The Lone Star Chili Cook-off is an annual chili cook-off

Cook-off

A cook-off is a cooking competition where the contestants each prepare dishes for judging either by a select group of judges or by the general public...

 held during May in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. The event is organized and run by the New York Texas Exes

New York Texas Exes

The New York Texas Exes is the official alumni chapter in New York for the Texas Exes. The chapter is headquartered in New York City. The chapter covers the state of New York, but also draws heavily from alumni in northern New Jersey and southern Connecticut...

 and the Texas A&M Club of New York, local alumni chapters of the University of Texas at Austin

University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...

 and Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...

respectively. Proceeds from the Cook-off benefit the scholarship endowments of both chapters.

History

The first Lone Star Chili Cook-off was held in 1994. Attendance at the event was under 100 and only 8 chili teams competed. Today, the event draws upwards of 1,000 in attendance, has 27 teams competing and has a panel of 9 judges with professional experience in the food industry.

Teams

Teams consist of up to five members and are required to provide 5 gallons of chili to serve at the event. Prizes are awarded to the top three teams as well as a "People's Choice" winner. The prizes all consist of Shiner Bock beer, which is otherwise unavailable in New York City. Prizes are as follows:

• 1st Place - 2 cases of Shiner Bock
• 2nd Place - 1 case of Shiner Bock
• 3rd Place - ½ case of Shiner Bock (12 pack)
• Best Presentation - ½ case of Shiner Bock (12 pack) - new for 2011
• Best Restaurant Chili - ½ case of Shiner Bock (12 pack) - new for 2011
• People's Choice - ½ case of Shiner Bock (12 pack)

Judging

The panel is made up of nine judges who all have professional experience in the food industry. The teams are divided into three groups of nine. Three judges judge each group. From each group, the top three teams advance to the final, where all nine judges will judge each chili. Judging is scored in the following categories:

• Color
• Heat
• Texture
• Flavor/Taste

Results

• 2011
  • First Place - WildER Turkeys
  • Second Place - T Love and Special Sauce
  • Third Place - Waterloo Chili Co
  • People's Choice - WildER Turkeys
  • Team Presentation - T Love and Special Sauce

• 2010
  • First Place - Whaley Hot
  • Second Place - More Cowbell
  • Third Place (tie) - Austin Chili Limits/Big Tex & the Southern Sweethearts
  • People's Choice - WildER Turkey's

External links

• Official Website of the Lone Star Chili Cook-off
• Official Website of the New York Texas Exes
• Official Wesite of the Texas A&M Club of New York