IRON CHEF Tidefans Finals - Meet The Judges

bayoutider · May 25th, 2008, 10:28 PM

This was a fun competition. I wish more had participated. We got to enjoy a lot of great recipes and some fun and good humor. As I said in the beginning there are no losers just those who haven't won yet. Weekly winners and runnerups receives some very nice prizes. I hope this competition can continue in some form again but now it is time to judge this first ever Tidefans Iron Chef.

Our first judge was also a competitor. Once known as HuntsvilleTider and now as derek4tide he is back in kitchen stadium as a judge. Derek was known for taking chances and bold flavors now he will be expecting the same from those he competed so gallantly against.

Judge number two is my old friend bamapeppy aka Father Nick. Once a much loved Episcopal priest and now retired to the golf course and beer coolers of this world Father Nick is also a gourmet cook. It seemed as if the church was always running a bit low on church wine for communion but Nick seemed to always have that perfect Port wine reduction for his braised duck breast and wild rice.

Finally as chairman of kitchen stadium, purchasing agent and inventor of this competition I have decided to be the final judge myself. I am looking forward to either some good eats or getting my stomach pumped out.

Let the judging begin.

judges post results in this thread
contestants send bribes to special account -Chase Bank of Nassau.

derek4tide · May 26th, 2008, 11:41 AM

Greetings to both chefs and our most gracious Chairman. Ah yes, the belly of pork is one of my favorite ingredients. I was hoping to see someone put a pig in the ground (a great Cuban dish), but alas no one dug a hole. Now, on to the dishes:

First, the starters were both excellent choices. The dates and the shrimp were
wonderful, but I couldn't make up my mind which was better. Second, the Wilted Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing was a great selection, but Arugula, Pear, and Pancetta salad won me over. I loved the choice of pancetta over the bacon dressing. Finally, Dr Bama's Dr Pepper sauce was intriguing, however, BFNY's braised pork belly blew me away. This is no easy dish and to take a chance on something this big was a daring finale.

So, my scoring goes as follows (30 originality, 20 use of ingredient and 50 for taste):

BAMAFAN IN NY -
Originality: 27
Use of ingredient: 19
Taste: 48

Final Score: 94

DrBama -
Originality: 23
Use of ingredient: 16
Taste: 46

Final Score: 85

Congrats BFNY you showed your talent in this one. DrBama you gave it a great run. Both did well, but "there can be only one."

bayoutider · May 27th, 2008, 12:42 PM

I am cooking all the recipes so give me a couple more days. Knowing Nick he is brining a pork belly as we speak.

bamapeppy · May 30th, 2008, 02:39 PM

First congratulations to both contestants for making it to the finals. I want you to know I tried each dish according to your instructions even if I had previously tasted similar or same named dishes. Here is my evaluation even though I am actually critiquing my own food.

DrBama, I followed your dishes throughout this competition and felt you were the one to beat. I feel you tried to play it safe with your dishes. I have had all your dishes before yet I made them again in remembrance of how much I enjoyed them in the first place.

The Bacon Wrapped Dates are delicious. I used the Parmesan cheese but I do prefer goat cheese in this dish so I made a few of those as well. I give you and A for choosing this wonderful dish but only a C for making it your own. Next time try Manchego Cheese.
The Wilted Spinach with bacon dressing is one of my personal weaknesses. Bayou's ex wife was the master of this dish and I could eat bowls full of it. Using black pepper bacon was an excellent choice but it wasn't anything new for me. Again I will give you an A for the dish but a C for making it different.
Your Ribs with Dr Pepper BBQ sauce were no home run. Rib sauces are hit and miss, people like them or are indifferent to them. I would have never guessed Dr Pepper if I hadn't poured it from the can myself. I like Dr Pepper but this didn't knock me off my feet. Perhaps I need to buy one of those Big Green Eggs.

BAMAFAN IN NY step up and take your beating like a man. I thought you breezed through round one then came close to being defeated before you got here. This is what I thought of your dishes.
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp. I have probably eaten more bacon wrapped shrimp than you have eaten slices of bread. This is a Cajun staple at any tailgate, backyard BBQ or family gathering, we call them devils on horseback. But we do not normally use the balsamic or rosemary. I have tried the blue cheese before but we normally keep the cheese away from this dish. I like this dish a lot but liked it more without the cheese. An A for choosing this dish and a B for your twist on it.
Arugula, Pear and Pancetta Salad. All I can say is I almost wept as I ate this. Pears, pancetta and cheese are a triangle of love. This will go on my Thanksgiving menu this year.
Braised Pork Belly is a delight few will ever taste due to the bad reputation it gets. True it may be the death of you but what a way to go. I have made several of these in my long life so I made one your way and one my way to compare them side by side. The main difference between them is the length of time they stay in the brine and my brine adds 12 whole peppercorns to the liquid. To be honest I prefer to brine then rub then braise but I did it your way and i could still taste all the spices. I like this very much and might die tomorrow but I enjoyed it.

Here is my conclusion.

BAMAFAN IN NY -
Originality: 28
Use of ingredient: 18
Taste: 48

Final Score: 94

DrBama -
Originality: 25
Use of ingredient: 16
Taste: 47

Final Score: 88

bayoutider · May 30th, 2008, 10:07 PM

I am last one reporting but I am in agreement with the other two judges. I did try all the dishes. I love the wrapped figs, do try it with Manchego cheese at least once, I love the shrimp, love spinach salad, love ribs but not necessarily the sauce and love pork belly. I only made one pork belly and it turned out fantastic.

BAMAFAN IN NY -
Originality: 28
Use of ingredient: 19
Taste: 48

Final Score: 95

DrBama -
Originality: 27
Use of ingredient: 18
Taste: 47

Final Score: 92

All I can add is congratulations BAMAFAN IN NY who is our first Tidefans Iron chef.

As winner of the competition you win a custom embroidered chef's jacket with your name or screen name and Winner of Tidefans Iron Chef Competition on the chest. You will be the envy of any tailgates you go to.

DrBama · May 30th, 2008, 10:34 PM

Congrats to BAMAFAN IN NY! I couldn't have lost to a more worthy or gracious opponent. Wonderful competition by you and a bold move with a 3 day recipe at the end. Kudos!

I'll admit I was a bit off my game for the last week. Took a risk by preparing something as common as ribs. That tends to be something that every person hold strong biases about.

This was a great competition and I hope it makes a return visit. I'm actually quite disappointed that I didn't win, but I had a blast! Thanks, bayou, for doing this!

BAMAFAN IN NY · May 31st, 2008, 08:33 AM

Awesome! I always wanted a chefs jacket! I would like to thank the judges and my fellow competitors, for making this such a fun competition. Ive added some great recipes to the recipe box from you guys.

derek4tide · May 31st, 2008, 01:02 PM

Congrats, Matt. I thought this was a blast. We must do this whole thing again...every year. If not, I'm glad I got to be a part of this one. Like Matt said, I have several new recipes from all as well. Thanks to bayou, the other judges and all participates. Damn, It's fun doing stuff with Bama people.