McAllen, Texas — “Smokin Since 1976” is the theme of the original Fajita Cook-off. That’s because the very first Fajita Cook-off was held on Sunday July 4^th, 1976. Do you know the location? Most say at Chimney Park on the banks of the Rio Grande in Madero, just south of Mission.

           “No, that was years 2 through 5,” says Christopher Julian Founder and producer of the Cook-off. The very first Fajita Cook-off was held on the County Courthouse parking lot on the square in Edinburg.

          The Cook-off ran for 15 years after that and became the largest and most popular outdoor festival the Valley had ever seen with crazy cooking teams competing with their favorite fajita recipes and family games and activities like sack race, egg toss, 3-legged race and watermelon seed spit.

          After 25 years, the Cook-off joined PalmFest as one of their major attractions and expanded to include BBQ competition sanctioned by the International Barbeque Cookers Association (IBCA).

           “This changed the entire dynamics of the contest,” said Richard Womeldorf, manager of the Cook-off. $10,000 in prize money was on the line and out of town Cooking Teams were very serious about winning their share of the money and IBCA points to be invited to the big national competition in Memphis.

          Cooking Teams were surveyed and here is what they said.

“Hey, this is too much work now, what happened to the good old days when we had fun cooking?”

          So, in celebrating the 34th year of the event, its back to basics and fun at PalmFest International Folklife Celebration held at the McAllen Convention Center on Saturday and Sunday, October 2-3.

No IBCA BBQ competition this year.

           Just the good ole fashion Fajita Cook-off, with Traditional and Gourmet fajita categories on Sunday October 3^rd, 2010.

          On Saturday October 2^nd 2010, there will be 3 fun filled competitions. Pan de Campo, Frijoles a La Charra, and Salsa Competition.

          The two day entry fee for all 5 categories is only $165. There will also be a showmanship Award for the Cooking Team that puts on the best show. Also as part of this event all the family games and activities as well as a huge Kiddie Carnival on both days.

          To enter the Cook-off call the Cook-off hot line at 956.682.5566 or go on line to RGVCookoff.com

Richard Womeldorf here, and I want to announce that the time has come again to start getting your team together. This year, 2010, will bring some great changes and bring back some of our time tested, back to our roots, events setup.

The official post will be coming in a few days.

I just want to alert you to reserve your date. Oct 2 & 3,2010  (Sat and Sun)

The 34th Annual, The Original , The Granddaddy of them ALL, Fajita Cookoff is a coming.

More to follow in a few days.

Richard Womeldorf, Gen Mgr and Fajita Marshall

McAllen, Tx 2009

It’s not the fact that The Cook off at PalmFest is a State championship cook off which means the grand champion will be invited to the American Royal Invitational in Kansas City, Mo. And it’s not the $10,000 in guaranteed prize money. It is winning one of the custom made miniature BBQ pit trophies that drives crazy cooking teams from as far away as San Antonio and beyond to come to this year’s Fajita Cook off and BBQ Cook off at PalmFest.

Scheduled for October 3-4 at the beautiful McAllen Convention Center, The Cook off is one of the major attractions of PalmFest International Folk life Celebration.

Cooking Teams will compete in 5 categories brisket, spare ribs, chicken, traditional fajita and gourmet fajita for top honors sanctioned by The International Cookers Association, IBCA.

To enter your team, go to rgvcookoff.com or call the cook off hotline @ 956.682.5566.

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Pictured from Left is Bobby Casso, general manager of L&F Distributors, the trophy sponsor, James Cameron, owner of Camco Wheel and Axle, craftsmen of the trophies and Richard Womeldorf, general manager of the Cook off:
 

Map for Teams ONLY
CookingTeams Only

CLICK HERE TO PRINT/SEE THE MAP FULL SIZE

Here is the map that you can print out. All teams will be entering on the EAST side of the McAllen Convention Center. This is the opposite end from year’s past. We will have our own private entry and exit point.

The gate will be manned and open at 10:00 AM on FRIDAY Nov 2, 09.
This is SETUP DAY.

Mandatory COOKS MEETING is at 7:30PM on Friday, at the Judging Tent.

Coming from 281, take the Expressway 83 WEST exit, which is a curve exit.
Continue for about 4 exits and look for the WARE RD exit.
Exit and move to the right lane. Just before the Ware Rd light, look to the right and find 29th St (Rooth Rd). Turn right (North). Go a few blocks and just BEFORE the Galveston St street light…LOOK LEFT at the Veteran’s Memorial. That is the entry point.

Coming from the Valley, West of Ware and Exp 83.
Go to 23rd St exit, and do the turn around under the Expressway, and stay on the frontage road.
Turn right on 29th St (Rooth Rd) and go just before the Galveston St street light. Look LEFT.

Coming from the Valley, East of McAllen, follow the directions above like the 281 teams would be coming in. Only you will be on Expressway 83 already. Just exit on the Ware Rd exit and follow the same instructions above.

