Photo By Capt. Emerson Marcus | Sgt. Maj. Shauna Reese, of the Nevada Army National Guard's personnel office, holds...... read more read more
Some allege Chad and Shauna Reese are nuts, but that’s only because they invest so much time concocting tasty testicles.
Since they first met in 2000, the Reeses, both Nevada Army National Guardsmen and Dayton residents, have missed only one Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry — and that was for their wedding.
Entrants compete in the annual festival, now in its 28th year, to create the most flavorful beef and sheep testicle dishes, also known as rocky mountain oysters. This year’s festival begins 10 a.m. Saturday in Virginia City, which happens to be the Reese’s 17th wedding anniversary.
“I’ll be cooking beef testicles on my anniversary and that’s alright with me,” said Shauna, the Nevada Army National Guard’s personnel sergeant major.
For the Reeses, it started as a dare but turned into a tradition.
Chad and Shauna first attended the “testicle festival” in 2001, a year after they started dating in Las Vegas. Later that year, Shauna became the 150th Maintenance Company’s supply sergeant and moved to Carson City. Chad, now a chief warrant officer two, Joint Force Headquarters, hadn’t joined the military. He worked at Martin-Harris Construction in Las Vegas. Eventually, he followed Shauna to northern Nevada and worked as a member of the Silver State Hotshot firefighting crew before joining the Guard in 2010.
In 2001, Chad made his first trip to northern Nevada to visit his girlfriend and future wife. Then-1st Sgt. Bud Chattin, also a Storey County police officer, halfheartedly suggested Shauna take Chad to the Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry.
“It was more of a dare,” Shauna said. “It was a joke. But we actually ended up going.”
Chad enjoyed it so much, he cooked rocky mountain oysters for their wedding reception the following year.
“I think he might have liked it a little more than me at first,” Shauna said with a laugh.
Cooks at the Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry go by off-color, suggestive names, including “Nut Up or Shut Up” and “Lucky Charms.”
"The Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry is one of our most well-attended special events in Virginia City. …We like to keep it fresh and fun and give people a reason to return year after year," said Deny Dotson, tourism director, Virginia City Tourism Commission. The commission estimates anywhere from 4,000 to 7,500 people will visit the historic Comstock for the event.
After a few years attending with friends, the Reeses started “Cajones Caliente” in 2008.
“The first year we did it was a disaster,” Chad said. “We didn’t know what we were doing. We tried bagna cauda (an Italian dish served similar to fondue). It didn’t work. Then, the second year, one of my buddies busted out a jalapeno popper. That’s when it all started.”
The combination of roasted jalapenos cut in half, filled with cream cheese, spices and, of course, beef testicles wrapped in bacon, proved a huge success.
Cajones Caliente has garnered a full sack of awards over the years, including numerous best presentation, taste and people’s choice awards. They swept the categories in 2012 and 2013. As the event grew, the competition stiffened.
“We were winning everything,” Chad said. “But the event has grown so much over the years. It used to be held in the parking lot at Grandma’s Fudge Factory, but now it’s expanded to the Bucket of Blood (saloon) and there are booths up and down the street.”
Chad was hesitant to bare his testicle tactics for this year’s event, but he did describe the presentation as a “deconstruction” of their jalapeno recipe with ingredients mixed together and served in a bowl. Cajones Caliente is one of 12 entrants in this year’s event.
Per competition rules, cooking of the beef and sheep testicles is prohibited until the day of the event, but some preparation is allowed. On Friday, Shauna will grind the testicles and Chad will roast jalapenos.
“It kind of looks like pink sludge when you grind it,” Shauna said of the testicles, which are sold by the event in 40 pound boxes. “It’s gross, but afterward it just looks like ground beef.”
Booth decoration is also part of the competition. This year, Shauna said she might setup a Leprechaun trap, given the event occurs the same day as Virginia City’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. Her four children have already setup their own Leprechaun traps at their home.
“It’s a family event,” she said. “Everybody participates. We all have a ball — literally.”
| Date Taken: | 03.12.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 03.12.2019 16:27 |
| Story ID: | 313987 |
| Location: | CARSON CITY, NEVADA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,558 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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