SAN ANTONIO — Two local pitmasters will be bringing the best of San Antonio barbecue to an upcoming five-episode tournament on the Food Network.
Competitive griller Carlo Casanova and Esaul Ramos, owner and pitmaster at 2M Smokehouse, is entering the "Chopped" kitchen for the Food Network show's "Grill Masters" tournament, which premieres Tuesday, July 31.
According to a press release from the Food Network, the 2018 season of "Grill Masters" will feature cooks from four popular barbecue regions across the country. The premiere showcases four grill masters from the Kansas City region; Casanova and Ramos will appear in the tournament's Texas episode, which the Food Network says will include "an iconic Texas meat in the entree basket.
Casanova has competed in barbecue competitions around the country for the last decade with his team KG Cookers He says the experience was an honor.
"Just knowing how many great chefs have cooked in that studio made the experience all the more memorable, and I would compete again any say" Casanova said to KENS 5 on Thursday.
We spoke to Esaul Ramos Monday, who described the Chopped experience as "surreal."
"The show just takes you out of your element," Ramos explained.
Both Casanova and Ramos stuck to grilling the way they know best, even when the exotic ingredients throw a curveball into their plans.
"A lot of us go in there with a plan," Ramos says, "but once the clock starts it all goes out the window."
"I was out of my comfort zone," Casanova says. "But when it's game time, you've got to pull it together."
If either Ramos or Casanova wins the Texas episode - they could not say how they fared - they will advance to the Finale to compete for a $50,000 prize. The final episode airs August 28.
Ramos says the experience helped him grow as a chef by taking him out of his comfort zone.
Casanova says that if he takes home the prize money, a portion of that would pay for a trip to Disney World with two children. Casanova says that his kids are "ecstatic" to see their dad on television.
More information about the Grill Masters tournament is available on the "Chopped" website.