Hazlehurst-Jeff Davis County Chamber of Commerce

2011 Young Chef Hamburger Cook-Off

Cooking Rules

1)         Participants must be between 8 and 16 years of age and must be accompanied by an adult; however the adult CANNOT assist in any meat preparation or grilling.  All food preparation, cooking, and assembling of hamburger must be done by the young chef. 

2)        Cooks may use any type of fuel desired.  Host will NOT supply any type of fuel.  All young chefs must be under adult supervision and grills/cookers should be lit and monitored by adults at all times. 

3)        Host will provide 2 – ½ lb. packages of ground beef.  Cooks are required to provide ice chests for ground beef storage; Host will provide ice as needed.

4)        Ground beef is to be handled in a sanitary manner.  Plastic gloves will be provided and are to be used in handling the ground beef at all times.

5)         Grills will be inspected for cleanliness before cooking.  Unclean grills will be rejected.

6)        The young cooks provide all seasonings, “secret ingredients”, bread and condiments. All hamburgers must be served on buns or other bread products.  Hamburgers may include any condiments, spreads, sauces, cheeses, and/or toppings.  All components of the hamburger must be placed between the bun/chosen bread product, or served open-faced on a bread product. Side dishes and garnishes to plates or the tops of buns are not allowed.  Wooden skewers without any markings or adornments may be used to hold burgers in place for presentation.

7)         Participants are responsible for providing tables and chairs they might need at their cooking area.

8)        Some type of fire extinguishing device should be readily available at each cooker.

9)        Ground beef cannot be removed from your cooking area.  Any violation of this will result in immediate team disqualification from the competition.   

10)      All hamburgers remain the property of the Georgia Great Steak Cook-Off. 

11)       NO animals will be allowed in the cooking area.

Hazlehurst-Jeff Davis County Chamber of Commerce

2011 Young Chef Hamburger Cook-Off

Judging Rules

1)         Young chefs will be divided into two age divisions:  Division 1 – Ages 8 to 12 and Division 2 – Ages 13 to 16.

2)        The assembled hamburger will be judged on a points system to include appearance, degree of doneness (well-done) and taste.

3)        When the ground beef is distributed, you will receive an official box to be used in submitting your hamburger to the judges.  There will be a sealed envelope attached to the box in which there is a number.  Remove the envelope from the box. This envelope is to stay sealed until the awards presentation ceremony at the main stage.  Bring your sealed envelope to the awards presentation.  The Cook will be told when to open the envelope.  Opening the envelope prior to this time WILL result in disqualification.  This is to insure anonymity of all hamburgers submitted for judging.

4)        Between 2:30 and 3:00 p.m. an assembled hamburger for judging is to be prepared, placed in the official box and delivered to the judges' station. 

5)         All hamburgers submitted for judging are to be cooked well-done (no pink in center). Remember that degree of doneness is one of the very important criteria in the hamburger judging.

6)        All hamburgers must be served on buns or other bread products.  Hamburgers may include any condiments, spreads, sauces, cheeses, and/or toppings. All components of the hamburger must be placed between the bun/chosen bread product, or served open-faced on a bread product. Side dishes and garnishes to plates or the tops of buns are not allowed.  Wooden skewers without any markings or adornments may be used to hold burgers in place for presentation.

7)         The judges will not know the identity of the chef.  The assembled hamburger will be scored by number only and the identifying number of the young chef will not be known until the awards ceremony.

Sponsored by the
Hazlehurst-Jeff Davis County
Chamber of Commerce