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Mar 26 - 28, 2024
LV Convention Center

Seen at NHS 2022: The Celebrity Chef Cook-Off

Did you catch this year’s Celebrity Chef Cook-Off from the National Hardware Show Backyard? It was a can’t miss event!

Six chefs appointed by NHS exhibitors went head-to-head, cooking and competing for a $5,000 cash prize.

Sponsored by Urban Fire and presented by BBQ Nation, the master chefs were asked to cook 1) their best burger and 2) their tastiest appetizer, incorporating some interesting surprise ingredients: ramen noodles and pickled beets.

These participating chefs from around the country headed to Las Vegas, ready to compete:

  • Blackstone’s Chef Nathan Lippy
  • Traeger’s Chef Curtis Nations
  • Camp Chef’s Logan Savoy
  • Duraflame’s (Cowboy Brand) Kita Roberts
  • Duraflame’s (B&B Charcoal) Hondo Hernandez
  • Blues Hog’s Tim Scheer

The chefs had two hours to prepare both of their dishes before they were taste-tested and ranked by a panel of foodies. As the chefs cooked, the Backyard was buzzing. Participants chatted amongst each other, created content for social and held interviews for the BBQ Radio Show.

But even skilled culinary professions like these folks occasionally run into obstacles – Chef Hondo pictured drops a plate of grilled onions. Luckily, this was early in the competition, so he had time to recover.

Finally, the countdown began and the chefs put the final touches on their dishes. The judges assembled and taste testing began promptly. A large crowd gathered to catch the action and enjoy some samples.

The judges take their last bites of the final dish, and their overall scores are tallied behind-the-scenes. The chefs disperse in anticipation of who would be crowned the winner later that night at the NHS Awards Ceremony.

Finally, the crowd gathered again and it’s time for the winner to be announced…

In third place was Chef Hondo Hernandez from B&B Charcoal. Second place was awarded to Chef Logan Savoy from Camp Chef. And finally, in first place was Chef Tim Scheer from Blues Hog. What’d he cook, you ask?

For the winning appetizer, Tim started with a whole pineapple, cored out and filled with Blues Hog Slaw, and finished with crushed ramen noodles on top for crunch. Setting atop the pineapple was St. Louis cut spareribs, basted in Blues Hog Tennessee Red Sauce.

For the burger, Tim used Marble Ridge Farms Wagyu skirt steak, pattied into a 1-inch burger and seasoned with Blues Hog Bold & Beefy Rub. The patties were smothered in Havarti cheese. Buttered buns were toasted and slathered in truffle mayo and spring mix greens, incorporating the second mystery ingredient: canned pickled beets.

The 2022 NHS Celebrity Chef Cook-Off was a hit to say the least, featuring friendly competition, good company and great food. Thank you to all who participated, and a special thanks to BBQ Nation for organizing and Urban Fire for sponsoring.