Food Network star tackles grilling with pint-size set
It’s 10 a.m., and the skies over Cypress are gray and threatening, but Eddie Jackson isn’t worried about the weather.
The former NFL star and winner of season 11 of “The Next Food Network Star,” is fussing over shrimp and rib-eye steaks on a blazing grill aboard his food truck, the Fit Chef.
You’ve got to use some care, Jackson tells onlookers, when you have both delicate shrimp and thick-cut rib-eyes on the same grill.
Jackson is a natural teacher, whether he is helping Houstonians with their fitness goals at his Fit Chef Studio or mentoring youngsters as cohost (along with Camila Alves, who is married to Matthew McConaughey) of the new “Kids BBQ Championship,” which premiered Monday on the Food Network and runs at 7 p.m. weekly.
The prime-time series challenges eight kids to test their creativity and skills on the grill. The winning pint-size pitmaster will take home a grand prize of $20,000, as well as earn a feature in Food Network Magazine. Among the competitors are 12-year-old Carter Hull of Austin and 13-year-old Ty Machado of Seguin.
A track and football star at the University of Arkansas and a defensive back for the Miami Dolphins, Jackson has spent many hours working with
“When I was growing up, my heroes were Bo Jackson and Michael Jordan. These kids’ heroes are Bobby Flay and Guy Fieri.” Eddie Jackson
children through the Boys & Girls Clubs and the YMCA. The show was, however, the first time Jackson had worked with kids on a television set.
“I was surprised from the start,” Jackson says of the six-episode series shot in Malibu, Calif. “On the first day, Josie — she’s just 11 — she dissected a whole chicken, just like that. I was playing Nintendo at that age.
“It is amazing the impact that cooking shows have had on this generation. They’re like sponges,” says Jackson, 35, a Dallas-reared Texas native. “When I was growing up, my heroes were Bo Jackson and Michael Jordan. These kids’ heroes are Bobby Flay and Guy Fieri.”
In addition to the “Kids BBQ Championship,” Jackson is starring in a digital series on foodnetwork.com. “Eddie’s Playbook” covers topics near to Jackson’s heart, including grilling, fitness and entertaining.
With holidays such as Memorial Day and Independence Day around the corner, the Chronicle asked Jackson to share some of his favorite tips for grilling and smoking, as well as a couple of his recipes. You can find more of his recipes on foodnetwork.com.