CASI Chili 1st through 10th

Open Chili 1st through 3rd

Chili Paw Challenge 1st and $500 (open to Shelters, Rescues and Veterinarians only).

People's Choice Chili 1st

People's Choice Booth 1st

CASI Showmanship 1st through 3rd.

Free popcorn and cotton candy while supplies last.

This a free to attend event. We will be selling $5.00 wristbands to taste and vote on your favorite chili. 

Music performed by Jeff Jarrett.

Free bounce houses for the non-fur kids.

Concessions and restaurant open for business.

Raffles, 50/50 and a hugh bake sale.

We would like to invite you to Sheltering Hands inaugural Chili Cook-Off

It will be held on Saturday, January 11th, 2020 from 12:00pm to 4:30pm. The

Chili Cook-Off will offer great chili vendors, live music, trophies and a cash prize for the Chili Paw Challenge, bounce house and games.

Sheltering Hands invites you to participate and share your chili recipes...no, no we don't share chili recipes around here! 

We will provide a 10 by 10 space on site and each participant will provide their imagination

and creative display for their unique chili. This event is a great way to promote your

business, organization or simply yourself. Bring your own Table, Chairs, Decorations,

Canopy, and something to keep your chili hot.

Enclosed is an application and guidelines for the Chili Cook-Off and Marion County

Health Department rules and regulations. You must provide the following:

• Thermometer

• Gloves to handle food

 A $20.00 entry fee for each category you enter. CASI, Open or Chili Paw Challenge. The Chili Paw Challenge is only for Shelters, Rescues and Veterinarians. Chili Paw Challenge entries will also get an entry in CASI Chili at no additional charge. 

You can sign up to cook here.

For more information please contact the chili cook off staff at 352-208-1162 or e-mail

me at chilicookoff@shelteringhands.org. 

Sincerely,

Dave Ashworth

Chili Event Coordinator 

Sheltering Hands

1. SETUP THE NIGHT OF FRIDAY, JANUARY 10TH, 2020 WILL BE FROM 6:00PM TO 9:00PM

2. SET-UP THE DAY OF THE EVENT WILL BEGIN AT 7:00AM to 11:00AM. A SITE MAP WITH YOUR SPACE NUMBER WILL BE E-MAILED 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE EVENT.

3. YOU MUST COOK A MINIMUM OF 4 GALLONS OF GIVE AWAY CHILI. HOWEVER, WE

ENCOURAGE YOU TO MAKE MORE SO THAT YOU WILL NOT RUN OUT DURING JUDGING.

4. SPACES ARE APPROXIMATELY 10 x 10 AND WILL ACCOMMODATE A 10 x 10 CANOPY.

5. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO BRING YOUR OWN TABLE, CHAIRS, AND CANOPY.

6. YOU MUST KEEP YOUR CHILI HOT (HEALTH DEPT. REGULATIONS) TO DO THIS YOU

NEED TO USE A GAS GRILL, CAMP STOVE, HOTEL PAN OR PORTABLE PROPANE STOVE.

7. ELECTRICITY AND WATER ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON SITE.

8. YOU MUST PROVIDE YOUR OWN WATER, TOWELS AND SOAP FOR WASHING HANDS.

9. ALL DISPLAYS, BOOTH DECORATION MUST BE SUITABLE FOR OUR FAMILY EVENT.

10. JUDGING WILL TAKE PLACE FOR BOOTH DECORATION BETWEEN 1:00pm AND 2:00pm.

11. TASTING AND GENERAL PUBLIC ADMITTANCE BEGINS AT 12:00PM AND WILL CLOSE

 AT 3:00PM. WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUCED AT 3:30PM. 

12. CHILI SAMPLES CAN ONLY BE SERVED TO ADULTS AND CHILDREN WITH WRIST BANDS ONLY.

13. TASTING CUPS AND SPOONS WILL BE PROVIDED BY SHELTERING HANDS. PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN FOOD HANDLERS GLOVES AND WASHING STATIONS.

14. ALL VEHICLES MUST BE REMOVED FROM SITE IMMEDIATELY AFTER SET-UP. YOU WILL BE DIRECTED TO COOKS PARKING. 

15. BOOTH SPACE CLEAN-UP IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PARTICIPANT.

16. ENTRY FEES ARE REFUNDABLE; HOWEVER, NO SHOW IT WILL BE NON-REFUNDABLE.

17. SHELTERING HANDS ASSUMES NO REPONSIBILITY FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGE, INJURY

 OR CLAIM ARISING OUT OF THE PARTICIPANT’S ACT OR OMISSIONS DURING THIS EVENT.

18. THE FOLLOWING IS THE CRITERIA ON WHICH THE CHILI WILL BE JUDGED.

• CASI – 1ST THROUGH 10TH

• Open Chili – 1st through 3rd

• Chili Paw Challenge – 1st and $600 prize (shelters, rescues and veterinarians only)

• CASI Showmanship – 1st through 3rd

• People’s Choice Chili – 1st

• People’s Choice Booth – 1st

Color - Taste - Consistency - Aroma - After Taste

Judges will judge 1-10 on each chili, 10 being the highest score. At the end of judging all judges’ sheets will be tallied into a whole score. Whoever has the highest score is the winner for that day. It is a blind judging, no one knows which is which chili. The winners are found out as the numbered cup is called. No one knows the winner until we all know the winner.

