Cooks take Fourth of July event seriously

IF YOU GO

>> What: Fourth annual Texas Cook'em, featuring food, music and fireworks.

>> Where; Edinburg Municipal Park, 714 S Raul Longoria Road, Edinburg.

>> When: Event runs 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday with music beginning at 3:30 p.m. Tejano artist Michael Salgado will play after the fireworks show starts at 9:15 p.m.

>> Price: The event is free, but parking is $10 per vehicle.

EDINBURG — The key to winning is a good steak.

The marinade, the grill and the cook aren't as important as what the meat is like before it's even touched, said Mike Flores, a post office worker from Houston.

For the steak, Flores trusts his Houston-based butcher - and he rarely buys from the supermarket.

Everything else following that crucial selection is up to Flores.

The 52-year-old plans to be back in his regular spot behind the grill today during Edinburg's fourth annual Texas Cook'em at Municipal Park.

Flores, who placed first in the cook-off's T-bone steak category last year, said his El Dorado Tejas Kooks team will prepare nearly 100 pounds of steak, ribs, chicken and brisket.

The 15-person team has made it to Edinburg's Fourth of July cook-off every year since the event's inception and regularly competes in contests around Houston, Flores said. The team - made mostly of postal workers - takes this event seriously.

"We like the competition," Flores said. "We don't care about much else, other than the beer. It's all about the cooking."

A lot of that has to do with the prize money.

More than 40 teams will man the grills and smokers today for a chance at $15,000 in prize money, said Evana Vleck, director of marketing and special events for the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce.

The event is open to the public and runs from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Parking is $10 per vehicle.

Tejano artist Michael Salgado will headline a musical lineup after the fireworks go off at 9:15 p.m.

But the highlight, as usual, will be the food.

Two judges from the International Barbeque Cookers Association ensure that all rules and regulations are followed, Vleck said. Event organizers cater to the cooks who send the mouth-watering aroma of barbecue wafting through the park.

The challenge is judging the best out of many different styles of cooking, said Cris Torres, a lender with Inter National Bank who was tapped to serve as a judge the past two years. Torres, who is judging brisket this year, said sampling the food is a great way to spend the holiday.

"They're all good," she said. "They're just all different."

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Jared Janes covers Hidalgo County government, Edinburg and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4424.