Rotary Chili Cook-off highlights best chefs
TOM TUCKER, left, is served a sample of chili from the Red Hot Chili Chiquas, including Vicki Lucas, Dorothy Ascraft and Bill Boettcher. The Chiquas tied the Eagle Nesters for first place in the annual Polson Rotary Chili Cook-off at Riverside Park. (Ashley Fox/Lake County Leader)
The smoke and heat didn’t scare off hundreds of attendees who visited Riverside Park in Polson Saturday for the annual Polson Rotary Chili Cook-off event.
Tom Tucker of Kalispell said he has attended the Summerfest car show for years, but this year he decided to stop by the chili cook-off after hearing about the event “from word of mouth.”
Tucker stopped by the Red Hot Chili Chiquas tent, who happened to tie for the first-place prize of $375, along with the Eagle Nesters.
Red Hot team member Dorothy Ashcraft said that the team took the top bragging rights two years ago, and last year took home third-place with judges, and first place Peoples’ Choice.
The team assembled four years ago when Ashcraft’s husband, Larry, was president of the Polson Rotary Club, she said.
Team members are Jeanette Phillips, Vicki Lucas, Bill Boettcher, Cheryl Madonado and Ashcraft.
Ashcraft found the recipe, making it a couple years ago at the Polson VFW for an event.
“It made a hit there, so I thought to change it up a little this year,” she said.
The co-winning chili was a medium-heat “salsa verde ranch-styled pork chili.”
Making up the Eagle Nesters were Cathy Smith, Karleen Hemmelgarn, Lynn Miller, Mike Gibbons and Gwenda Harroun.
Smith said that the recipe the team decided upon is “an old Montana recipe that was sweet and smoky.”
The team was happy they tied for the top honor, but Smith said that they have begun to discuss recipes for next year’s competition.
Organizing the cook-off each year is the incoming Polson Rotary president.
This year, Hu Beaver headed the event, noting that 10 teams entered the competition. He estimated that close to $25,000 was raised through raffles for the event, which will benefit local children groups.
The 7th Avenue Skatepark received $12,000 as well as the Charlo Community Complex, and the Mission Valley Aquatic Center received $3,000 for swim passes for third-grade students, Beaver said.
Typically, the cook-off has a panel of judges to decide an award as well as Peoples’ Choice.
This year, a judging panel was nixed while the critics were those who attended, which Beaver said was easier for not only Rotary members but for participants as well.
Overall, the event was “a great time,” Beaver said.