NEW LOWER TEAM PRICE FOR 2009
 
McAllen, TX

We are having a good response in Registrations this year. And WE THANK YOU !!

I know that having registration forms filled, paid, and in house this early, is a GOOD thing.
We have doubled our size in available room for BBQ Pits, Trailers, Big Rigs, and those back yard pits too.

Now, listen up !!   This year, I want to hit this out of the park, and I know many are worried about the economy. So I begged the Promoter, Chris Julian, for about an hour or so, asking him to lower the entry fee.

It was a tough go, but I finally convinced Chris that we needed to help our teams a little more than usual this year.

So, this year, the TEAM ENTRY FEE has been lowered to $ 250.00 for the event. Cook one or two days.
(ALL the teams that have paid in already, expect a check in the mail for $ 100.00 as a refund)

 
HERE IS THE 2009 RGV COOKOFF ENTRY FORM   (Revised on 08/27/2009)
 

McAllen, TX –

The cooking team of RC Truck Brokerage of Pharr is the first official entry into this year’s RGV Cook-Off at PalmFest. Also known as The Fajita Cook-Off and The BBQ Cook-Off, the RGV Cook-Off will be held during PalmFest International Folk life Celebration October 3-4 at the new McAllen Convention Center on the Expressway and Ware Road.

This cook-off is the oldest and longest running cooking competition of its kind in the Valley and the state. This year, The Cook-Off has been proclaimed as a State Championship Cook-Off by the Texas State Senate. “This means the Grand Champion of this cook-off will be invited to the American Royal Invitational in Kansas City, Mo,” said Richard Womeldorf general manager of the Cook-Off.

“We are even more excited to announce we will guarantee $10,000 in prize money this year”, said Christopher Julian, founder and producer of the Cook-Off. “With these two new incentives, we are sure to meet our goal of 100 crazy cooking teams this year”, Julian concluded.

For more information and entry forms on the RGV Cook-Off at PalmFest, go to www.rgvcookoff.com or call the Cook-Off hot line 956.685.5566.

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Photo Caption: From left are Christopher Julian producer of the Cook-Off, the Team of RC Trucking Brokerage headed by Roel Castro and at the far right Richard Womeldorf general manager of the cook-off.

05/01/2009
McAllen, Tx

It’s Official !!  RGV Cookoff, organizational entity, that owns The Fajita Cookoff and The BBQ Cookoff, has been declared a Texas State BBQ Championship Competition.

Smokin’ since 1976, this year marks a new milestone for the RGV Cookoff at PalmFest in McAllen.  First of all, we have been proclaimed a “State Championship Cookoff by the
Texas State Senate”.

This means the Grand Champion of this cookoff will automatically be invited to compete in the American Royal Invitational in Kansas City, Mo. Also, the Grand Champion will be put in a lottery drawing for the Jack Daniels Invitational in Lynchburg, TN.

(We’re sure to get at least 15 teams.)

Here is what Lynn Shivers, of the International BBQ Cooks Association has to say about this and what it means for the Teams that compete in our event.

" Being a State Champion will create another draw for your event – The first year of being declared a State Championship you only have to have 15 teams and then there after 25 – and the Grand Champion will be invited to the American Royal Invitational, Kansas City, Mo. and their name will also be put into the lottery draw for the Jack Daniels Invitational, Lynchburg, TN "

" The Jack Daniels event is the hardest event to get into because you have to qualify and then be drawn from the draw of all of the Texas qualifier events Grand Champion. "

Congratulations on getting your Proclamation – I will post it to our website.

Thank you for supporting IBCA & BBQ.
Lynn
www.ibcabbq.org

The Most Coveted Award at
The RGV Cookoff

McAllen, TX – James Cameron, owner of Camco Wheel and Axle is committed!  Not to a mental hospital, although some think he should, but to making the most unique and “tricked out” trophy he has ever made for The Fajita Cook Off this year. 

The trophies are being sponsored by L & F Distributors and will include their logo branded into the wooden stand.

This year the Fajita Cook Off will be two days as part of PalmFest International Folklife Celebration held at the New McAllen Convention Center on October 4th & 5th, 2008. 

The first day will be sanctioned by the International Barbeque Cookers Association, IBCA, and will include Brisket, Pork Spare Ribs and Chicken. 

The second day will exclusively fajitas in both traditional and gourmet categories.  This is the oldest and longest running fajita cookoff in the entire USA, so don’t miss this event.

75% of all entry fees will be paid out as prize money.  That means over as $19,000 will be awarded if 75 teams enter both days of competition.

Come out for FREE, with FREE parking and check out the BIG RIGS, the battle begins at HIGH NOON on Saturday for BBQ and Sunday for Fajitas.

For more information on entering the Cook Off go to Registration to THE FAJITA COOKOFF  or call the event hotline at (956) 682-5566.

 Photo Caption:

From left to right:  Richard Womeldorf, general manager and Fajita Marshall of the Fajita Cook Off; Robert Casso, general manager of L & F Distributor and James Cameron, Owner of Camco.

