AWF Continues Wild Game Cook-Off Tradition on Gulf Coast

By DAVID RAINER, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

The Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF) Wild Game Cook-Off Series returned to the place of its origin last week with its annual trip to the Alabama Gulf Coast.

The first AWF Wild Game Cook-Off took place in the fall of 1996 in Mobile. The event was such a success that the concept quickly spread across the state with Montgomery holding its first Wild Game Cook-Off the following year.

 In 2025, the Gulf Coast event was the 12th of a total of 15 Cook-Offs, including competition in the spring series at Demopolis, Dothan, Talladega, Cullman, Millbrook, Lake Martin, Limestone County and Madison County. The fall schedule started with stops at Birmingham, Morgan County, Muscle Shoals and the Gulf Coast. The remaining events are at Tuscaloosa tonight (October 23), Selma on October 30 and Grove Hill on November 6.

AWF shares the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) goal of the ethical harvest of game animals that can be carefully prepared and turned into excellent meals. The Cook-Offs allow a wide variety of hunters, anglers and those who love the outdoors to sample dishes that elevate wild game, fowl and fish to new levels.

“What the Cook-Offs mean to the AWF is it’s a great way to get our members together so they can socialize,” said AWF Executive Director Tim Gothard at the Gulf Coast Cook-Off at the AWF Delta & Bay Conservation Center at Five Rivers. “It allows us the opportunity to show that responsible hunters and anglers properly utilize the game and fish they harvest. And it makes great table fare.

“We’re also able to generate a little income to help with our conservation projects. Those are our motivations for Wild Game Cook-Offs here on the Gulf Coast and all around the state.”

Gothard was pleased with the turnout at the Gulf Coast event in terms of cook teams and attendees.

“I think we had about 25 cook teams,” he said. “I’m looking at the crowd, and I’m thinking 1,600 to 1,800, and they’re still coming in. Who knows, we may get to 2,000. It’s a great event, and I’m proud to have all our members out here supporting us. We’ve got some big things in store down here, so stay tuned.”

As usual, the competition was stiff among the three categories – game, fowl and fish. Tommy Tidwell, AWF’s Cook-Off Coordinator, said the cook teams are able to use any fish, fowl or game that can be harvested on the North American continent or wild game, fish or fowl that is commercially available. 

At last week’s event, the competition was stiff, as usual. The overall winner prepared a dish familiar to anyone who successfully hunts deer. The Cowin Equipment team prepared Yo Mom’s Backstrap that featured a stuffed venison backstrap wrapped in bacon.

Because there were so many people in the lines to grab samples of the dishes, I had to get the quick version of the preparations and not a full recipe.

“I mixed cream cheese and green onions,” said Cowin’s Jack Edwards. “I added a few herbs and spices, like (Kinder’s) Cowboy Butter. Actually, it may be different every time. It’s really nothing fancy, except with the cream cheese, you whisk it until it fluffs up. Then I smoke the cream cheese mix, on low heat obviously. I take the cleaned backstrap with all the silverskin and fat removed. I cut it down the middle and add the cream cheese mix. I wrap it up tight, and then I smoke it first. I put it on the smoker at 150-200 degrees for about 45 minutes for some smoke flavor. Then I wrap it in bacon and put it on the hot side to get the bacon crispy. I serve it medium rare because you don’t want to overcook venison.”

Second place in the Game category went to Team Briggs with a Deer Meatball Fricassee, followed by 100 Proof Outlaws with their Gator Swamp Puppies.

The Pigfish Seafood Cook Team claimed the fish category crown with its Shrimp and Crab Bisque. The Pigfish team has a location in the Piggly Wiggly store on Moffett Road in Mobile and has its own proprietary spice blends. Other Piggly Wiggly stores sell the bisque and other seafood dishes.

“There are a lot of in-house seasonings,” said Matthew Rowe, who teams up with his wife, Selena, to produce a wide variety of seafood dishes. “For a regular pot of bisque, we use half a gallon of half and half, sweet cream corn, local shrimp and local crab meat, lump and claw meat. The key is fresh, local seafood.”

Selena added, “Our in-house blend seasoning is what we use in our crawfish, and I put a little in the shrimp and crab bisque. I start with a half and half base and add about two cups of water for a single batch. I add a can of sweet cream corn. Then we use two pounds of shrimp and one pound of crab meat. I cook it for about 15 minutes before I add the shrimp and then 15 more minutes with the shrimp to let it thicken. I have a special kettle that keeps it from sticking and scorching. If you cook it on a stove, you have to use low heat and stir it often.”

Second place in the Fish category went to 100 Proof Outlaws with Red Snapper Tacos, while Cooper Farms took third with Making Tacos Great Again.

In the fowl category, Taylor Machine Works prepared Quail and Crunch to take the title. The team used a multi-compartment smoker to prepare the winning dish with a quail breast wrapped in bacon.

“We brined the breasts in a salt brine with olive oil and my rub,” said Hunter Sanders. “I’ve got a rub I make that’s kind of a Meat Church Holy Voodoo, but I add extra pepper, brown sugar and Italian seasonings to it. I add that to cream cheese and on the outside of the breasts.”

Sanders and the team pulled the breasts out of the quail and deboned them before brining for several hours. He dried the breasts before adding the seasonings, a pickled jalapeno and a dollop of cream cheese before wrapping in a half-piece of Wright bacon.

“I put it on the offset smoker at about 275 (degrees) for 25 minutes,” he said. “Then we’ll move it to the hot side at about 350 to crisp the bacon up. When the bacon is crispy, we serve it up.”

Second place in the fowl category went to Gulf City Body and Trailer Works with Flying Flautas, followed by Cooper Farms’ Tombigbee Turkey Sliders.

Best Presentation went to Community Bank, while Death Rowe Cook Team was runner-up.

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