Albert Bandin will tell you: All salsa is not the same. While the recipe for the Maricopa firefighter’s salsa is similar to others — tomatoes, cilantro, onions and garlic — it is an unnamed secret ingredient that gives his concoction the winning edge. This mystery element led Bandin to a win for best overall salsa at the first-ever Salsa Cup Challenge held at the Tempe Aunt Chilada’s Restaurant, Oct. 14. The event raised more than $1,200 to help fund Camp Courage, which is a week-long camping experience in the Prescott National Forest for children who have been hospitalized for serious burn injuries. “Growing up, my brothers and sisters kept trying to copy my dad’s salsa recipe,” Bandin said. “One day, dad sat me down and told me the secret.” Bandin, a three-year resident of Maricopa, was eager for the opportunity to share the family salsa. The competition pitted Bandin against firefighters from Ahwatukee Foothills, Phoenix and Glendale fire departments. There was a $10 entry fee to attend the contest, which allowed guests to sample the firefighters' specialty salsas, dine on authentic street tacos and enjoy live entertainment from the Latin band, Jaleo. “We would like to expand the contest to include more departments next year,” said Aaron Finney, executive chef for the Arizona Grand Resort, which owns Aunt Chilada’s. In total, eight men participated from the four fire departments. The firefighters submitted their salsa in the categories of hottest, most unusual and best overall. The entries were judged by representatives from Arizona Grand Resort, Aunt Chilada’s and the Lobby Grill’s culinary team. “Bandin’s salsa was head and shoulders above the rest,” Finney said. Bandin's salsa will be featured at Aunt Chilada’s for the entire month of November. “Every time someone comes into the restaurant, they will get a bowl of Aunt Chilada’s salsa and Bandin’s salsa,” Finney said. The restaurant typically goes through more than five gallons of salsa a day, Finney said. In order to have his salsa featured, Bandin was instructed to hand his recipe over to the resort’s head chef, but Finney said he is pretty sure the winner left out a few key ingredients. “We have tinkered around, and we think we’ve found out what his secret is.” While this is the first salsa crown for Bandin, he said he hopes to defend his title next year as well as participate in the city of Maricopa’s annual Salsa Festival. “We have always been busy, but this year I am going to make time to enter Maricopa’s Salsa Festival,” Bandin said. Just don’t ask him to give up his secret ingredient.
Albert Bandin’s recipe
28 oz. can whole-peeled tomatoes
½ bunch cilantro
2 jalapenos
2 garlic cloves
1½ teaspoon garlic salt
Teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons secret ingredient
Want to try it? Aunt Chilada’s Restaurant
2021 W. Baseline Road
Hours: Sun.-Thurs. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
602-431-6470 Submitted photo |