Jerky Contest

Jerky Contest

Anyone may enter the Jerky Contest, and Contestants are not required to be Ashmore residents. There is no cost to enter, and no pre-registration is required. Simply show up with your entry at the designated time. A panel of 3 neutral judges will taste and rate each entry anonymously, and their scores will be tallied to determine the winners. The Harvest Festival will reward a ribbon and cash prizes to the top three winners.

1. $100 for First Place
2. $50 for Second Place
3. $25 for Third Place

PLEASE NOTE: This is a smalltown contest which is intended for fun and entertainment. A panel of 3 judges will be assembled at the Planning Committee's discretion. They are chosen for their overt opinions and for not being residents of Ashmore (and therefore, as unbiased as possible). They are not professionals and may or may not have any experience cooking or judging. They do, however, have a lot of experience eating, and they know what they like. The final results as they are announced at the end of the contest will be final. Disrespect and/or uncivilized conduct will not be tolerated. 

A printable copy of the rules may be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

Questions may be directed to Jackie at 349-8332 during regular business hours.

Rules:

Each jerky Contestant must read, review, and agree in writing to follow all the following rules and safety rules and regulations:

INGREDIENTS:

1. All types of jerky are allowed (beef, pork, goat, lamb, deer, bison, turkey, chicken, alligator, etc.). Definition: a lean trimmed meat cut into strips and dehydrated to prevent spoilage. All seasonings, marinades, and cut types are allowable at the contestant’s discretion.

PREPARATION:

2. Jerky must be prepared in advance but within 7 days, and stored in a refrigerator at 40 degrees or lower after being prepared. (Even though jerked meat is intended as a meat-preservation that shouldn’t require refrigeration, we must protect our Judges from entries that were not dehydrated properly. Refrigeration won’t hurt the jerky, but it will protect our tasters.)
3. Contestants must agree to maintain a clean and sanitary preparation and cooking space when preparing all foods used in this jerky cook. Contestants may be held liable if their known negligence causes sickness for the Judges.
4. Lethality Treatment: is defined as the process step or steps used to destroy pathogenic microorganisms on the jerky meat to make it safe for human consumption. The lethality treatment is considered to include the time when the thermal processing begins until the point at which the product reaches the desired lethality time-temperature combination (also referred to as the “cooking time.”
   In other words, jerky must be cooked to a certain internal temperature and maintained at that temperature long enough to destroy bacteria, according to the chart attached (extracted from the USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service guidelines). Any meat cooked to an internal temperature of 158 degrees or more is instantly safe at that threshold.

CONTEST ENTRY:

1. Contestants must bring their entry to the pavilion between 12:30-12:50pm. (Each contestant must sign the registration and waiver forms and prepare their servings before judging begins.)
2. Each Contestant must bring about enough of their jerky for 4 sample servings, or about 4 ounces. Contestants will be instructed upon arrival about how to divide/prepare their entry. Contestants will be allowed to prepare the judges’ samples, so presentation and accoutrements are within the contestants’ control.
3. Each Contestant must register and sign waivers prior to submitting samples to the judges.
4. Only judges and contestants are allowed to consume the jerky in accordance with Health Department Regulations. The Contestant will be required to eat a sampling of their own entry in the presence of contest officials.
5. Judging will begin at 1:00pm.
6. Entries will be judged by a panel of 3 independent judges, none of whom live in Ashmore. Judges will not know who submitted each jerky sample, and Contestants will not see the Judges notes and scores. Only final scores will be revealed. Judges will consider the following categories:
   1. Appearance (0-5 pts)
   2. Flavor (0-5 pts)
   3. Heat Balance (0-5 pts)
   4. Texture / Mouthfeel (0-5 pts)
   5. “I Want to Eat More” Factor (0-5 pts)
   6. Discretionary Bonus Point (0-1 pt) IF a judge believes that an entry has a distinguishing higher quality than the rest, then he/she is allowed to give one bonus point to one entry.
7. Contestants must be 18 years of age or authorized by a parent/guardian.