Gentle folks of the Pit, it’s time to announce the winners of the 2023 Taco Smack Down and extend some gratitude.
First, thanks to everyone who participated and commented on the posts. I am sincerely humbled and honored by the number of extremely well prepared and displayed entries this competition garnered. I know what kind of pitmasters and cooks we have on AR and y’all have shown your qualities. I’m sure many of us will be inspired by the diversity of the tacos displayed on these topic pages and can expect to see them replicated in the not-too-distant future.
Second, another shout-out to Meathead for providing the trophies for the Smack Down. Tangible awards for such great efforts can’t be overstated.
Third, a huge word of thanks to everyone for being such enthusiastic and vociferous supporters of this friendly competition, especially barelfly, who personifies ‘Be the Taco’.
Fourth, it’s a shame that our virtual community does not allow judges to smell and taste the tacos prepared on this topic. It's possible that some tacos would have been in better positions if that were an option. But, alas, in our virtual environment, we simply must assume that every taco was delicious based on the expertise of the members and the descriptions included in the entry.
Last, because there were so many great entries, the judges (our Latino friends Pat & Ray, Mari Jo, and me) decided to include two runner up/honorable mention positions to recognize valiant efforts that were only slightly overshadowed by other entries. It really was a tough decision-making process but one that we all thought was fair based on the criteria we set out and the evaluation of the pictures and descriptions.
Without further ado…
2nd runner up goes to ComfortablyNumb, with his out-of-the-box but amazing looking taco made with home-grown veggies. Those squash!
1st runner up goes to Troutman, with one of the coolest riffs on Tacos Rancheros the judges have ever seen. Those eggs!
3rd place goes to DTro, using mango salsa to add sweetness and a depth of flavor to the marinated skirt steak.
2nd place goes to barelfly, a true taco connoisseur and ambassador who brought the heat in more ways than one.
And 1st place goes to Jim White, who with deft culinary skills, photos, and narrative, wowed the judges to the point of astonishment.
I will PM each of the three winners to get instructions on how to send them their trophies.
For members who have read this post and are thinking, WTF is this all about, follow this link to see.
What food item will be showcased and when will the next smack down occur? Stay tuned.
First, thanks to everyone who participated and commented on the posts. I am sincerely humbled and honored by the number of extremely well prepared and displayed entries this competition garnered. I know what kind of pitmasters and cooks we have on AR and y’all have shown your qualities. I’m sure many of us will be inspired by the diversity of the tacos displayed on these topic pages and can expect to see them replicated in the not-too-distant future.
Second, another shout-out to Meathead for providing the trophies for the Smack Down. Tangible awards for such great efforts can’t be overstated.
Third, a huge word of thanks to everyone for being such enthusiastic and vociferous supporters of this friendly competition, especially barelfly, who personifies ‘Be the Taco’.
Fourth, it’s a shame that our virtual community does not allow judges to smell and taste the tacos prepared on this topic. It's possible that some tacos would have been in better positions if that were an option. But, alas, in our virtual environment, we simply must assume that every taco was delicious based on the expertise of the members and the descriptions included in the entry.
Last, because there were so many great entries, the judges (our Latino friends Pat & Ray, Mari Jo, and me) decided to include two runner up/honorable mention positions to recognize valiant efforts that were only slightly overshadowed by other entries. It really was a tough decision-making process but one that we all thought was fair based on the criteria we set out and the evaluation of the pictures and descriptions.
Without further ado…
2nd runner up goes to ComfortablyNumb, with his out-of-the-box but amazing looking taco made with home-grown veggies. Those squash!
1st runner up goes to Troutman, with one of the coolest riffs on Tacos Rancheros the judges have ever seen. Those eggs!
3rd place goes to DTro, using mango salsa to add sweetness and a depth of flavor to the marinated skirt steak.
2nd place goes to barelfly, a true taco connoisseur and ambassador who brought the heat in more ways than one.
And 1st place goes to Jim White, who with deft culinary skills, photos, and narrative, wowed the judges to the point of astonishment.
I will PM each of the three winners to get instructions on how to send them their trophies.
For members who have read this post and are thinking, WTF is this all about, follow this link to see.
What food item will be showcased and when will the next smack down occur? Stay tuned.
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