The Ohio Pork Producers Council's
Taste of Elegance
Columbus, Ohio * February 5, 2008
1. Contestant must be a chef representing an Ohio business (i.e. Restaurant, hotel, caterer, etc.) known for its fine dining.
2. The previous contest's Chef Par Excellence may not enter the contest but may serve as a judge or consultant chef.
3. The $50 entry fee should be made payable to the Ohio Pork Producers Council (OPPC) and is due along with the name of the chef's recipe by December 7, 2007.
4. The competing restaurant will provide a restaurant gift certificate for dinner for four. The restaurant gift certificate is to be turned in to the OPPC by January 4, 2008. The gift certificate is non-refundable. The certificate must be open-ended with no dollar amount attached; it may say, "For four dinner entrees and non-alcoholic beverages." If an expiration date is necessary, the certificate may not expire before February 28, 2009.
5. Each contestant must present an original main entree recipe utilizing Cargill White Marble Farms pork and any cut except the tenderloin. New in 2006, a cut of pork other than the tenderloin must be used to be eligible for the national competition. The entrant is encouraged to feature the entree on the restaurant menu at the time of the contest.
6. Contestants must submit their recipes to OPPC by January 4, 2008. Please e-mail your recipe to jkeller@ohiopork.org. Faxed copies are unacceptable!
7. All of the above must be received by the OPPC by January 4, 2008, to maintain contest position. All materials must be received in order to hold the chef's position on the competition list. OPPC will maintain an alternate list. In the event a competing chef does not meet a deadline, a chef from the alternate list will be substituted. In the event that a wait listed chef does not participate as an alternate the entry fee will be reimbursed.
8. Limited working space will be available to the contestant for preparation at The Capital Club. Most preparation should be done before arriving, so only minimal preparation is necessary on location. Although workspace is provided by the hotel, and a cooktop/stove is available, the use of a gas burner, sterno flames or small electric appliances is permitted and encouraged, if chefs desire for recipe preparation.
9. Each contestant will have a round table covered with standard white linen for presentation to the judges. No place settings, flatware, or table decorations will be provided by the contest sponsors.
10. Each contestant is responsible for the following:
* All recipe ingredients
* Utensils, equipment for food preparation
* Table cover (if desire other than white) and table decorations
* Serving dishes and five place settings (three of these will be for the judges, one for honorary tasters, the fifth is placed for the "People's Choice" award)
11. Contestants must be unloaded and available for an orientation meeting no later than 2:45 p.m., Tuesday, February 5, 2008.
12. Table set-up should be complete by 3:45 p.m. Judging will begin at 5:30 p.m. and end at approximately 7:30 p.m. The three judges will spend no more than 10 minutes with each contestant. Chefs may not dismantle their table until the conclusion of the awards reception.
13. All contestants will be notified of their precise judging time by letter prior to the contest.
14. Selection of winners will be according to the following criteria:
Taste 50 points
Tenderness of pork, maximum juiciness and flavor of pork, correct preparation (medium); and pleasing combination of texture and flavor.
Appearance 30 points
Appetizing color combination; attractively served, appropriately garnished.
Originality 20 points
New ideas utilized in pork preparation, creative use of pork displayed.
15. An awards reception will be held at approximately 7:45 p.m. The following awards will be presented:
* The Chef Par Excellence (first place) will be awarded $1,000.
* The Superior Chef (second place) will be awarded $500.
* The Premier Chef (third place) will be awarded $250.
* The People's Choice Award is selected by the guests in attendance, judged on appearance only of the finished plate as displayed for publicity. The winning chef will receive a special award of recognition.
16. The judges will be evaluating only the entree; however, the contestant is encouraged to present side dishes, garnishes and decorations at their own discretion to enhance the appearance of the dish and over-all presentation.
17. In the event of a tie score, the judges will determine the winner. The judge's decisions are final. Score sheets will only be accessible to judges and OPPC staff.
18. There will be three judges who may represent the following areas: chef, food service industry, culinary education or news media.
19. The chef winning the Grand Prize of Chef Par Excellence is asked to serve as advisory chef or judge the next year, depending upon the circumstances (i.e. should their restaurant be competing they could not judge). This allows others to compete in this popular contest and enables the Chef Par Excellence to compete as Ohio's representative on the national level.
20. If, during the time between entering and the actual contest, a chef leaves one restaurant and joins another, the chef is responsible for informing OPPC as to whether he or she will compete representing the former restaurant or the new restaurant. If the chef chooses not to compete, the former restaurant will have first opportunity to enter a new chef. If the former declines, then one of the alternates will be eligible.
OPPC Staff Contact and Event Coordinator:
Jennifer Keller
Phone: 614-882-5887 or 1-800-320-7991
E-mail: jkeller@ohiopork.org