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True cowboy cuisine doesn’t require any electricity.  The Arizona National Livestock Show will hold the Ninth Annual Chuck Wagon Cook Off on December 30, 2011 and the First Annual Dutch Oven Cook Off December 31, 2011 at the Arizona State Fairgrounds.

Chuck Wagon camps travel from all over the southwest to fire up some good cowboy grub.  The “camps” consist of an authentic old style wagon and a crew that will be doin’ the cookin’ with cast iron pots.  Thirty two hundred dollars will be awarded in prize money for the categories of Best Trail Wagon, Best Ranch Wagon as well as the best meat, beans, potatoes bread, and cobbler.  Come on over awhile and chat by our fires.  Make sure you get your tickets early and beat the stampede, as tickets are limited! Chuck Wagon meal tickets are $10 per person which includes a beverage and they will go on sale December 1. Bring your family and experience a part of the old west! 

The Dutch Oven Cook Off is a different type of event than the Chuck Wagon Cook Off, consisting of 3 dishes. This event will take place December 31. Each team will submit their recipe prior to the cook off for the dessert, bread, and main dish they will be preparing. They will be working with charcoal, while the Chuck Wagon teams who would like to also compete able to use hardwood coals. This style of cooking leads to the heat management of the coals which you might think is something easy to do but there is an art to this technique to make sure your dish comes out just perfect! Purchase a tasting plate for $5 to enjoy the amazing dishes! You will also have an opportunity to walk around and watch the teams preparing their dishes for the competition as well as attending demonstrations throughout the day to learn more about the cooking process which might intrigue you to start cooking in a Dutch oven at home.

The Dutch Oven Cook Off is sanctioned by the International Dutch Oven Society (IDOS). The winner from this cook off will be eligible to enter into the World Championship Cook Off, which is held in March 2012 in Utah as part of the Internationals Sportsman’s Expo (ISE).

Entries for the Chuck Wagon Cook Off are due November 15 and the Dutch Oven Cook Off entry deadline is December 1. For more details on how you can enter the competition visit www.anls.org.

The Chuck Wagon Cook-off is just one of the many exciting events taking place during the 64th Annual Arizona National Livestock Show, December 29 – 31, 2011. Admission to the Arizona National Livestock Show is $10 per car, which includes parking and admission.  Chuck Wagon Cook-off tickets are limited and sell fast so don’t wait.

The Arizona National Livestock Show, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting youth and educating the public about the importance of agriculture and livestock through the presentation of a premier livestock show.  For more information, visit www.anls.org, or call the Arizona National office at (602) 258-8568