Hance sizzles at grill

Published 5:51 am Monday, August 6, 2007

By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS – Josh Hance, 27, of Caledonia, won the second annual Cass County's Best Backyard Chef Contest Saturday with artistic flair from 40 dishes.
Hance's father, Bob, of Three Rivers, runs Midwest Energy, which sponsors the contest along with First National Bank (FNB). Josh also works for Midwest.
Hance vaulted out of the propane beef (172) and propane pork (162.29) categories to win the $500 grand championship and the apron emblematic of bragging rights for 2007.
"I competed last year," Josh said, "but I didn't fare as well. I simplified things. Last year I did a fairly complicated sauce for a pork tenderloin."
His presentation "was pretty strong," too, with a palm tree carved out of a pepper, an orange garnished to be the sun and his melt-in-your-mouth meat afloat in blue water on a raft made of asparagus spears.
Dowagiac hog farmer Everett Smith, 38, who won the inaugural event in 2006, finished well in the money again with 171.43 in the third $100 bracket, propane poultry, which he marinated in Italian dressing and speared with fresh pineapple.
Smith won the $250 reserve grand champion.
Last summer Smith scored 174.86 with his babyback ribs for grand champion, arriving late after washing his herd. He cooks hog roasts with his sideline, E&R's Barbecue.
"It doesn't take long – 20 minutes to a half hour," Smith said, "but I have to play with it a lot because I want to get it just done, but not too dry because chicken gets dry. It's simple. Anyone can do it. I was afraid there would be a lot of ribs, so I threw something else in there. It's kind of a fluke in a way, but it worked out."
With 180 points possible, 29 percent depends on appearance, 57 percent on taste and 14 percent on meat tenderness.
The "Kings of the Hill" in county grilling once again both cooked with propane.
Scott Maki, chef at Wood Fire Italian Trattoria in Dowagiac, won in charcoal beef with 159.43 in his first time competing.
He grilled his beef tenderloin with peppers, garlic and olive oil wrapped in cheesecloth.
"It was a real fun experience," Maki said. "I'm definitely coming back next year. I've got a lot of good ideas, I just don't know which ones I'll do at this point. I think I'll do all the categories, honestly. I didn't realize that was possible."
Winning charcoal pork with 163.43 was Smith's cousin, Dennis Dominiak.
Jon Silvius, who captured charcoal pork in 2006, won charcoal poultry with 168.