State Fair of Texas reveals winning fried foods

Nothing says State Fair like fried cooking, and nothing says Texas like chicken fried steak. Glen Kusak’s chicken fried bacon combined both, winning him the best taste award Monday at the fourth annual Big Tex Choice Awards.

Mr. Kusak has been a fair vendor the past 12 years, but this was his first year entering the annual State Fair of Texas food contest. The event features some of the new creations that will be available at this year's fair, which runs from Sept. 26 to Oct. 19.

“Everything in Texas is chicken fried and bacon makes everything better so we thought we’d put the two together,” said Mr. Kusak, owner of Yoakum Packing, who drives about 250 miles every year from south Texas to sell his smoked meat at the fair.

A fried banana split, a mash of gooey banana and honey peanut butter balls surrounded by chunky fried dough and then smeared in caramel, chocolate and powdered sugar — and ice cream factors in there somewhere — won the most creative prize.

“We were looking for something sweet this year,” said Julio Torres, who entered fried guacamole bites into the competition last year for Weiss Enterprises. “One day we discovered that peanut butter and banana tastes good together and we thought, why not fry a banana split?”

Chefs, all food vendors at the fair, dished out samples of deep fried s’mores and fried chocolate truffles as the judges tasted the top eight entries, narrowed down from 45 submissions.

“All my chef friends are jealous,” said Blythe Beck, the executive chef for Hector’s on Henderson and one of four judges, between bites of a quartered fried-grilled cheese sandwich. “They asked, ‘How do you get to do this?’ I said, ‘I’m the mother of fried foods.”

The other judges admitted equal delight.

“I’m the biggest eater in the company so it made sense for me to come,” said Ken Murphy, who represents Mattress Firm, one of the largest sponsors at the fair. “It’s like a wine tasting but there’s not so much spitting out.”

Calorie-conscious cooking hasn’t hit the State Fair yet, so all finalist entries were fried even though the rules did not require it. About 200 vendors will serve items from the simple corny dog to fried snowballs during the fair’s run.

Cathy Barber, food editor for The Dallas Morning News and a contest judge, weighed the entries’ merits partly on the ease at which fairgoers could consume them while walking. (The after effects of lard-heavy products and whirl-a-while rides were not taken into consideration.)

Vendors spend months concocting the right entry — not too heavy on the dough, not too light on the oil — for this Texas-style gourmet cook-off.

Few know this better than Abel Gonzales Jr., who has won for the past three years for his fried coke, fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich and fried cookie dough. But he lost his coveted position as reigning champion.

Mr. Gonzales’ entry, a waffle cone filled with deep-fried pineapple and topped with a banana-flavored whipping cream frozen in liquid nitrogen, literally emitted smoke but not enough to claim a prize.

Randy Lane, a local psychiatrist and fast-food aficionado whose decision to judge was based more on his passion for batter than anything else, scooted his chair backwards as the winners were announced.

“They didn’t used to have fried food like this, all jazzed up,” said Mr. Lane, who has been attending the fair since childhood. “Outstanding.”

FRIED FINALISTS Eight finalists were selected out of 45 entries to the Big Tex Choice Awards, all of which will be for sale at this year's fair:

Best taste

Chicken-Fried Bacon; vendor: Glen Kusak, Yoakum Packing

Most creative

Fried Banana Split; vendor: Shirley Weiss, Auto Grill

Other finalists

• Fernie's All-American Fried Grilled Cheese Sandwich; vendor: Christi Erpillo, Dock Restaurant

• Texas Fried Jelly Bellys; vendor: Justin Martinez, Granny's Funnel Cake

• Deep Fried S'mores; vendor: Tami Stiffler

• Fire & Ice (fried pineapple creation); vendor: Abel Gonzales Jr.

• Fried Chocolate Truffles; vendor: Nick Bert Jr.

• Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Waffle Balls; vendor: Mark Zable, Belgium Wafflestand
[Edited 10/2/09 15:45pm]
[Edited 10/10/09 11:37am]

We even have fried butter this year.


[Edited 9/2/09 16:14pm]

omg so many fried foods! What's going on over there?

Can I have the chicken with a side of obesity, heart disease and oooh yeah a heart attack please?!?

connorhawke said:

We only do this mess once a year for the fair. Thank God! And I do partake in my share of fried ice cream, fried twinkies, and fried snickers.

Im ready for the State Fair to get fired up. Its been too long since I have had a fried Latte, fried Coke, and a fried Twinkie/Oreo before going on the Tilt-A-Whirl.

DarkKnight1 said:

Just lemme know what ride you're on so I'm not standing below you.

You already know I plan to be an utter pig at some state fairs and Octoberfests this fall, but... chicken fried bacon!?!? Fried BUTTER!?!?

Clearly, I'm a lightweight.
[Edited 9/2/09 20:25pm]

Lammastide said:

Baby, we don't play in Texas when it comes to adding batter to some already fattenin' shit and droppin' it some hot oil. We'll deep fry ANYTHING and sell it at the fair.

Deep Fried Butter at
State Fair
Published : Wednesday, 02 Sep 2009, 3:33 PM CDT

Associated Press
DALLAS - It's practically fattening just thinking about it.

Deep fried butter is among eight creative food items by vendors at this year's State Fair of Texas in Dallas.

Fair officials say a Labor Day cookoff will determine the winner of the Big Tex Choice Awards.

Other offerings for the annual expo include green goblins, twisted yam on a stick, deep fried peaches and cream, fried pecan pie, country fried pork chops, sweet jalapeno corn dog shrimp and fried peanut butter cup macaroon.

The State Fair of Texas runs Sept. 25 through Oct. 18

Here's the video

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/d...t_State_Fa

Fried butter? I'd like to see that stats on heart disease in Texas.


Here at the PNE there's no shortage of fried things, but we also have healthier fare offered liked grilled corn on the cob, Greek food, Indian food, vegetarian food, and the like.

How exactly would you deep fry butter?

EmeraldSkies said:

very quickly!
I'm guessing maybe deep freeze it first and then batter it?

I'd try a bite! just to see

I've had deep fried ice-cream before and it's not bad

ZombieKitten said:

I remember seeing a show about deep fried foods especially ice cream....and yeah...they have to do it very fast.

peacenlovealways said:

extremely hot oil must be used I'm guessing!

http://www.youtube.com/wa...6ldbuP96Yg

ZombieKitten said:

peacenlovealways said:

she said 400°F! is that hot?

ZombieKitten said:

It's hot...don't know if it's hot enough....

peacenlovealways said:

yeah, that's not really very hot
I made these last night with the oven on 400°F



30 didn't go very far with our family of 5

ZombieKitten said:

wow, you have a big family....those look so damn good What's in them? and what are they called?...going back to bed....woke up at 4 am.....talk to you later!

peacenlovealways said:

empanadas!
ground beef, hard boiled egg, stuffed olives and raisins


goodnight!

Why, Lord? WHY??? Seriously, who eats a ball of butter

EmeraldSkies said:

Did you watch the video?

peacenlovealways said:

The deep fried ice cream was also created at the Texas State Fair.

CalhounSq said:

I think that's the ice cream.

omg deep fried butter??

DarkKnight1 said:

Nebraska State fair is going on right now! Pineapple ice cream and corn on the cob floating in butter...MMMMM

DanceWme said:

nevermind
[Edited 9/3/09 6:41am]

DanceWme said:

Wherever Elvis is, he's salivating right now.

connorhawke said:

No wonder why America has become Fat Central.