Every year in Virginia City, Nevada they pay homage to a culinary delicacy that few have heard of or even tried. The beer flows like wine, the crazy outfits come out and this mountain town becomes a beacon of sorts for those seeking out one of the coolest parties in the Virginia Range. It was my first time witnessing the revelries and I am hooked. I’m Nuts About The Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry!
I’m Nuts About The Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry
Now, for those of you who don’t know what a Rocky Mountain Oyster is, how can I put this? It’s that part of the cow… it’s under the cow… well sort of… near the back… the oysters kind of come in their own bag… IT’S THE BALLS, OKAY!!! THEY’RE COW BALLS! Since we now have that out of the way, let’s not get all testi… I mean testy about it. The Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry is held every year in Virginia City right around St. Paddy’s day and it draws in people from all over the world. Seriously, I met people who had come from England!
There is obviously a lot of adult beverages being served by the plethora of bars in town. Three of my favorites were the Bucket of Blood Saloon, the Mark Twain Saloon and the Virginia City Brewery and Taphouse.
But, the main attraction are the balls. The centerpiece of the entire event is a cook off to showcase all the wonderful ways you can put balls in your mouth. It is broken up into two divisions, amatuer and professional. I had the honor of being asked to be a guest judge at this years competition.
I’ve had Rocky Mountain Oysters before, so I was really intrigued to see how many different ways you could prepare such a thing. If you’re wondering what they taste like, it’s sort of a lighter version of liver. I know I lost some of you there, but believe me, some of these recipes were AMAZING!
All of the teams had wonderful and creative dishes, but there were a few that really stuck out to me. There was a chili that was INSANE! It was perfect for the 30 degree temp and eventual snowfall that day. There was an egg roll that was great for walking around town and getting your grub on and then there were the fire-roasted, stuffed poblano peppers (These were the big winners for the day).
I had such a great time and I really want to take my family back next year to experience it. Oh, and did I mention that they played Irish Punk Rock all day long! For me, the Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry is a little slice of heaven… and cow balls.