Shop at Fairway on Weds. Sept. 10 from 4:00 - 10:00 p.m. and help raise money for this wonderful burn unit - 25 percent of proceeds go to them!
Let's be honest: they had me at "BBQ contest for charity".
Fairway Market runs numerous throw downs, aka contests, between local fire fighter departments, in the towns near their many locations.
These events are endearing, for their charitable purpose (more on that later) and vital for each area, since it truly brings together each local community with free food, fun and of course, that contest. My job was to eat to my heart’s desire, but at the same time, take notes on the taste, texture, overall creativity and appearance of each burger, plated chicken dish and BBQ ribs.
All the meats were from Fairway, so I can tell you this is one of the most important parts of any contest: if you start with outstanding high end ingredients, your food will be that much better. So I knew the quality was not an issue.
The four fire fighting cooking teams included West Paterson, Wayne, Hawthorne and Passaic.
The goal of this wonderful event, other than to wow hundreds of ecstatic people eating free burgers, chicken and ribs and winning things from Fairway (I won a tiny toy truck!)
was to offer up a night of shopping at Fairway, for the winning team’s choice, that will give back 25% of that night’s proceeds in the market. Last month, the winning team at a different contest raised $5,000!
So be sure to go to Fairway, register your reciept when you check out, on Weds. Sept 10 – 4:00 to 10:00 p.m.
For the burgers, Fairway asked each fire fighter team to add a secret ingredient: Saba.
Saba, which is sold in Fairway, is imported by them from Italy, and has a sweet lovely taste, not something you would automatically think of when you are making burgers.
At home, I often make either Italian Meatball burgers (yes, they are exactly that!) or a hot/sweet burger, which always has a touch of Maple syrup. After this contest, I bought a bottle of the Saba and now can use that as my sweetener.
The contest mean we could not see which fire department made the dishes. And, it also meant we had to eat for large portions.
Burgers came out first, and they were all good, though one was overcooked and dry.
My favorite, which won by the way, came out with a moist burger, offering a definitely hint of sweetness from the Saba that was not overpowering, and a lovely bun, offered with some kind of relish (more Saba or fig?) and a gorgeous edible flower and figs on top! I was instantly smitten and loved it. Yes, readers, I gave it the highest score, a 10.
Next up was the chicken. One of the teams were under too much pressure, because some of my chicken was not cooked through (sorry guys). Another offering was soy-based but it was too salty. I chose a simple grilled dish with a side offering of a cool salsa, made with mango (which I am allergic to) and just fine.
The star of the day, to me, were the ribs. These were Fred Flintstone inspired, offering up tender falling off the bone succulent and sometimes very messing bites!
But heck: I had to do my job so I dug in and was wowed.
Whereas the first two dishes were a cinch for me to judge, the ribs were hard to choose as a top dish. But I finally picked the ribs that were not overly sauced, yet still smokey and slightly sweet.
In the end, out of the four teams, West Paterson won. Their charity that will receive money from the special shopping night is the St. Barnabas Burn unit, an amazing high-tech unit that has not only saved lives but also helped heal severely burned victims.
These wonderful cooks and life-saving firefighters all deserve our support and love, and I thank them.
And heck, if any of them want a “do-over” I would be glad to meet them for a BBQ, any time! (hint - hint)