Coalition Against False Fajitas 

JOIN THE COALITION at
THE FAJITA COOKOFF

PALMFEST 2008 at New Convention Center

McAllen, TX – The Coalition Against False Fajitas – aka C.A.F.F., whose members are referred to as Mad CAFFs.  Because of the profilaration of false fajitas, (i.e.: chicken fajitas, pork, shrimp, and others) the coalition was formed to help stamp out that which is not a true beef skirt.

Mad CAFF’s will be in full force at the 31st year running of Granddaddy of them ALL – THE FAJITA COOKOFF. The Coalition was first formed in the mid 1980′s to help stamp out that which is not a true fajita. " The popularity of the fajita is what cased this problem," said Chrisopher Julian, Producer of THE FAJITA COOKOFF and Founder of the Coalition."Restaurants and food vendors wanted to capitalize on it’s popularity and all of a sudden anything and everything that could be cut into strips and put in a tortilla is a fajita, and that’s wrong!" concluded Julian.

The Spanish word faja means sash or girdle. Hence, the fajita is the girdle around the stomach of the steer. The most popular aberration is the chicken fajita. And we all know that chickens don’t have or wear girdles. But it has gotten so bad some meat markets in South Texas are selling sirloin fajitas. Now that is real wrong.

Cooking teams that are entered in THE FAJITA COOKOFF beware. The offical Fajita Marshall, Richard Womeldorf, and the highly experienced panel of judges will be closely inspecting all entries and will disqualify that which is not a true fajita.

You may join the Coalition Against False Fajitas and become a MAD CAFF by signing the petiitons at THE FAJITA COOKOFF this year at various locations on the grounds. The 2007 McAllen Palmfest will be held this year at the NEW McALLEN CIVIC CENTER at the corner of Ware Road and Expressway 83 in McAllen, Tx.  Mark your calanders Saturday October 6th, 2007 and Sunday October 7th, 2007

DO YOU SEE THE NUMBER 8 ON THIS DIAGRAM?
This is the area where FAJITAS come from.
This IS NOT a CHICKEN or a SHRIMP !!
There is no such thing as a Chicken or Shrimp FAJITA !!

A service of netRelief, Inc.

This site is a member of The Smoke Ring BBQ Webring A linked list of BBQ websites Next BBQ Site – Next 5 BBQ Sites – Prev BBQ Site – Random BBQ Site Join the BBQ ring or browse a complete list of The Smoke Ring BBQ Webring member’s BBQ sites If you discover problems with any of The Smoke Ring BBQ Webring sites, please notify the Ringmaster

DON’T BE NOSY!         WE WILL TELL YOU !

Funny how nervous these cows get as we get closer to
BBQ and FAJITA Cookoff Time.

June 2008

                    RGV Cookoff 
                ( www.rgvcookoff.com)
     Organizational Home to TWO cookoff events:

    THE BBQ COOKOFF     and     THE FAJITA COOKOFF
(www.thebbqcookoff.com ) and (www.thefajitacookoff.com )

Here are your updates

1) Applications for Cooking Teams have opened. You may find the new
   2008 Rules and Regulations and Entry Form are on our website.
   The file is an Adobe PDF file format, and you will need a FREE
   reader that can be found at www.adobe.com  if you don’t have it.

2) If you are the FIRST Individual or Team to sign up, you will
   be featured on our National Website. We can include any story
   about yourself or your team. Don’t wait, get this valuable FREE
   advertising and the braggin’ rights for being the FIRST in 2008.

3) This year it has been decided to OPEN UP the amount of Cooking
   Teams that may enter the Cookoff. We will accept 75 entries for
   2008. Big Rigs…NO Problem !!  Small Setup..No Problem !!
   HURRY…Our mailing list is over 500 Contestants, and this Email
   Newsletter list has already grown to hundreds.

4) We have had a few of you ask this question, over and over.
   Payouts in prize money are "earmarked" for the events you enter.
   Example: You enter the BBQ Cookoff and NOT the Fajita Cookoff
   You entire entry fee goes into the BBQ Cookoff prize fund, that
   gets divided up. The reverse is true if you ONLY enter the Fajita
   Cookoff and NOT the BBQ Cookoff.

   If you enter BOTH EVENTS, then you entry fee is divided between
   BOTH events. Since we give a $ 150.00 DISCOUNT for entering both
   Events, and you get to have fun for TWO days, this seems to be
   the most popular with our Cooking Teams so far.

5) Trophies are being designed for 2008 as we speak…ah.. write

6) Website has been updated at www.rgvcookoff.com

7) We are ALWAYS looking for volunteers to work. Call the Cookoff
   Hotline to sign up at 956-682-5566

Until next month, or maybe sooner, keep those pits a smokin’.

Chris Julian                   Richard Womeldorf
Organizer / Owner          WebMaster/Gen Manager/Fajita Marshall