complete list of ingredients must be available for each chili entry. 6. Chili preparation. Each team must cook a minimum one gallon of competition chili from which a sample will be submitted for judging. The maximum cooking period will be 3 hours (from 8 until 11 a.m.). Remember that the more chili available for the public to taste, the better the chance of winning the popular vote. 7. Judging. Each team will be assigned a team number and given an official judging cup with a lid that will be used to submit the chili for judging. Each chef/cook should verify that the number on the bottom of the cup is the same as the assigned team number. Each team must provide an 8-ounce cup of chili for judging between 11:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Samples received after 11:15 a.m. will not be judged. Note: All team members must be willing to eat their own chili. 8. Announcement of Awards, At 2:00 p.m., winners selected by the judges in the following categories will be st nd rd announced: 1 , 2 , and 3 place winners, and the winner of the Peoples Choice Award. The decisions of the judges are final. 9. Cleanup. Each team is responsible for cleaning up the area at 4:00 p.m. removing all items from the area. No items shall be allowed to remain after the close of the Cook-Off. Containers will be provided for trash.

Sierra Lutheran Church and its representatives will not be responsible for any accidents, theft, or mishaps. For more information, visit www.sierralutheranchurch.org, or call Mike (559-855-4048) or email mtnrocker@gmail.com.