Compete in 2026!

COMPETE IN OUR COOK-OFF EVENT!

WIN A HUGE CASH PRIZE!

Contestant Guidlines & Requirements

To ensure a fair and successful competition, all contestants are expected to adhere to the following rules and guidelines:

Entry Requirements

Each contestant must submit three (3) bifanas for official judging.
All bifanas must include at the very least bread and pork (marinated or unmarinated)
- Pork meat may be marinated overnight prior to the event.
Additional ingredients and preparation styles are encouraged—bring your best and most creative bifana!
Contestants are required to provide their own turn-in platter that can fit all 3 bifanas on it. We encourage you to be creative with decorating your platter for presentation scores.

Event Setup & Equipment

Contestants will need to arrive starting at time TBD on event day to set up their designated space in the IES parking lot. Your booth will need to be set up and your vehicle out of the IES parking lot by a time TBD
Contestants are required to bring the following:
- Three (3) to four (4) 8-ft tables
- One (1) to two (2) garbage cans with liners for inside their booth
- One (1) garbage can with liner for compostables (e.g., paper food containers)
- One (1) pop-up tent no larger than 10 ft x 10 ft
- Condiments of your choice such as ketchup and mustard for the public
- Paper plates or small paper boats to provide bifana samples in.
- A platter of your choice for your Bifana turn-in.
- You may bring any type of cooking device (e.g., propane stove top, bbq)
  - No power will be provided to you. However, you may bring a generator to power up anything you need.
  - Propane will not be provided.
Additional items such as coolers, camping chairs, and similar supplies are allowed, as long as they fit within your assigned space.
A handwashing station will be provided by the event organizers to support hygiene and food safety.
Contestants are responsible for cleaning their area at the end of the event and must vacate the site by the designated breakdown time.
Important: Kitchen facilities will not be available for washing equipment. If you require a dishwashing station, please bring your own setup. Disposal of gray water and oil must be done at a location designated by event staff.

Cooking Timeline

Contestants will have two (2) hours to prepare and cook their bifanas before judging and public vending begins.
Once the 2-hour window has ended, official turn-in times will begin at 5-minute intervals. Each contestant will receive their designated turn-in time the morning of the event.

Public Sampling & People’s Choice Award

Each contestant must bring a minimum of 250 paposecos for sample portions (¼ of a full bifana) for public tasting in order to participate in the People’s Choice Award.
Contestants may sell additional full-sized bifanas and sample portions at their discretion. Sales will end at a time TBD.
Guests will purchase sampling tickets upon entry, each ticket redeemable for one sample portion.
- Sampling tickets are $3 for each ticket or 10 tickets for $30.
- Each ticket is worth $3 and is good for one tasting sample sized bifana (¼ of a bifana)
- Contestants will make $2 per sampling ticket: Please make sure to have a jar or zip lock bag to keep all your sampling tickets until the end of the event.
- At the end of the sampling event, you will give all your sampling tickets that you collected during the event to the event staff that will be located in the hall and you will be cashed out appropriately. They will count your tickets in front of you and will give you cash.
Every guest will receive one People’s Choice ticket, which they will submit to their favorite vendor. The People’s Choice Award will be based on the number of tickets collected.
- Please bring a zip lock bag or jar to keep your People’s Choice tickets.
- They will be counted by the event staff. Totals will be tallied and a winner will be determined by who has the most People’s Choice Tickets.

Judging Submission

Each contestant must submit their competition bifanas using a platter of their choice.
- Note: Appearance and presentation are part of the judging criteria. We encourage you to be creative in decorating your platter
- If you have any questions or require clarification, please contact Taylor Amarante and Brian Flores.

Please note that all rules and regulations are subject to change prior to the event. Any updates or modifications will be communicated directly to all contestants to ensure clarity and transparency.
We look forward to seeing your culinary creativity—good luck!

Judging Rules

Judges will evaluate each contestant's entry based on the following guidelines:

Submission Requirements: Contestants must turn in 3 full sized bifanas and provide their own turn-in platter that fits all 3 bifanas on that single platter.
Portioning: Each judge will receive one-quarter of a bifana from each contestant
Judging Criteria: Each entry will be scored on a 1.0 - 5.0 point scale using decimals in the following categories:
- Taste
- Appearance
- Smell
- Texture
- Consistency
- Presentation
Judging Times: Turn-ins for judging will occur in 5-minute increments.
Turn-In Start Time: The turn-in period begins after the 2 hour cook time is over. Time TBD. Competitors will be informed of their exact turn-in time the morning of the event.
Presentation: We encourage you to decorate your platter any way you’d like to ensure a solid presentation score. Be creative with your turn-in platter.
Blind Judging: A designated volunteer will manage the turn-in number and structure to ensure fair and anonymous judging. Each competitor will receive a specific number associated with their turn-in.

Judges will evaluate each entry independently, and final scores will be compiled to determine the winners.

"People's Choice" Guidelines

People's Choice Sampling: Attendees can purchase sampling tickets at the ticket booth.
Ticket Pricing: Batch ticket sales are 1 ticket for $3 and 10 tickets for $30. Each ticket is worth $3.
1. Contestants will receive $2 for every sampling ticket they collect.
2. Contestants to take tickets to the event staff to be counted and cashed out starting at 6pm after the sampling portion of the event is completed.
3. Ticket Value: Each ticket can be exchanged for one-quarter of a bifana from any booth. Four tickets ($12) get a full-sized bifana.
Voting Ticket: Each batch of tickets comes with 1 People's Choice ticket for voting.
Voting Process: Contestants will provide their own jar or zip lock bag at their booth for attendees to place their People’s Choice tickets in.
Tallying Votes: At the end of service, judges will count the tickets to determine the People's Choice winner.

Food Safety

As a contestant in the Battle of the Bifanas, I acknowledge and agree to adhere to the following food safety rules and guidelines to ensure the safety of all participants and attendees:

Temperature Check: Staff will check the temperature of the pork before the start of cooking.
Preparation: Pork may be pre-marinated and pre-sliced prior to the competition.
Storage: Contestants must store pork in a cooler with ice prior to arrival at the competition site.
Transportation Requirements: All pork must be transported and arrive on-site uncooked at a temperature of 41°F or below. If the temperature is above 41°F, you may be disqualified from competing.
Food Handling: Gloves may be used when handling food but should be replaced every so often to ensure sanitization.
Handwashing Stations: Each contestant must have a handwashing station at their booth, equipped with hand soap. It is required that you and your staff wash your hands periodically throughout service.
Waste Disposal: Each booth must have a trash bin for the disposal of tasting boats.
Pre-Competition Meeting: Staff will meet with contestants before the start of the competition to review guidelines and answer any questions.
Cooking Time: Contestants will have 2 hours to prepare and cook pork for judging and vending.
Hot Holding Requirement: All cooked pork must be held at a temperature of 135°F or higher at all times. Contestants must have an appropriate hot storage solution, such as a chafing dish, to maintain food safety standards.