By Tracey Taylor - St. Brendan HS
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO | Olga Minet
St. Brendan seniors, and twins, Brianna and Britney Gutierrez, competed with their home made flan.
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO | Olga Minet
Will Claro and his winning team of Big Will's Firehouse won the first annual Sabre Cook-Off.
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO | Olga Minet
One of the pig-roasting teams consisted of St. Brendan faculty members, from left, Kevin Esteban, Ray Del Toro, Carlos Nunez, and JP Arrastia.
MIAMI | Looking for a fundraiser that “would embrace the culture of our school” — and as many people as possible — St. Brendan High’s development director, Alexandra Cartaya, hit upon a culinary contest.
The first annual Sabre Cook-Off, held at the end of March, called upon the entire school community to compete for the title of best chef.
“The cook-off was a huge success because it brought students, families, alumni, and faculty together,” said history teacher Ray Del Toro, a member of the Hog Dynasty Team.
Seventeen teams made up of parents, grandparents, faculty and alumni entered the pig roast competition. The teams picked up their pigs a day early to season them with their own recipes. At 7 a.m. the next morning, all of the teams arrived at St. Brendan to begin roasting their pigs and decorating their tents with their team name and theme.
Over 20 entries for sides dishes and desserts also competed. St. Brendan students were able to enter in these divisions, earning prizes such as class rings, prom tickets, and parking spaces.
The serious eating began at 2 p.m., when the gates of St. Brendan High opened to the public, and continued until 5 p.m., when the contest ended. Over 400 spectators came out to try dishes ranging from homemade flan to homemade fried rice along with the 17 varieties of pork.
After judging the presentation and theme for all the dishes, and sampling each of the pigs, side dishes and desserts, the judges determined the winners, with the $500 grand prize for best pork going to Big Will’s Firehouse BBQ.
The panel of judges included an actual judge, class of 1980 alumni and U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Adalberto Jordan; class of 1998 alumni and Florida House Rep. Jose Felix Diaz; Ricky Martinez of Ricky’s Meats (who donated the 17 pigs); St. Brendan Principal Jose Rodelgo-Bueno; Enrique Flores of TotalBank (the event’s title sponsor); Yvette Coa of Vicky Bakery; and Letty Alvarez, owner of L.A. Sweets.
The St. Brendan High community is now looking forward to the 2016 Sabre Cook-Off.
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO | Olga Minet
One of the alumni teams, with its well-themed name, was the Hog Harley sponsored by freshman parent Elizabeth Fernandez, class of 1988, and her brother Luis Fernandez, class of 1983, of LaceFood Services.
