Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Pint-sized cooks show off their BBQ skills in ‘Kids BBQ Championship’
Whether it’s propane-fired, slow-burning charcoal or even good old-fashioned wood, a grill is a wonderful tool to cook with. Hot. Smoky. And while purists will be quick to point out the big difference between grilling and barbecuing, for the average backyard cooking enthusiast, the terms are used pretty interchangeably.
With the mercury rising in the early days of May, Food Network has the grills fired up, the smokers well stoked and a whole host of grill masters ready to compete in an outdoor culinary battle. It’s been said that barbecue is an art, and if that’s the case, then these competitors must be prodigies.
Why’s that? Well, because these masters of the grill haven’t had all that much time to perfect their craft. Season 2 of “Kids BBQ Championship” premieres Monday, May 1, on Food Network, with a bevy of pintsized chefs ready to face off in culinary battle over open flames.
“Southern at Heart” host Damaris Phillips joins last season’s “Kids BBQ Championship” host Eddie Jackson — both of whom happen to be “Food Network Star” winners — to host this year’s competition. In their outdoor ranch-inspired kitchen, they welcome four young grill masters each episode for two rounds of fiery cooking competition.
For the kids, there’s glory and recognition to be had; after all, winning a cooking competition like this at such a young age can really kickstart a culinary career. Of course, the $10,000 prize that the winner of each episode gets to take home is a pretty good reason to compete, too.
Whether it’s cooking a hearty chuckwagon meal or barbecuing some succulent baby back ribs, the kids’ skills are on full display throughout the competition, with New York barbecue maverick Shannon Ambrosio, self-styled “hardcore carnivore” Jess Pryles, “BBQ Crawl” host Diva Q and “Man Fire Food” host Roger Mooking taking turns as judges throughout the competition.
It can be pork, beef, chicken or something more exotic — there’s a place for all meats when cooking outdoors. Even veggies have their place, and for the kiddy competitors, they all come together to make a winning dish — hopefully. “Kids BBQ Championship” premieres Monday, May 1, on Food Network.