Grilling Contest Entry Guidelines

It’s the time of year again when we call on Santa Barbara’s grilling masters to send us their entries for our annual Sizzling Summer BBQ Contest, now in its fifth year.

Winners walk home with a grab bag of prizes and, more importantly, the pride of knowing that what they do with hot coals and a grill is better than anyone else in town. Oh yea, and then there’s that cover story featuring your face, story, and recipes in the July 3 issue of The Santa Barbara Independent, so all of your friends and family know what a great cook you are as well.

Details for the date of the contest are still being worked out — it will be on a weekday afternoon toward the end of June — but to get the ball rolling, now is the time to send us a description of your dish so we can determine who will make the final cut. The actual judging of the finished dishes will be handled by a panel of expert eaters.

So here are the categories and what we need by June 1:

Professional BBQ Plate: If you have any professional cooking experience (aka, have you been paid to cook?), then you must enter this category. Please send a detailed description of your plate, which should include a main entree plus any side dishes/sauces/etc. you would like to include.

Amatuer BBQ Plate: If you have never been paid as a cook, but think you’ve got the best sizzle and the best steak, then send us a detailed description of your plate, which should include a main entree plus any side dishes/sauces/etc. you would like to include.

Vegetarian BBQ Plate: This is our pro-am category, so anyone with the skill to grill non-meat items can enter. Send a detailed description of your veggie-only plate, which should include a non-meat main entree plus any side dishes/sauces/etc. you would like to include. Those who enter the above categories may also enter this one.

That’s it! We will announce the finalists in mid-June, and send out more details for the actual grilling showdown very soon.

Send entries to food@independent.com.