What’s ‘Cracklin” in Cut Off?

Gather ’round the Cut Off Youth Center April 12 and that sizzling you’ll hear can only mean one thing: It’s time for the Cracklin’ Cook-Off.

Youth Center director Daniel Callais said this year’s event includes the cook-off, an antique car show and a variety of craft booths. There will also be plate lunches of white beans and rice, pork jambalaya and grillades for sale starting at 11 a.m.

The main draw, of course, is the cracklings. “They start cooking the cracklin’s around 6 a.m.,” Callais said. “The judging for the cook-off begins at 2 p.m. Last year we had 21 cookers, and we’re expecting at least that many again this year.”

Throughout the day, cracklings will be on sale. Each competitor is required to provide 15 bags of cracklings to the Youth Center to sell to the public.

“It’s a family event,” Callais added. “We have tables set up where visitors can go around and watch different people preparing their cracklin’s. And we’ll have a D.J. providing music from noon to 4 p.m. It’s a lot of fun.”