Enough football — it’s finally time for taco makers to compete in a Super Bowl of sorts, the Brooklyn Taco Experiment.
It’s the third cook-off hosted by Theo Peck and Nick Suarez, and you know the drill: dozens of amateur chefs will show up with their creations and compete for the judges affections. Twenty-six-year old Brooklyn Beer Experiment runner-up Rachel Crawford thinks she’s the front-runner.
“I’m going right after the anti-cilantro people,” said Crawford, who has named her creation the “F—k Yeah Cilantro” taco, and includes slow-cooked pork, jicama slaw, and pickled onions and jalapenos.
You never know who is going to show up on game day, but pre-registered competitors include a coffee-glazed pork tenderloin taco, a bahn mi taco and one lonely vegetarian competitor.
Luckily for Crawford (and any other contestants reading this), judge Todd Mitgang, chef and co-owner of Cascabel Taqueria, has spilled the frijoles about what he likes in a taco.
“We’re looking for a balance — with any food there should be complex flavor profiles,” he said. “Mexican has a lot of ingredients to play with. I hope people have done some research and are coming from a place of authenticity.”
All available slots are almost taken, but the public can show up and chow down for $25.
Brooklyn Taco Experiment at The Bell House [149 Seventh St. between Second and Third avenues in Gowanus, (718) 643-6510]. Tickets are $25 (includes one beer).
