Published: August 23, 2009 08:15 am      

Buffalo cook-off to feature more than just wings

The annual Buffalo Wing Cook-off has really started to take off with the addition of new contest categories.

“The Buffalo Wing Cook-off about died out, but the Buffalo Theatre took it over last year and we thought we would reinvigorate the competition by adding ribs,” said Cody Hickman, a volunteer with the Buffalo Theatre.

Adding ribs to the contest menu turned out to be “pretty popular” with area cooks, Hickman said, noting “quite a few showed up just to cook ribs.”

With the addition of the ribs category last year, Hickman said the town was able to bring in about 25 chefs for the competition.

He is hopeful that the turnout will be just as good if not better this year and noted that he has been “getting quite a few calls about it.”

Area grilling gurus will once again have the choice of competing in either the buffalo wing contest or the rib contest or both in this year’s cook-off, Hickman said.

Or they can try their hand with other ingredients and recipes in the “anything goes” category, he said.

“It can be anything they can cook on gas, wood or charcoal (grills),” he said. “There are no restrictions. It can be a desert or a brisket; it doesn’t matter.”

As an incentive to get people to enter this year and enter early, Hickman noted that cooks who register by Sept. 5 will be entered into a drawing for special prizes available to the “early birds” only.

However, he said all competitors will have a chance at “quite a bit of money” as cash awards, with both guaranteed and added money, are being offered for first, second and third place in both the buffalo wing and the ribs competition.

In addition to the new contest categories, including a business category, now being offered at the cook-off, there have been some other changes made to the contest rules, Hickman said.

For example, he said, “we are not allowing electric grills this year.”

“We just don’t have enough electrical outlets,” he said, noting that competitors will have to either cook on gas, wood or charcoal grills.

Those competing in the ribs category will be further limited to using only wood or charcoal grills, Hickman said, noting that the style of ribs will also be limited to baby back ribs.

For more information about the cook-off, the complete set of rules and how you can enter, contact Hickman by phone at (580) 727-5009 or by e-mail at wingcookoff@yahoo.com.

There is an entry fee for participants, but Hickman assured contestants that “the money is going to a good cause to support the Buffalo Theatre, which is a non-profit organization that is operated by volunteers.”

The 6th Annual Buffalo Wing Cook-Off will be held Sept. 12 at the Harper County Fairgrounds “on the west edge of Buffalo” in conjunction with the Harper County Fair, Hickman said. Check in for participants starts at 6 a.m., with judging to be held around lunchtime.

“We want anyone who wants to participate to come out,” Hickman said.