October 22, 2008
FocusWednesday
Page 5
Mystery Meet Grill masters gathered in Brady to serve up racoon, bear, rattlesnake and goat — competively. By Camille Vandendriessche Assistant Copy Editor
Once a year, Brady doubles its population. Every Labor Day weekend, the “Heart of Texas” becomes the Mecca of barbecued goat-lovers, and 7,000 to 10,000 people gather in Richards Park for the World Championship Goat Cook-off. On the eve of the barbecue competition, men and women compete in washers and horseshoe tournaments. Tattooed players show off their dexterity at throwing discs and horseshoes with one hand, while keeping their beer going up and down with the other hand. Boots, jeans and cowboy hats dominate the dress code; some pitchers wear shirts that say, “Hardly Ever Sober” or “Genius By Birth, Slacker By Choice.” On Friday night, a few couples scatter across the dance floor, while 150 registered cooking teams get their barbecues set up for the big day; on Saturday, Brady’s Richards Park sponsors the 35th World Championship Goat Cook-off. The goat cook-off began in 1973 as a fundraiser for the Jaycees. The first edition recorded 16 entrees; now the number is limited to 150 cooking teams and 100 vendors. A crew of 37 judges examines and tastes 30 pieces of meat per team and grades each team’s 10 best pieces. The criteria for best meats are appearance, aroma, taste, texture and aftertaste. The team with the best average wins; the winning team went home with $1,000 this year. Charles and William Cooks, brothers from Brady, have teamed together for 35 years. They grill their meat
Camille Vandendriessche :: assistant copy editor Attendees enjoy a friendly game of washers, while the meat cooks.
on a barbecue that has the shape and the size of a goat. “We’ve been here since the first year; it hasn’t changed a lot,” Charles said. “Back then the entrance fee was $25. Now it’s $150, but it’s still the same spirit.”
To entertain the public, several teams transform their cooking spot into a party place. This year, the “New Orleans” team — all of them are from Texas — dressed in purple and yellow costumes and distributed hundreds
of colorful necklaces to celebrate Mardi Gras. “It’s one of the very few goat cook-offs in Texas,” said Wendy Ellis, the event’s director. “It has grown and changed over the years, but much of it stays the same.” One of the changes in 2008 was the “mystery meat” contest; judges and spectators had the opportunity to taste rattlesnake, bear and raccoon. “The event has always had a great sense of humor about itself,” Ellis said. “It’s great for reunions with family and friends because of the laid back atmosphere.” Brady Young, sophomore business major from Brady, said a lot of people who have moved away from Brady travel every year to come back for the cook-off. “I see people that I have not seen since high school,” Young said. “It’s like a big reunion.” Ellis said the goat cookoff marks the last chance to gather for fun and fellowship at the end of the summer, and being scheduled on a long weekend is one reason for its success. Eddie Sandoval, a counselor at Hurst Community College, said he used to
compete at the goat cookoff but now is among the judging crew. “It’s the start of a new year, kind of like a Homecoming,” Sandoval said. Melvin Hees, another competition judge, said he met people from Australia and Russia in the past editions. Goat meat aficionados and curious visitors come to Brady from all over the states and even from abroad. This year, the farthest visitor was from Finland. Brady earned its name of “Heart of Texas” because it stands as the closest city to the geographical center of the state. Interestingly, the goat cook-off is a free, convivial event where people invite each other to their tables to share some good meat, drinks and friendship. “All kinds of origins and backgrounds are represented,” Hees said. “We’ve had a banker, a dentist, a teacher, a fireman and even a state representative.” Hees works as vice president for an armored car company. The Plano resident said he was introduced to the cook-off 26 years ago by relatives who live in Brady. Rob Britton, another judge from Dallas, said
Camille Vandendriessche :: assistant copy editor Left: The “Cooking Team” from Lake Grandbury gather around a cutout of Texas, with many of the state’s iconic locations marked. Right: A representative of Lampasas-based Tractor Cookers keeps an eye on his tractor-turned-grill, while the meat cooks inside.
most people hear about the event by word of mouth. “I was invited by a friend, and it’s been 18 years that I come,” Britton said. Some participants have become nationally famous for their prowess behind a barbecue grill. Jerry Baird, a winner in 1976, said he participated in the first goat cook-off in Brady but did not do too well because he was drunk and did not really care about what he was doing. However, Baird has won many barbecue contests since then; in 1988 he won the Superbowl, a competition open to cookoff champions only. “Goat is healthier than other meats; it’s a low-blood, low-cholesterol meat,” Baird said. “To win, it’s gotta be tender, juicy and not too dry. It takes about eight hours to cook and let it cool down.” In 2006 and 2007, Baird, who also owns a business selling barbecue spices and gourmet seasonings, was featured on the TV show Texas Country Reporter. He was featured cooking from his chuck wagon for some “ol’ greasy-belly cowboys” at a ranch in West Texas, according to his Web site, www.jerrybairds.com. “Jerry Baird’s” exports internationally, but Baird does not exactly look like a businessman. Standing next to his shiny, white truck, the old man looks rougher than his picture on his company’s logo. Even though he is not competing this year, his red, craggy face resembles that of the cookers who stayed up all night to watch some smoke come out of their barbecues. Unlike Baird, most of them will never be goat cook-off world champions, but chances are they will still come back next year. E-mail Vandendriessche at: cxv06a@acu.edu