The Mount Vernon Chili Cook-Off will be returning this weekend, Saturday, Oct. 2, with many teams vying for the best chili trophy.
The festival will also be the last competition for a number of Chili Cook-Off committee members who will be concluding their service to the board.
“I have really enjoyed these last 15 years of chairing the Chili Cookoff Event,” said Lori Winder, chair of the Mount Vernon Lisbon Community Development group’s Chili Cook-off committee. “The committee is a great group of people that dedicate a lot of time and effort into making this a successful event each and every year.
“Kudos to all of them!”
Winder said that one of the things she has enjoyed about being part of the community has been working with other volunteers to make the chili cook-off a successful event for multiple years.
“Everyone loves chili and it’s fun to hear their comments as they try each of the 25 different chili recipes,” Winder said.
Fellow exiting board member Matt Margheim agreed that working with the committee is one of his favorite things.
“It’s really great to see how much fun the cooks and attendees have each year at this event,” Margheim said.
Margheim also said it’s easy to keep volunteering to be part of an event that has been so much fun over the years.
One of the things Winder notes that has made the competitions fun is seeing how people try and win over the public’s vote with their presentation of chili throughout the event.
As an organizer of the chili cook-off, Winder has had an opportunity to try a range of different chilis each year.
“Every chili is unique from sweet to spicy, or white chili, vegetarian, vegan, no beans, and some add their own “special” type of meat,” Winder said.
For her, though, the key to a good chili is the chef’s own secret ingredient that they don’t want to divulge to other people.
“It’s really hard to answer what makes a good chili,” Margheim said. “The chilis at the cook-off are so different that it comes down to personal preference. Everybody’s making their favorite chili.”
Margheim said some of his favorite competitions have involved where the weather has been a challenge.
“Whether it’s lightning, rain, or wind, it’s very satisfying to put on a good event in spite of the challenges,” Margheim said.
If anyone is looking to enter the competition, Winder notes the key to the cook-off is to have fun, as there’s not a right or wrong way to make chili.
“You have more time than you think to make your chili,” Margheim said to anyone considering cooking chili for the first time at the event. “Don’t be in a hurry. Enjoy the day with your friends. Make a checklist of the ingredients and equipment you’ll need a couple days ahead of time to help you prepare.”
Margheim estimates making a good batch of chili can take three to four hours once all the ingredients are finally in the pot, but like any food that’s cooked on a simmering heat for hours, the best results can be found in tasting the chili the next day — if there are any leftovers.
Both Winder and Margheim agree that there is no wrong ingredient that they can think of for including in a chili.
“We’ve had people use chocolate, coffee, whiskey… That’s part of the fun of coming and trying different chilis,” Margheim said. “I think people might pick up some ideas for their own chili the next time they make one from sampling so many varieties.”
That leads into the biggest challenge for the chili cook-off competition – having enough chili for all the attendance the event draws.
“We continue to grow in numbers of attendees each year, but we always seem to stay right around 25 different teams and chilis out on display,” Winders said.
Margheeim said that when it comes to his favorite sides, he doesn’t offer too many at the chili cook-off, but when he’s making a batch at home – jalapenos, onions, Fritos and shredded cheese are definitely his go to extra flavor notes.
As for what she’s going to miss, Winders notes working with the committee has been a huge perk.
“The Chili Committee is a great group of people to work with and it’s fun to watch the teams cook and interact with the other teams and then see all the smiles from the public as they go around sampling,” Winders said.
“I will really miss the people on the committee and the satisfaction of being part of a team that puts on such a good event,” Margheim said. “The people we have coming in to replace the departing committee members are excellent. Personally, I’ll continue to enter a team every year. It’s just a great way to spend a Saturday in October.”
Chili Cook-off returns Saturday
September 30, 2021
About the Contributor
Nathan Countryman, Editor
Nathan Countryman is the Editor of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun.