ONTONAGON — The weather went from hot to icy at the annual Cook-Off for Cancer at the Ontonagon Recreation building Saturday.
Seven teams of cooks started their grills and smokers Friday night to be ready for the Saturday competition of barbecued chicken, ribs and beef brisket. The meal, open to the public, also included a full dinner.
Funds raised from the competition and dinner benefit the Ontonagon County Cancer Association.
Tom Domitrovich chaired the benefit, along with numerous volunteers from all segments of the county. In addition to six competing teams, Domitrovich said they were helped by a group of men from the Dry Dock in Ontonagon. “We could not serve all these dinners without them,” he said.
Eight judges tasted the entries.
The overall winner was Simple Jerry’s, which also won the Booyah which was judged by public tasting before the meal. Simple Jerry’s also scored first place in the chicken and ribs categories.
Second place in chicken was won by the Barbi-Q’s (the Urbis and Pantti family) with third to the Firesteel Cooks (Lewis family.)
Fuzzy P (Burgess family) took second in ribs and third to the Firesteel.
The Firesteel also won the brisket competition with Fuzzy P in second place and Barbi-Q’s in third.