Hot rods and barrel cooking at 2010 event

The calendar has turned to August, and the countdown is heating up to the 24th annual Willows Car & Bike Show, coming Aug. 20-21.

And the heat is not only coming from the vintage and custom hot rods and motorbikes expected to be on hand, but also from a new feature that could settle a growing debate in Glenn County.

Who is the best barrel cook in the land?

"It's a first in Willows," said Margaret Albiston, a spokeswoman for the nonprofit group that puts on the Car & Bike Show each year.

"There's a whole lot of people who do barrel cooking — and it just melts in your mouth," she said.

Although the cooking style has been around for decades, Manny Burruel said it became extremely popular as the Y2K scare had folks wondering if they would have electricity when 2000 arrived.

"They are pretty easy to cook with," said Burruel, who has organized the event to raise money for the Willows Intermediate School Boosters Club.

The competition will include two divisions: chicken or tri-tip. Anyone can enter one or both. The cost is $10 for one, and $15 for both.

The event will take place at Stelig Field, on the westside of Jensen Park. Cooks will have from 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. to create their culinary delights, with military personnel beginning their judging on presentation, taste and texture at 1:15.

First- and second-place awards will be given for each category. A "crazy apron" contest also will be held.

Leftover portions from the judging will be available for the public to sample, but cooks can "barrel up" additional meats for auction, with those proceeds also going to the booster club.

Burruel said the barrels come in all kinds of sizes, but are typically 55-gallon drums that have been converted.

He said barrel cooking has been fairly common, with the Little League fundraiser having as many as 80 barrels going at any given time.

"I am one of the few guys who has a stainless steel barrel. It was given to me, and I converted it to a cooker," Burruel said.

However, there are more traditional barrels that are used, as well as 30-gallon barrels, which are used primarily by people who are traveling and need something smaller to pack away in the cars.

Burruel said it costs about $100 to get a ready-to-go barrel.

That is not the only change at the Car and Bike Show.

Organizers have moved the bike games from Saturday to Friday, and they will be featured downtown.

Additionally, a bike trick-riding team, Idol Riders — featuring local Willows High senior Matt Spooner — will entertain the crowds as well.

The show is designed to raise money to support the vocational scholarship program.