Cattle Call Traditions Start with a Spicy Kick

BRAWLEY — Hundreds of hungry foodies, boot-clad country fans and local chili connoisseurs descended on Main Street in Brawley on Saturday, Nov. 4 for the annual tradition of facing off over favorite chili recipes served up in makeshift open-air kitchens to kick off the city’s iconic Cattle Call weekend.

As day turned to dusk, what started out as a small crowd quickly turned into lengthy lines and a bustling beer garden that brought a familiar energy to residents who know this time of year well. A live country band played in the background while attendees bought tickets to taste and vote on who would become this year’s Cattle Call Chili Cook-off champion and the newer rib cook-off king, an event courtesy of The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Brawley.

A couple of attractively themed booths drew special attention, one of them being an alien-themed neon green-colored cohort called “Thermal Chili,” representing CalEnergy. “Most of us are Filipinos,” said team lead Luis Bunales. He added that this would mark their second year competing. Newbies or not, with a theme as standout as its team, Bari Smith Bean said she hoped everyone who visited their booth would consider their nachos with chili “out of this world.”

A trio of amateur tasters huddled to discuss their latest flavors between bites. Jose and Tanya Aguirre, a couple from Brawley, were caught reviewing the chili from “Simply Grillin’ and Chillin,’’ a team representing One World Beef. Tanya gave it a four out of 10 stars because it tasted “sweet”and said her favorite so far was Thermal Chili. Jose, who “isn’t picky,” liked them all, although their son, Levi, age 10, said he preferred churros altogether.

Jennifer de la Rosa from “Simply Grillin’ and Chillin’” stepped out from an assembly line of masked teammates in matching cow print aprons to give her take on the competition this year. She said the team wasn’t too worried about being outdone because the recipe is tried and true. “We use it every year and it’s a winner,” she said, confidently. Their booth was popular this evening not only for their custom chili concoction and appropriately Cattle Call-themed ensembles, but also for having a couple inflatable cow mascots rattling cowbells and jousting out front.

“We’re really excited for everyone that’s here tonight to come out to support the community and be a part of Brawley. This is a huge week for all of us, Cattle Call Kick off, and we love it. We’re just really fortunate to be a part of it,” de la Rosa said. She added that the team is just glad to be able to be loud, have fun and hang out outside of work.

A family-operated booth for team “Ah Beef” saw long lines as well, while plates full of meat and cake pop-sized cornbread bites traded hands in a flurry. “I made the honey and jalapeño corn bread from scratch,” said Shaylan Ashley, glowing from the positive reception. “The honey comes out of Westmorland at Avery Honey.”

“I had special steers cut just for this competition,” said Ashley’s cousin and “boss man,” Justin Lofton. He elaborated on their process, noting that the family is second-generation cattle farmers with livestock here locally and in Texas.

“We just basically destroy the ribeye to create a back rib with a lot of meat. So we’re basically serving back rib ribeyes for the judges, and then we take the ribeye meat that we cut and then we grind it, and that’s what we make our chili out of,” Lofton said.

This is “Ah Beef’s” first time at the Chili Cook-off, said Lofton, but with a new store on the north side of town and a direct-to-consumer line in its infancy, he felt ready to take on a little friendly competition. “When we have probably some of the best beef in the business and we have one of the best guys in the Valley cooking it. So, why not, right?”

Brightly lit and aesthetically organized vendor booths drew people in between live performances and tasting chili, and many attendees seemed eager at the relatively rare opportunity to shop local. Behind official vendors, an elderly gentleman in a full brim hat sat atop a woven lawn chair parked in front of the library. On a table near him, a dozen handmade paper roses in an array of colors were displayed in the hopes of making a sale.

“I’ve been making these for a couple of years,” said Gilbert Sanchez, who has recently returned to the Imperial Valley to be with family. Brawley-born and raised, he said he is only here because city officials have encouraged him to share his work.

“They opened the door for me,” said Sanchez, who considers himself an unlikely participant in the annual food-oriented event. Next year, he said, “I might want to rent a booth … we’ll see how it goes.”

This year’s Chili Cook-off managed to showcase tradition and potential amid an upswing of event attendance post-pandemic. As forecast, “Simply Grillin’ and Chillin’” of One World Beef did end up nabbing first place with its recipe, as well as People’s Choice. Los Chiles Calientes took home second place, and “Ah Beef” took home third.

Sarina E. Guerra

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