Rules & Regulations
1. The decision and interpretations of the Modern Hardware Master Grilling Cook-Off (MHMGCO) Rules and Regulations are at the discretion of the MHMGCO Contest Representatives at the contest. Their decisions and interpretations are final.
2. The date of the event is Saturday June 19th Rain or Shine. Set up will begin at 7am. If a team wishes to set up early or the night before, Note that there will be no security and Modern Hardware and affiliates/sponsors are not responsible for any loss or damage to your personal property. The event will run until 6pm. Location is Modern Hardware: 1500 Kalamazoo Ave. Grand Rapids, MI 49507
3. Each team shall consist of a chief cook and up to 3 assistants. The chief cook must be min. 18 years old. All minors are the responsibility of the chief cook.
4. Each team will be assigned a cooking space. Cookers, props, trailers, tents or any other equipment shall not exceed the boundries of the teams assigned cooking space. All seasoning and cooking of product shall be done within the assigned cooking space. Teams shall not share an assigned cooking space or cooking device. Booth space is 10 X 10. If you need more space please specify how much space you need when signing up.
5. Contestants shall provide all needed equipment, supplies and electricity, except as arranged for in advance. Contestants must adhere to all electrical, fire and other codes. A fire extinguisher shall be near all cooking devices.
6. Fires shall be of wood, wood pellets, charcoal, gas, and electric grills. No open pits or holes are permitted. Parboiling and/or deep-frying is not permitted.
7. All competition foods shall be inspected by the Official Food Inspector during the times established by the contest organizer. Once the food has been inspected, it shall not leave the contest site. Cooking shall not begin until the competition food has been inspected by the Official Food Inspector. All competition food shall start out raw. No pre-seasoned food is allowed. Unless manufacturer enhanced or injected products, as shown on label.
8. Garnish and Sauce is optional. If used, it shall be applied directly to the food and not be pooled or puddled in the container. No side sauce containers will be permitted in the turn-in container. Chunky sauce will be allowed. Chunks are to be no larger than a fine dice.
9. Entries will be submitted in an approved MHMGCO numbered container, provided by the contest organizer. The number must be on top of the container at turn-in. The container shall not be marked in anyway so as to make the container unique or identifiable. Aluminum foil, toothpicks, skewers, foreign materials and or stuffing is prohibited in the container. Meat shall not be marked, branded or presented in a way to make it identifiable.
10. There will be three rounds. Round one will be the steak round. Each
team will recieve two 1 1/4" thick New York Strips. One to turn in to
judges and the other to check for your own perfection. Round two will
be the Rib round. Each team will recieve a rack of ribs. Both of these
rounds will be judged on Presentation, Taste, Texture and Color. Round
three is the free style round. Dubbed the Grills Gone Wild round. This
round teams may choose any food of their choice. Round three will be
judged on Creativity and Uniqueness of the food as well as taste,
appearance, and presentation.
11. Turn-in times will be announced at the Cooks Meeting. The allowable Turn-in times time will be five (5) minutes before and five (5) minutes after posted time. With no tolerance for early or late turn-in. Later then five (5) minutes after posted time will not be accepted.
12. The following cleanliness and safety rules will apply:
- No alcoholic beverages (Unless used for cooking)
- No use of any tobacco products while handling food
- Cleanliness of the cook, assistant cooks, cooking
device(s) and the teams assigned cooking space is
required
- Shirts and shoes are required to be worn
- Sanitizing of work area should be implemented with
the use of a bleach/water rinse (one cap/gallon of
water). Each team will provide a separate container
for washing, rinsing and sanitizing of utensils.
- First aid is not required to be provided by the contest,
except at the election of the contest organizer.
- Prior to cooking the food must be maintained at 40
degrees or less.
- After cooking the food must be held at 140 degrees or
above.
13. It is the responsibility of the team to see that the teams assigned cooking:
- Space is clean and orderly following the contest. All fires must be put out and all equipment removed from site. It is imperative that clean-up be thorough.
- Any teams assigned cooking space left in disarray or with loose trash, other than at trash containers, may disqualify the team from future participation.
14. There will be no refund of entry fees for any reason, except at the election of the contest organizer.
15. Showmanship is mandatory. The use of radios or amplifying equipment will not be allowed. Fighting and/or disorderly conduct will result in the team being escorted from the event and banned from competing in the event for 2 years. Excessive or continued complaints from teams on any of the above rule infractions shall be considered grounds for immediate disqualification from the contest. Most of all, enjoy the Modern Hardware 2nd Annual Master Grilling Cook-Off.
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