Andrews – There was quite of bit of bold talk bandied about concerning beans Saturday at the annual Fire in the Valley Chili Cook-off in the Valleytown Cultural Arts Center.
Cindy Strawhecker, for example, chose a non-traditional bean for her chili.
“I use black beans instead of kidney,” she said.
The bean talk extended to more radical territory. Entrants voiced a deep disparity between the withs and the withouts. Sherry Baker fell on the without side.
“No beans, no filler,” she said with authority. Ms. Baker and her husband, J.D., come from Texas where, apparently, they do chili right.
“We make Texas-style chili,” she said, “which means it’s just meat and gravy.”
There was no shortage of meat at the event, as 11 entrants prepared more than 55 gallons of chili. The Deplorable Chili team cooked up by Marla and Ray Miller boasted three kinds of meat.
“We put in ground beef, pork and turkey,” she said. Miller served the country for 34 years, including time in the Coast Guard.
“It’s why we entered the contest,” Ms. Miller said. “We support veterans.”
However, The Deplorables weren’t the only contestants hoping to win with their volume of meat. Mary Ann Anderson cooked her chili with some fancy choices.
“I use pulled pork, venison and ground sirloin,” she said proudly. Like Strawhecker, she uses black beans.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7620 sponsored the popular community event.
“This is our fourth annual cook-off,” said Tony Anderson, post quartermaster. “It’s one of our signature events.”
He didn’t enter a batch but revealed that, “I like my chili a little spicy.” One of last year’s finalists, LeeAnn Weaver and her daughter Bryanna Chastain, attempted to take the grand prize this year by tweaking the spices in their chili.
“We made it not as spicy as last year,” Weaver said, adding that their chili “was made with love.”
Old Town Brokers went rogue by serving their chili over a dollop of creamy macaroni and cheese. Allison Ralph explained that their entry “was a group effort.”
John Weaver usually cooks in his own venison, but this year used his 13 year-old cousin Caden’s catch.
“Venison can be hard to cook,” he said, but still confident that his job as cook in the Coast Guard would give him an advantage.
However, Curt and Leslie Steinlage believe they will win this year, and they are no strangers to the prize. Two years ago they snagged first place, with Curt saying their secret ingredient is “time and patience,” but added “our fresh charred vegetables” made them unique among the contestants.
Steinlage is not alone in believing that good chili takes time. Duron Smith from Cups & Cones agreed.
“It takes time and patience,” he said, believing his “all fresh vegetables” may tip him over the top. Dark horse Maggie Phillips, representing the cultural arts center may have bested the others.
“I use acorn squash as well as chayote,” she said. Chayote is a Mexican squash with a subtle sweetness. “It took me six hours to cook this, and I make my own chili spice.”
“We came for the free food,” Laura Shook said with a laugh as she and her daughter, Ericka, joined in the fun as tasters. “I prefer chili with no spice.”
Shook’s opinion held some weight. Anita Welch and Vicki Anderson, volunteers at the event, pointed out “there is no judging panel. The winner is chosen by popular vote.”
Each taster was meant to bring $5 and a hearty appetite to the event, which saw about 300 people attend. Tasters received Dixie cups full of chili at each numbered table. Once they conquered all eleven tables, they cast their vote into the “Vote Here” jar.
Welch cast her vote for the LeeAnn Weaver’s chili because “I like a spicy kick.” Each taster was permitted one vote.
Not all the tables held giant pots of chili. Marine Corps League, Detachment 1011, mounted a 270 Brownie Rifle made in Belgium that created quite a fuss. Bob Lewis said, “We are raffling it off to raise money for our organization,” which provides scholarships to local students.
Perhaps the most surprising table was The Bigfoot Refinery Beard Co., which was hosting a side contest for the men wearing beards in the room. The categories included Artistic, Best Groomed, Longest and the completely subjective category of Sexiest.
Jereme Overton said “sexy” was in the attitude. The contest was judged by the audience, whose rousing applause was measured on a decibel reader to calculate the loudest, an honor bestowed to Woodard.
All participants received a sample bag of beard oils, with Woodard claiming the grand prize of $100. Overton was proud to donate another $100 to the center.
When all of the Crock Pots were scraped clean and the votes counted, three winners were named. Third place went to Curt and Leslie Steinlage, second to Duron Smith and the grand prize went the LeeAnn Weaver, proving the power of love.