SOS Clinic Chili Cook-Off Rules and Guidelines

1. Entry Fees

Each contestant will be required to make a tax deductible donation as an "entry fee" of $100

No refunds will be provided after July 31st, 2023

2. Schedule

Each contestant must check in at the Motor Company between 10:00 and 11:00 am the day of the event

Celebrity judges will start their judging at 11:30 am

General public serving will start at 12 noon

3. Chili Cooking rules

Cooks are expected to provide their own equipment for keeping the chili warm (crock pots) and serving utensils.

Tables, tasting cups, napkins, spoons and plastic gloves will be provided to the cooks by the SOS Clinic Chili Cook-Off organizing committee.

You should also provide the recommended fixings for your chili

Chili must be prepared before the event and transported to the Motor Company in an electric crockpot.

Contestants are required to make a minimum of two (2) gallons of chili.  This is important so that we have enough for paying customers.

Please label your chili as vegetarian or non-vegetarian

Electricity will be provided to you to keep your chili warm, but please bring a 50 ft. heavy duty extension cord.

Each cook is expected to utilize safe and clean serving procedures.

4. Judging Criteria

There are a few general attributes or characteristics of chili that each celebrity judge will be evaluating.  Scores will be computed for each entry that takes into consideration the four criteria for scoring chili:

• Aroma - Chili should smell good. This also indicates what is in store when you taste it.
• Consistency - Chili must have a good ratio between sauce and meat (we don't want soup).  It should not be dry, watery, grainy, lumpy or greasy.
• Taste - Taste, above all else is the most important factor.  The taste should consist of the combination of the meat, peppers, spices etc, with no particular ingredient being dominant, but rather, a blend of flavors.
• Aftertaste - Bite or aftertaste is the heat created by various types of chili peppers and chili spices.  Chili should have a pleasant aftertaste 

5. Sanitation

Cooks are to prepare and cook chili in a as sanitary a manner as possible.  Follow the following Walla Walla County Health Department Guidelines:

Washington State Department of Health (DOH)

• Be a Germ-Buster…Wash Your Hands! 
• Keep It Healthy – Germs are easy to spread. If you are seek, please do not prepare any food for this competition
• Keep It Untouched – Bare hands may have germs that can spread to food. Ready-to-eat foods may not be handled with bare hands.
• Keep It Separate – Cross contamination is the spread of bacteria from raw meat, fish, poultry, seafood, eggs and unwashed fruits and vegetables to other ready to eat foods.
• Keep Your Hands Off My Food! – No bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods.

6. Event Policies

Only purchased food and drink allowed at The Motor company

Do not bring alcoholic beverages.  Alcohol will be available for purchase at the event

Pets and coolers not permitted 

Absolutely no political signage or advertising allowed on premises