Grillmarks adds Lovera's cheese competition

Feb. 28—Another year brings a cheesy new twist to the Grillmarks Festival in McAlester.

Jeremy Beaver, chairperson of the McAlester Makers competition committee, said organizers are excited for this year's Grillmarks Festival set for May 14 — and about incorporating local Italian market Lovera's Handcrafted Foods into the the competition.

"I've ate it all my life, everybody around here has, and it's nationally recognized," Beaver said. "To me, I don't think there's any other cheese producer in Oklahoma that is even in the same category as Lovera's."

Each team gets five ribeye steaks 1 1/4 inches thick to prepare during the competition May 14 near Spaceship Earth Coffee at 345 E. Choctaw Ave. — where the judging will also take place. Each team will submit one to the judges, use two or three for public tasting, and the rest for use as needed.

Teams can't use sauces or garnish and can't have other steaks in the cooking area. The target temperature for each steak is medium.

Grillmarks organizers decided to bring back the fan favorite Best Bite competition for the upcoming event with something different.

Each team will be provided one pound of Caciocavera cheese from Lovera's — the famous Italian-style market in Krebs.

Specialty cheeses created through Lovera's Handcrafted Foods have won both national and international awards.

The building at 95 NW Sixth St. in Krebs was built in 1910 and Mike Lovera bought the business from his mother and stepfather in 1946. Lovera's has been a staple of the Italian heritage in Krebs and surrounding communities with its authentic market and award-winning cheeses.

Competitors can create any dish in the Best Bite competition and must make the cheese "the star" of the dish.

Beaver said organizers enjoyed seeing competitors having fun and getting creative in the Best Bite portion of the Ribtoberfest held in November with sausage.

"It was really popular and, man, people really put a lot of effort into their entries and thought it out," Beaver said. "There were some really great, unique entries. It was a lot of fun, the judges enjoyed it, the contestants got to sample each other's entries.

"So we're going to continue having that and for as long as we can, we want to focus on using food products that are made here in Pittsburg County," he added.

Beaver said the competition will be capped at 30 teams — and nearly half those spots filled in the first 24 hours after registration opened Friday.

Anyone can register for the competition at https://grillmarksfestival.com/ and pay a $125 entry fee. All teams will be entered to compete in the steak competition for chance at winning the $2,000 grand prize and the Lovera's Market Best Bite Challenge with a prize of $1,000.

The Grillmarks Festival stemmed from Beaver competing in steak competitions for years and talking with friends about organizing one in McAlester.

The inaugural event included about one dozen teams before growing to about 20 the following year and continuing to become more popular in the area.

Grillmarks is organized by McAlester Makers Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in McAlester dedicated to promoting economic stability and growth by cultivating and equipping local entrepreneurs, artisans, and the community in which they live.

Anyone can walk to teams' stations to try other items they prepare for the block-party-type event.

Organizers thanked sponsors and said those interested in becoming a sponsor can follow the sponsor link at https://grillmarksfestival.com/.

The community is encouraged to attend as competitors often provide other tasty treats during the free community block-party event that often includes games, music, biergartens, and more.

Organizers announced Jordan Grippando McAlester Home Store offered to provide each team with a 17.5 lb bag of Big Green Egg charcoal and Charlie Rogers of McAlester Pepsi will set up a tent to give out free cold drinks all day.

Contact Adrian O'Hanlon III at aohanlon@mcalesternews.com