44th Annual TVE Cookoff
Best Overall Grand Champions Rust Rucket Cookers. L-R Presenting Victoria Lack, Dusty Busceme Committee Member, David Taylor, Chief Cook, Paul Borowski, Charlie Carden The Vindicator | Ron. W. Blake
Best Showmanship - Next Generation Cowboy Cookers Front: Tommy Whittaker, David Murphy, Brooklyn Murphy Back: Ray Smith, Jackie Hartel Smith. The Vindicator | Ron. W. Blake
Jackie Hartel Smith with Next Generation Cowboy Cookers and her 2nd place Chef’s Dessert trophy
Clockwise from bottom: Sliced Brisket, DinoEgg cross-sections, ribs, and, in the center, the whole DinoEgg. Not pictured was the delicious homemade Pineapple Bourbon BBQ Sauce.
The 44th annual TV BBQ Cook-off concluded on a beautiful clear moonlit Saturday night with the first cold front of the season relaxing everyone after long hours of preparation, cooking, judging and competition. The fires in the pits served to warm competitors and visitors alike.
Awards were announced in the crowded exhibition hall with all 34 teams awaiting the results announced by Josh Burk a member of the BBQ Committee. Josh received the winners envelopes from Brittany Hudnall, chair of the BBQ Committee.
Winning Overall Grand Champion for the fourth time in their 14 appearances in the TVE Cookoff, according to chief cook David Taylor, was Rust Bucket Cookers out of Dayton with David Taylor as chief cook, Paul Borowski, Charlie and Billy Carden, with Mike Hajdik rounding out the team.
A sampling of Rust Bucket’s entrees afterwards included a variety of flavors.
Unique on the plate was the DinoEgg, created by Chef Paul Borowski. The DinoEgg is a bacon wrapped sausage meatball stuffed with cheese and itself wrapped around a stuffed jalapeño pepper also stuffed with mozzarella or cream cheese. Also not pictured was another new creation of Chef Borowski, a smoked Strawberry Banana Chocolate Chip Tart which was also delicious.
Chief Cook David Taylor said, “I appreciate all our friends and families coming out and having a good time.” He also looks forward to seeing others from the TVE at other cook-offs in the region.
Reserve Champion Overall went to the Coonass Cookers.
First place awards in the big three meat categories went to Triple Threat for Chicken, Coonass Cookers for Ribs, and Juicy Lucy for Brisket.
Other first place winners included Next Generation Cowboy Cookers for Showmanship; Looney Toon for Ribeye; Almost Put Together for Fajitas. The Coonass Cookers also won for Beans.
Finally, Shady Folks took first place in Chef’s Entrees and Chef’s Desserts. In the drinks categories, BBQ Bandits won for Margaritas, with Everybody and All Cookers winning for best Bloody Mary.