St. George woman brings the heat to Food Network's 'Pitmasters' |
Teams of elite pitmasters face each other in nonstop live-fire cooking challenges for a chance to win |
Cooking barbecue in your backyard is one thing. Building your own fire pit, keeping it burning around the clock and doing it all under the pressure of television cameras is another.
That's exactly what Susie Bulloch, owner of the St. George-based barbecue brand Hey Grill Hey, signed up for as a competitor on Food Network's newest series, "Pitmasters."
Bulloch and longtime friend Christie Vanover of Las Vegas, Nevada, will team up for the in the high-stakes barbecue competition. Teams of elite pitmasters face each other in nonstop live-fire cooking challenges for a chance to win up to $50,000.
Everything on "Pitmasters" happens outdoors. Contestants build their own cooking pits, prepare meals over open flames and keep their fires burning around the clock. Once a team is eliminated, its fire is extinguished
For the first episode, which premieres July 13, the contestants face a lengthy challenge to prepare a main protein along with side dishes and really "put themselves on the plate.”
The competition took place at a Southern Utah resort, giving Bulloch an unexpected advantage. Accustomed to the area's elevation, she avoided the altitude sickness that affected several competitors arriving from sea-level communities.
Bulloch said an exciting part of competing with Vanover is the opportunity to showcase flavors inspired by the American Southwest, including bold chilies, hearty proteins and a little heat. The competition also highlights Dutch oven cooking, something Bulloch grew up doing in Southern Utah.
Bulloch and Vanover have supported each other's barbecue businesses since launching them just a month apart in 2015. After making it through the show's application and interview process, the longtime friends immediately began to prepare for the physically demanding competition.
Along the way, Bulloch has appeared on Food Network multiple times and now hosts the Tastemade series "Backyard Barbecue Hero," named after her cookbook. Today, Bulloch said the business is about far more than recipes. The messages she receives from families who use her recipes for weddings, birthdays, holidays and even funerals mean more than any milestone the company has achieved.
"Pitmasters" premieres Monday, July 13, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Food Network and will stream the following day on HBO Max.
For more information, recipes and cooking tips, visit Hey Grill Hey at heygrillhey.com |
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