A seasoned campfire cook says it’s about pleasing the crowd when it comes to winning votes at a historic site’s annual cook-off.
Leo Maynard says he has won the people’s choice award in the Bar U Ranch National Historic Site’s Chuckwagon Cook-Off every year since the contest began almost a decade ago.
Yet, the 80-year-old contestant doesn’t attribute his wins to his cooking skills.
“As the people go around I spend time talking with the little kids and the old ladies that want to know my recipe,” he said. “There is usually a cobbler alongside my dish that they like to eat. I think it’s politics. I tell the judges I don’t give a damn what they think, I care what the people think.”
This year’s Chuckwagon Cook-Off takes place on June 19 at 11 a.m. with the tasting at 2:30 p.m.
Maynard said he may change roles after he was asked to judge.
“I told them if you’re short contestants I’ll be a contestant and if not I’ll be a judge,” he said.
Maynard said he used to cook during cattle drives and often gives advice to the other contestants.
“A lot of people don’t know what they are doing,” he said. “A lot of them don’t understand briquettes or how to stack your cast iron pots on top of one another.”
Maynard said it’s not the frequent wins that keep him returning every year, it’s the atmosphere.
“I like being down there and they let me smoke my pipe in a national park because it’s authentic,” he said. “I like the people. They’re really friendly.”
Mike McLean, Bar U special projects officer, said the Chuckwagon Cook-Off has been a crowd favourite.
“The big thing about the Chuckwagon stew cook off is it gives people an inkling of what it takes to get a meal for a crew of hungry people around a campfire,” he said.
“In a way they are cooking for the whole crowd. Once the judges have their sample to find out what they like the best everybody there gets to try a sample as well. We can get 150 people out in the day fairly easily.”
McLean said stew was often a favourite during cattle drives because the cooks could put it together quickly and it was a hearty meal for the crew. This event gives the public an opportunity to see what it would have been like, he said.
“We just love to see them try their hand at creating that wonderful beef stew around the chuckwagon,” he said. “A lot of them like to stay with their tried and true recipe.”
McLean said some contestants make a few adjustments from year to year.
“Your stew might be the favourite one year and not the next,” he said. “It depends on whoever the judge is.”
Other activities scheduled throughout the day include a pack horse race from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. where teams compete in pairs to pack a load on a horse and lead it on horseback through an obstacle course in the corral. Packing demonstrations will take place before the event from 11 a.m. to noon.
Events at noon include the Millarville Musical Ride and book signing by The Cowboy Way author Duane Radford.
Entertainment will be provided from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. by the Spitzee Post Band and cowboy poet Doris Daley.
