Donning the orange apron

On Oct. 24 a camouflage clad crowd of wild game connoisseurs joined the community of Ennis for a culinary competition like no other, The Ennis Chamber of Commerce Hunter’s Feed. 

At the heart of the event was Ennis Chamber of Commerce’s event coordinator Stephanie Mohr who, along with her trusty and fashionable sidekick Kathy Taylor, presented five brave and fortunate souls with bright orange aprons and the charge of finding the best of the best in the midst of the crowded wild game cookoff. 

First to pick up his clipboard was Madison County commissioner Bill Todd. He “exudes purpose” as he works his way through the crowd with “neatly combed hair and a long, groomed beard atop a collared shirt.” His iron palette and infallible digestive tract have allowed him to serve three consecutive years as a judge for the event. He leads his fellow judges through the crowd shaking hands and trading barbs as only a man of the people can with his trusty, ice-cold, bottle of Pacifico riding low in the holster on his hip ready to quench the flames of even the spiciest of offerings. 

Next in line to receive their apron is second year judge and deputy county attorney Colton Lauer. Dapper with a finely formed mustache and sense of fashion that would place him amongst the best dressed in Virginia City in 2025 or 1865, Lauer is on a quest for one thing, the heat. Fueled by his insatiable craving for all things spicy, he efficiently works his way through the 15 offerings entered into the contest, scribbling a score of one through nine in each of three categories, appearance, taste and mouth feel,  as he goes.

Jason Mohr is a cannabis infused beverage mogul making his first rounds of Main Street Ennis in a judge’s apron. Some may say he married his way into the position, but he quickly puts the naysayers to shame by demonstrating a palette that has spent much of its working career discerning tastes and trends in just about every facet of the beverage industry. He tunes his tongue with the iconic flavor of Cold Smoke, the legendary Montana made scotch ale, and carefully evaluates the merits of flavors ranging from East Indian to East Main Street. 

Imposter syndrome begins to take hold as I realize the company that a whimsical comment to my editor has brought me to. A self described disciple of Anthony Bourdain who has traveled my palette to South America, Europe and Hawaii in search of unique flavors, my cooking experience has never evolved past my love of simple pub fare and doesn’t hold a candle to the experience of the fifth and final judge who joins the group. 

Chris DiMichele is a culinary legend of the Madison Valley. He’s responsible for the processing of the lion’s share of the wild game harvested in the area and introduced a word that is synonymous with gourmet into the vocabulary of locals and travelers alike, Deemo’s. His memories of the Hunter’s Feed date back to the 1990s. Before there were plaques or trophies, when only bragging rights were up for grabs, DiMichele was wowing the crowd with his culinary expertise and winning the event. He works his way through the offerings both amicably and critically, commenting on the technical execution of the dishes and sharing his joy about the overall quality of the offerings. Across the board, he heaped high praise on the participants in this year’s event. 

The first stop of our delicious trip around Main Street was Shedhorn Sports where we tasted a delightful bolognese that would be a hit at any hunting camp. Simple, straightforward and well executed were about the harshest criticisms earned by any of the participants who did their community proud with their offerings. 

Before we knew it we were face to spoon with Dan Furlong’s elk green chili verde. Lauer’s eyes lit up, we had found the heat early in the day. The chili was delightful in appearance. Light brothy, yet packed with an array of intense flavors. Furlong’s mastery of the medium was evident. You didn’t need to know that he had won the event two years in a row to appreciate that you were tasting excellence. It was no surprise to find out that he won again this year. Perhaps before long the award for best chili will simply be called the Furlong? 

The elk kofta in baharat sauce invoked memories of my favorite East Indian eateries on the West coast and the elk andouille gumbo took my memory back to the deep South. Soon we needed a quick stop at the Longbranch where Hannah Lambert provided us with much needed palette cleansers as she prepared for the onslaught of thirsty gourmands that were threatening to descend on the Main Street watering holes. 

The walk evolved into a delightful mash of flavors, smiles and laughter as we moved through the offerings. Sevens, eights and nines dominated my scoresheet as I rated the dishes. 

Willie’s Distillery presented us with walking tacos. Served with assembly line precision, warm smiles and creative and well timed requests for votes. They impressed enough to win the coveted People’s Choice Award the the judges award for best non-chili offering. As they sampled the distillery’s take on a Friday night football tradition, Todd and Mohr whimmed that surely the person who came up with that concept earned themselves a mega yacht for figuring out how to sell smashed Doritos so well. 

Our quest continued, despite having eaten well over a meal’s worth of food on the first half of the trip, with determined glee.  Our arrival at his booth resulted in Jon Kulon, executive chef of the Continental Divide, calling his team to order and them springing into well coordinated action to present us with their first of their two offerings. 

An arranchini is essentially an Italian fried rice ball and the one that Kulon presented had a crisp outside shell that yielded quickly to the texture of perfectly cooked rice. Nestled in the center of the ball, where I have previously put pimento cheese and bacon in my failed effort to create a pub favorite at the Gravel Bar, was a delightful little ball of meat that featured rattlesnake and rabbit combined with jalapeno to form a savory bite of sausage. The dish was a well executed and delicious display of Kulon and his staff’s mastery of flavor and technique worthy of its victory in the professional division of the competition. 

Kulon also offered a chili, perfectly executed and featuring a deep, rich ancho chili sauce. It was just one of a variety of so, so many chilis offered. No dish is so associated with wild game and hunting camp as chili. No dish brought out the creativity and competitive fire in the offerings like the coveted chili division. 

Furlong’s elk green chili verde was awarded the best chili, but that is just part of the story. There were offerings on display in the chili category that ranged from traditional to whimsical. Kulon’s ancho flavors drew my palette as my chili recipes tend to stay away from a tomato base. D&D Auto, who also is the title sponsor of the event, showcased a very straightforward traditional approach to the dish that was well executed and delicious. 

The Madison Valley Public Library’s offering forsook traditional altogether with their whimsical Calypso chili that was served complete with calypso music and a rumored display of dancing by head librarian Karen Ketchu. Through all the flavors and interpretations, it was Madison Passages who scored top on my ballot with their Did Not Get Across chili. 

Maybe it was their repeated offers to bribe me, or their displays featuring roadkill incidents that swayed my palette. Perhaps I have a soft spot for a community group that brings together organizations including Preserve Raynolds Pass, Madison Valley Ranchlands Group, Henry’s Fork Wildlife Alliance, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Center for Large Landscape Conservation and the National Parks Conservation Association to help find ways to avoid collisions between vehicles and wildlife? More likely it was that the merits of Linda Owen’s special Did Not Get Across chili matched my palette with the collection of classic flavors that I yearn for in the dish. Either way, it was outstanding and took top spot in a very close race at the pinnacle of my ballot. 

As I sat with fellow judges after the ballots were turned in savoring a Mountain Wit beer at Burnt Tree Brewing, I realized that although there is no higher culinary honor in Ennis than being chosen to judge at the Hunter’s Feed, I had to embark on a new mission for next year. I vowed then and there to get the hunting gear finely tuned and commit some extra days to the field this season so that next year I will be well stocked and ready to return, not as a judge, but as a competitor in the competition.