International Dutch Oven Society World Championship Cook-Off

On Saturday I had the tasty privilege of helping to judge the 2014 International Dutch Oven Society World Championship Cook-Off, held at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy.

This year’s champs were the “Half-Baked Hippies,” who like to compete in colorful tie-dye outfits. David Grover and Jamie Boyle have added some flair to past cook-offs — I remember one year when the bystanders were entranced while David used liquid nitrogen to chill a cheesecake, wearing a face shield and special gloves.

This year they led the pack with some show-stopping dishes: Roasted Red Pepper and Parmesan Cheese Bread,

Pecan Log Pie with topped with white chocolate ganache and a strands of spun sugar; and Beef Tenderloin En Croute, where slices of beef and blue cheese filling were wrapped in puff pastry. 

All these dishes were cooked in Dutch ovens, with only burning charcoal as a heat source.

The International Dutch Oven Society is a non-profit organization that preserves and promotes Dutch oven cooking, a throwback to the pioneers and cowboys who cooked in Dutch ovens while settling the West.

A father-son duo, Wil and Chad Ward of Stockton, Utah, were narrowly edged out of the championship, with the judges’ total of  518 total points, just one point below Grover and Boyle.  They wowed the crowed with Parmesan and Sundried Tomato Bread, Cream Puffs with Whipped Cream and Berry Filling, and Lamb Shanks With Chateaubriand Sauce.

Jesse and Cindy Romrell of Kearns took third place. Fourth place went to George and Carolyn Dumler of Tucson, Ariz.; and the fifth place team was Terry Cobb of Ponca City, Okla.,and Bill Ryan of Bossier City, La.

Here’s a photo of  me (in St. Patrick’s green) with judges Ruth Kendrick and Eleanor Kondo Ream, as we were trying to do our best to determine a winner.   My story about the championship will in the Standard-Examiner on Tuesday.

Those interested in learning more about Dutch Oven cooking can attend the IDOS Spring Convention May 3, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at the Davis County Fairgrounds, 151 S. 1100 West, Farmington. The convention features cooking demonstrations, seminars and samplings, with vendors selling all kinds of Dutch oven equipment.

Meanwhile, here are some photos of the fabulous cooks and some of their fabulous dishes.

I will run some of the recipes in future posts.