Wild Game Cookoff

Wild Game Cookoff 2024

Registration Packet:

1. Carefully read and sign the attached rules and regulations. Make a copy for yourself if necessary.

2. Fill out the registration form.

3. Leave this packet and your registration fee in in the black Tunica Main Street box at Town Hall

Wild Game Cook off 2024

RULES & REGULATIONS

1. A cooking team may consist of a group of individuals, a couple, or a single individual. You must fill out a cook team form, available at Town Hall or by emailing Laura Withers at lwithers@townoftunica.org. Cost to enter is $50 per team. PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED BY FEBRUARY 6, 2024. Spots at the cookoff will be given in a first come, first serve manner on the day of the cook off.  Set up begins Friday, February 9th at 5:00pm. A representative from your team MUST attend the Cook Team Meeting at 9:30am on the day of the Cookoff, as well as meat check at 9:45am on the day of the cook off.

2. Wild Game Cook-Off is a celebration of the game animals, game birds, and game fish that can be harvested and utilized for food. Therefore, “Wild Game” is defined as fish, fowl, or game that can be found in the wild of North America. Teams are strongly encouraged to utilize fish, fowl or game that they have harvested themselves or have been harvested by other hunters and anglers. However, use of fish, fowl, or game species that are also commercially available does not result in disqualification.

3. All entries must be cooked and finished on-site at the cook off. Food may be marinated, chopped, or prepped prior to the cook off but it must be cooked on site. Teams are required to participate in a ‘meat check’ the morning of the cook off beginning at 8:30am. A cook off official will walk around and visit each cook team. Teams are required to show the official their uncooked meat for each food category in order to be eligible for participation in the contest. A cook-off official will be available until 9:45am to check meat. ABSOLUTELY NO MEAT CHECK WILL BE AVAILABLE BEFORE 8:30AM OR AFTER 9:45AM. The only exception to this rule is a baked good without meat in it. For example, if you are submitting a cake in the Anything Goes category, that can be cooked at home. But if you are making MEAT for the Anything Goes category, you gotta show it! All meat must be cooked on site. All teams must present raw, uncooked meat during the meat check. Meat that has been cooked, then frozen, is not considered raw and therefore not allowed in the cook-off.

4. No ingredients or supplies will be allowed to be delivered to the cook off area after 10am. So please make sure that you have all your ingredients at the cook off area by this time. If you are suspected of bringing food in after 10am, you will be disqualified from the next category to be judged, meaning you are no longer eligible for Best Overall.

5. There will be trophies and prize money awarded for first, second, and third place in BEST OVERALL:

1. $250 and automatic free entry into next year’s cookoff

2. $150

3. $100

6. There will be trophies and in-kind prizes awarded for the highest scoring in the following categories. Please read carefully, a few notes about the categories:

1. Bloody Mary

2. Anything Goes: Literally anything you want! This can be a dessert, another drink, etc. This category does not require any wild game in it at all.

3. Fish: Shellfish, muscles, and oysters ARE allowed in this category. Other examples include but are not limited to trout, catfish, crappe, tuna, shrimp, salmon, etc.

4. Fowl: NO chicken allowed. Examples include but are not limited to turkey, duck, pheasant, dove, etc.

5. Game: Examples include but are not limited to venison, elk, rabbit, squirrel, etc.

7. The Award for “Best Overall” will go to the cook team with the highest collective score for the day in the categories of Anything Goes, Fish, Fowl, and Game. Dishes will be judged on Flavor, Doneness, Texture, and originality. Teams are required to enter ALL FOUR FOOD CATEGORIES in order to win Best Overall.

8. Judging will be a blind judging. Teams are required to submit their dishes in the provided container, and absolutely nothing else. Do not put an additional container inside the provided container. Please be prepared to supply 5-10 appetizer-sized portions for judging. Judges will be seated in an enclosed area during judging times. Teams are in no way permitted to talk to judges about their dish prior to judging time. We encourage teams and judges to socialize and have fun during the day, but please be do not compromise the competition by showing a judge your dish or talking about your dish prior to judging time. Any suspicion of this activity will result in termination from the competition, and all future Main Street sponsored cook-offs.

9. Fighting, taunting, or abusive language of any kind will not be tolerated. If your team engages in any of this activity they will be asked to leave immediately and disqualified from the cook off.

10. Cook-Off Schedule (please check back…subject to change)

· Friday February 9th:

· 5:00pm Set Up begins at Tunica Marketplace, spots given on a first come, first serve basis.

· Saturday February 10th:

· 8:00am Set up

· 8:30am Meat Check begins (just come find Laura when you are ready)

· 9:30am Cook Team Meeting – ONE PERSON FROM YOUR TEAM MUST ATTEND

· 9:45am Meat Check ends

· 10:00am Bloody Mary Judging Begins

· 11:00am Anything Goes Judging Begins

· 12:00pm Fish Judging Begins

· 1:00pm Fowl Judging Begins

· 2:00pm Game Judging Begins

· 3:00pm Winners Announced

· 5:00pm Marketplace CLOSED for the night. Please note the Marketplace is not locked and Tunica Main Street will not be held responsible for any equiptment left overnight at the Marketplace.

11. If there are any questions or discrepancies about the rules, the Cookoff Director will make a final judgement call. What the director says, goes. No exceptions.

12. Most Important Rule: HAVE FUN!!!

Please contact Laura Withers, Main Street Director, with any questions.

Cell: 662-357-8010

Email: lwithers@townoftunica.org

By Signing below I acknowledge that a member of our cook team and read and understands all the rules and promise to abide by them. By not followingall rules I understand that I may be disqualified from the cook off.

________________________________________

Signature and Date

Saturday, February 10th

Tunica Marketplace, Downtown Tunica

Contact Name or Team Name:_______________________________________________

Contact Phone Number:__________________________

Contact Email:__________________________________

I would like to register in the following categories (circle all that apply, must enter all categories except Bloody Mary to be eligible for Best Overall)

Bloody Mary

Fish

Fowl

Game

Anything Goes

Non-refundable $50 Registration Fee is required by check or cash only. Please make checks payable to Tunica Main Street. Please note that if we do not have a minimum of 5 teams sign up by 5pm on January 31, 2024 the cookoff will be cancelled due to lack of interest. The deadline to register your team is 5pm on Tuesday, February 6th. After this deadline applications will not be accepted.

Contact Laura with questions at 662-357-8010 or lwithers@townoftunica.org

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Sponsored by Tunica Main Street