One of the many successes of last week’s Isa Street Festival was the inaugural chili cook off. Organiser Joel Pate of the Smoking Gun Cafe said the event was a massive success with five chefs competing from the Xtra Mile, the Burke & Wills, his own cafe, and a local chili grower who has started his own chili-growing and chili sauce business.
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“The chefs had never worked together but seemed to gel, and organise themselves into their preferred roles,” Joel said.
“The menu was chili con carne, seafood chili, slow cooked chilis pork ribs, chili chicken wings, Coney Island chili hotdogs and braised pork chill sliders.”
“There was also a taster pack were people could try all chilis and vote for thier favourite. All chilis were equally received but the peoples choice was the seafood chili prepared by Steph James from the Smoking Gun cafe.”
Judging panel Cr Peta McCrae, Antoinette Netto from Antoinette’s Cuts for men and ASMY Maxim winner Kaydee Steed awarded best overall flavour to Dwayne Masters, Burke & Wills Motel, for his slow cooked chilis pork ribs. Most unique ingredient, won by Jono Van der Veen for his braised pork chill slider and hottest chili was by local chiligrower Stephen Bingham.
The event also raised $500 for Youth Community Engagement Program to prevent juvenile crime.
Next year the chefs would like to expand the event even further to make it even more successful and are considering a chili growers information stand and a chili eating competition.
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
