The 2019 UChicago Annual Grill Club Competition
Author: Isabella Sturgis
Photographer: Alex Maqueira
On the first chilly fall day of the year, three professional-scale Weber grills are heating up on Bartlett quad. The annual UChicago Grill Competition is due to begin in a few hours and three teams, one from each dining hall, are about to go head-to-head.
I was fortunate enough to be on the best team, Team Bartlett, under the tutelage of Chef Digby. Myself and five other UChicago students had collaborated with Chef to put together a flavor profile: a chicken with a traditional BBQ rub of salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and a few other spices; pork tenderloin paired with a raspberry balsamic reduction; a fresh coleslaw tossed with EVOO, salt and pepper, and balsamic vinegar. We finished our meal off with a blackberry Yum Yum lemonade, which we boiled down and then served over ice.
A few days before, we had joined Chef Digby to marinate the chicken and pork and to make our blackberry yum yum lemonade. Chef also made a batch of the raspberry balsamic reduction which we all tasted to determine what to change (it was more or less perfect).
On the day of the competition, the rest of the team and I arrived at Bartlett around eight o’clock in the morning to finish our prepwork. We spent the majority of the morning making our coleslaw from scratch-- Chef Digby taught us how to julienne the bell peppers, purple cabbage, fennel, and red onion (with protective cutting gloves, of course). We tossed it all with our homemade vinaigrette, and all that was left to do was to grill.
Outside at the grilling stations, the competition was stiff--Team Baker and Team Cathey had also been prepping for several days and were making their final touches. At Bartlett’s grill, Chef Digby taught us to place the chicken on direct heat with the lid closed to cook the chicken through, and then to move each piece to indirect heat. On the lower heat, the chicken can form a nice crust without totally charring, which is exactly what you want for BBQ. Chef also taught us to spray a little bit of water when the fire gets too hot--it adds a bit of moisture to the meat and keeps it from cooking too fast.
After most of the chicken was done, Chef Digby laid the pork tenderloin on direct heat. These pieces were not meant to be grilled for too long, so they were the last thing to go. Meanwhile, the rest of the team and I plated the coleslaw, chicken, and mac and cheese (provided to all the teams). Once Chef had sliced the pork, we were ready to present to the judges, who included a Weber Grillmaster and several of our very own UChicago Bon Appetit staff.
After judging, we served our food to everyone who had come to watch--the raspberry balsamic reduction on the pork was definitely a crowd favorite. After everyone had been back for seconds and even thirds, the judges were ready to announce the winner--which unfortunately, was not Team Bartlett. Instead, Team Baker, led by Chef Darren, took the crown. There were no hard feelings, though; we were all too stuffed with chicken and coleslaw and pork to do anything other than take a nap.
If you’re interested in joining the UChicago Grill Club, reach out to JP Castella at jpcastella@uchicago.edu.
Special thanks to Chef Digby and all the Chefs who participated, and of course the Grill Club and its sponsors.