 

It is unfortunate when a new, excited chili cook attends his or her first chili cook-off, spends quite a bit of money for the entry fees, travel, ingredients and equipment, and finds the chili cooked is not “competitive”. This turns many first-time cooks away, and they never come back. Depending on what category you're cooking in please read rules for each.

Rules differ from CASI to Open to Chili Paw Challenge - read below: (you do not have to be a CASI member to cook in CASI)

A. CHILI COOKED ON SITE - All chili must be cooked from scratch on site the day of the cook-off. All chili must be prepared in the open (no cooking in motor homes, etc.). Chili is cooked usually under canopies.

1. CHILI COOKED FROM SCRATCH - "Scratch" is defined as starting with raw meat. No marinating is allowed. Commercial chili powder is permissible, but complete commercial chili mixes ("just add meat" mixes that contain pre-measured spices) are NOT permitted.

2. NO FILLERS IN CHILI - Beans, macaroni, rice, hominy, or other similar ingredients are not permitted.

3. SANITATION - Cooks are to prepare and cook chili in as sanitary a manner as possible.

a. INSPECTION OF COOKING CONDITIONS - Cooking conditions are subject to inspection by the head judge or his/her designee and CASI Referee. (Failure to comply is subject to disqualification.)

b. COOKS MAY HAVE TO TASTE THEIR CHILI - At the discretion of the head judge or CASI Referee, chili cooks may be required to remove the lids from their chili cups and taste their chili before turning in for judging. (If a contestant refuses, his or her chili will be disqualified.)

B. ONE CHILI PER COOK - Each head cook is responsible for preparing one pot of chili that he or she intends to be judged and turning in one judging cup from that pot. No more than one judging sample can be taken from any one pot.

C. COOKS MUST SIGN NUMBER SLIPS - Chili cooks must sign their secret number slips in ink with their first and last names at the time cups are issued. Winners will not be eligible if their secret numbers are unsigned when presented. NOTE: Cooks must present their signed secret numbers to win.

D. PROTECT THE JUDGING CUP - Once judging cups have been issued, each head cook is responsible for his or her judging cup. Cooks must not remove or tamper with the numbers on the outside of the cups. Any marked or altered cup must be replaced prior to turn-in or it will be disqualified.

E. FILLING CUPS - Cups will be filled ¾ full or to the level designated at the cooks' meeting.

F. CHILI TURN-IN - Chili will be turned in at the place and time designated at the cooks' meeting or as otherwise designated by the head judge.

G. PYROTECHNICS - No chili contestant may discharge firearms or use any pyrotechnics or explosives at a chili cook off. Contestants discharging firearms and/or using explosives or other pyrotechnics will be disqualified from the chili cook off.

H. PENALTIES - Failure to comply with CASI rules will result in disqualification of an individual cook for the cook off. Decisions of the official(s) are final. In case of disqualification, the CASI official monitoring the cook off will immediately notify the head cook and give a reason for disqualification. In the event disqualification of a cup of chili occurs after judging has started, it is not necessary that the cook be located or given an explanation for the disqualification.

 

CASI chili turned into judging has to go by the CASI rules. Chili given to public for samples may be made at home before the event. I personally make my "give out chili" before the event at home and I cook a 2 1/2 pound recipe the day of event to give to the judges.

 

Anything goes, any fillers (beans, corn, etc.) and can be made before the cook off, but you must have a booth to give out chili to the public.  

Chili Paw Challenge Category Rules: 

Anything goes, any fillers (beans, corn, etc.) and can be made before the cook off, but you must have a booth to give out chili to the public. Must be a Rescue, Shelter or Veterinarians to participate. 

What Equipment will you need?

Most chili cook offs take place outdoors. Cooks must provide their own equipment for cooking. Seasoned competition chili cooks will come to the cook off with canopies, tables, decorated booths and more. In addition to your meat and cooking ingredients, you will need to bring, as a minimum, the following extra gear:

o Table

o Dipping or serving spoon

o Chili pot with lid*, 5-8-quart variety

o Knife

o Measuring spoons and cups

o Portable outdoor-style camp stove

o Heat diffuser (inexpensive metal device to spread flames)

o Can opener

o Matches / lighter

o Propane fuel cylinder

o Potholders

o Tablecloth

o paper towels

o Ladle, large and small

o Ice chest and ice

o Long-handled spoon

o Cutting board

o 1 to 3 gallons water - Dishpan, dish soap, scrubbers, etc.

Since samples of your chili are usually given out to the public, most cook offs fall under the jurisdiction of local health departments. You may need some additional equipment such as rubber gloves or hand-washing provisions in order to serve samples to the public. Check with the Cook off Chairperson for local health department requirements for each cook off. Not everything on this list needs to be brought. This is just a list of items most chili cook off teams find helpful at events.

Olaf is a famous Marion County, FL rescue cat. She was in an abusive situation and was rescued by the Marion County Sheriff's Dept. As she was in critical condition she was rushed to a local veterinarian and luckily she made a full recovery! Sheriff Billy Woods decided that she needed full time police protection and she was adopted into her fur-ever home with Sheriff Woods' family. We decided to memorialize her with our annual chili cook off to help support and educate our Central Florida communities in animal welfare.