Church hopes to create fellowship at chili cook-off
Jalapeno, Thai chili pepper, chocolate and Iron City beer make Richard Hilliard's champion chili.
“I'm just happy to be here and enjoy the time I get with everybody here, just enjoy the friendship,” said Hilliard, a Butler resident. “I don't really care if I win, I just did it for fun and to hang out with the guys.”
The aromas of seven different chilies vying for the title of the Men's Chili Cook-off and Barbecue hosted by Orchard Hill Butler County Church, which meets in space at Trinity Presbytarian Church, 107 Staley Ave., filled the air last week as participants taste tested each recipe.
Hilliard's venison chili, or as tasters called “the hot one,” was crowned the chili winner.
“I've had hotter,” he said, laughing.
About 30 minutes are needed to prep the recipe before the chili cooks in a crock pot on low heat for 10 hours, said Hilliard, who has attended the church for about a year.
More important than the win is fellowship, he said.
Butler resident Andrew Skero cast his vote for a hearty chili that combined different ingredients other than the typical meat and beans, he said.
“It's a good way to spend an evening,” said Skero, who has attended the church for several months. “I love chili, even though it's 90 degrees outside.”
Fellowship and the chili drew Skero to the cook-off, he said.Skero, whose wife attends Orchard Hill, was raised under a different religion, he said. Currently, he is dividing his time between the two churches.“For the church as a whole, I think it's a good thing,” he said. “Having been raised in organized religion, this focuses more on the Bible and Jesus than the organization of religion.”Although his idea for a recipe came a little too late, Skero said he plans to enter a chili next year.Several church members had a passion for chili, said Brady Randall, pastor of Orchard Hill Butler County. Thus, the cook-off was created.The event was designed to attract people who might not feel comfortable attending a service, he said.“At Orchard Hill, we want to do events where you feel like you can bring somebody, so it's not just someone who's used to being at churches, but someone who might say, 'I won't show up at a Sunday worship,'” Randall said. “Who doesn't like a chili cook-off and barbecue?”The cook-off adds spice to the church's event calendar, Randall said.“Most men, and women, love to eat, so we consider this a good time to experience community in a fun way, sort of a nonthreatening way, where you don't feel like you have to be at church or know the church lingo to be part of the chili cook-off,” he said.“We will see how the tradition continues as we go on,” he said.
