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Myron Fortin cuts slices of tri-tip with his team Kill It & Grill It during the second annual Tri-tip Cook-Off and Market Days at Eager Park in Imperial on Saturday morning. (STEVEN ESPERANZA PHOTO / February 24, 2013) |
IMPERIAL — This city kicked off fair season with its Fair Parade on Saturday, and while car clubs, Boy Scouts troops and marching bands showed off their talent and work, some serious business was being cooked up at Eager Park.
The Tri-Tip Cook-Off was back for its second year, and $1,000 was on the line.
Darrell Pechtl, who is on the Imperial Planning Commission and has judged past tri-tip cook-offs, said judges assess the fruits of the grill by the interplay of nuances on the palate, like seasoning, flavor and texture. Each individual’s taste buds react to the same meal differently, he said.
While the goal of grilling the perfect tri-tip appears simple, there was no shortage of approach or technique.
The members of Pit Crew Local 626, the California Highway Patrol’s union, did not share their recipe. Tony Diaz said he used his father’s recipe that he modified to his taste.
“He showed me how to cook and I tweaked it and made it my own,” Diaz said.
Vicious Smoke brought its own smokers in addition to their grill, and opted to smoke its tri-tip and then sear it.
“It’s not just about cooking, said El Centro resident Steve Aguilar, who, with Erick Smith of Imperial forms the core of the team.
“You have to know better ways to manage your fire,” he said.
Judging a cook-off is not easy he said, noting that there were many good barbeque pit masters grilling with him.
“The margin between first and last (place) is so thin,” he said.
For some, equipment is as important as technique and recipe, and some pit masters built their own.
The BBQ Pirates cut, welded and fabricated their own grill, and equipped it with cold and hot running water.
“We built that in 16 days, after work,” said John Combs.
He said he and his cooking partner, Rob Yates, also made their own barbeque sauce and rub.
While the mood outside was light and festive, the judges’ chamber was quiet. A panel of five judges, comprised of a cross-section of the community, had the difficult but satisfying task of selecting the best tri-tip.
“There are a lot of entries. Pace yourselves,” advised Hugh Kissick Jr., a certified Kansas City Barbeque Society judge.
Indeed, 12 crews put their tri-tip to the test. The panel assessed meals by appearance, flavor and texture.
“Every entry had a different taste,” said Gerard Delaney, publisher of the Imperial Valley Press and one of the judges. “Some had real nice presentation.”
Entrants were not only judged by the quality of their tri-tip.
Aisha Morales, a reporter for KYMA and another judge, said booths were assessed by their creativity and how entrants interacted with their customers.
Nuances, equipment and technique aside, perhaps it was the those who had the opportunity to go from booth to booth to sample tri-tip, who were the biggest winners.
“It was very good,” Kissick said, when asked about the overall quality of the competition.
Staff Writer Antoine Abou-Diwan can be reached at 760-337-3454 or aabou-diwan@ivpressonline.com
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