Official Rules

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!!

The competition is Saturday November 8, 2025. Each team must arrive and check in between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 am at Spaceship Earth Coffee located at 345 E. Choctaw Avenue in McAlester. At the cook’s meeting each team will receive two full racks of untrimmed pork spare ribs and approximately a 3 pound bone-in pork loin. Teams will also receive two t-shirts and/or cooking aprons, foil pans and gloves. At check in each team will be instructed to return for a cook’s meeting that must be attended by one representative from each team to receive the competition boxes and procedures for turning in entries. Bring additional ice, chairs, canopy for shade and all cooking essentials. Cooking will be done in the street in front of buildings.

Entry Fee: $155.00
Entry Fee includes Ribs, Best Bite and People’s Choice competition entries.

SCHEDULE

RIBS COMPETITION

RULES AND FORMAT:

1. Turn in time will be between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm. No ribs will be accepted after 5:00 pm.
2. The event will be judged by a panel of judges and will be in a “blind judging” format.
3. The head cook of a team must be 18 years old.
4. The Cookoff promoter/organizer will provide each team with two full racks of untrimmed pork spare ribs.
5. Each team will receive a black Styrofoam container that will be used to turn in ribs for judging. The box will have two envelopes taped to it which contain your team number. Do not open or remove the envelopes.
6. Each team will place five ribs, separated, in the box to be judged. Sauce can be applied to the ribs. Side sauces or garnishes are not allowed.
7. Do not remove the envelopes from your box. After you turn in your box you will be given one of the envelopes. This contains your number. Do not open the envelope until you are instructed to do so at the results ceremony.
8. Teams are subject to random ice chest inspections by any contest organizer.
9. Should there be a tie after all tie breakers, the tying teams would split the combined financial payout.
10. Cooks may cook on any fire or heat source.
11. Each team needs to cook on a separate fire source with the following exception: trailers that have multiple grills or large grills that are totally divided are allowed as long as each cooker has their own fire source.
12. NO other pork ribs should be present at the cook site other than the ones given to the teams.
13. Ribs may not be removed from the team’s numbered cooking area except to turn in the entry.
14. Ribs may not be marked or branded in any way. (Grill marks are not considered marking)

Reasons for Disqualification:

1. Ribs other than the ones provided for the event found in team area
2. A rib entry turned in after the time window has expired
3. Any foreign object found in the turn in box (this includes garnishes and separate sauces)

Judging Criteria:

1. Appearance — Each judge should have ample opportunity to view the ribs before they are removed from the box. Each entry will be scored between 1–10. Appearance is subjective and includes uniformity, color, and shape.
2. Texture/Doneness — Ribs should be tender, easy and pleasant to chew but should not fall off the bone. They should hold onto the bone after a bite is taken. Scored 1–10. Scores reduced equally for overcooking or undercooking.
3. Taste — Scored 1–10. Based on seasoning and possibly sauce. Sauce is optional and neither encouraged nor discouraged. If used, it should complement the meat, not overwhelm it.
4. Overall Impression — Based on the judge’s overall impression using the above criteria. Scored 1.0–10.0, with decimal scoring encouraged to avoid ties.

Tie Breakers: 1) Taste, 2) Texture, 3) Appearance
Winning Prize: $2,000.00

DAYLIGHT TIL DARK PROCESSING BEST BITE COMPETITION

RULES AND FORMAT:

1. Turn in time is from 12:00 pm–1:30 pm at Sage Salon.
2. The Best Bite Contest is included in the entry fee.
3. Each team will receive a whole bone-in pork loin, approximately 3 pounds, from Daylight Til Dark Processing in Kiowa, Oklahoma.
4. Each entry must prepare a recipe with five individual portions using the pork loin prepared in any manner they choose.
5. Each dish must prominently feature the pork loin. There are no limitations on trimming, preparation, or presentation. Teams may use any other ingredients.
6. Each Best Bite entry must be prepared at the cook site and made from scratch by the competing team.
7. The Best Bite entries will not be blind. Teams must present the entry to judges, describe ingredients and cooking process, and answer questions.
8. Any method of preparation is allowed as long as it is prepared on site.
9. Contestants may serve their entries in any manner they choose. No turn-in boxes will be provided.
10. Judging will be based on Appearance, Taste, Originality, and Overall Impression.

Winning Prize: $1,250.00

PEOPLE’S CHOICE COMPETITION

RULES AND FORMAT:

1. People’s Choice judging will be from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm at each team’s cook site.
2. The People’s Choice contest is optional and no additional entry fee is required.
3. Each team will be given a People’s Choice placard with their team name and QR code that must be displayed at the cooking station to participate.
4. At the designated time, teams will prepare food and make it available at their cooking station for public judges.
5. Members of the public will sample food items from any teams they choose and cast their vote using the team’s QR code.
6. Teams can prepare any number of food items in any category, provided they are cooked at the team’s station and follow food safety and sanitation standards.

Winning Prize: $750.00