Cook Cartel brothers Steve and Mike Cook. Photo / Supplied
Get ready barbecue lovers, summer's coming and it's the perfect time for a new reality show that might just be the "must-watch" of the season.
Cooks on Fire, a new homegrown cooking competition coming to TVNZ 1 at the end of the month, promises flame-grilled humour and some fiery competition in the quest to find New Zealand's backyard barbecue champions.
Seven teams of two will battle it out for the prestigious Cooks on Fire trophy, plus $30,000 in cash.
Out of the seven pairs, Spy reckons a couple of Auckland Westie brothers are guaranteed to bring the most style and irreverence to their burn-offs.
The Cook Cartel is 35-year-old Steve and 36-year-old Mike Cook, who say Lion Red and Jack Daniels are the perfect balance while flame cooking. Hot 'n' fast - rather than low 'n' slow - is their motto.
"Barbecue, burnouts, beers and mullets are part of our culture," the Cooks tell Spy.
The brothers' other passions in life are vintage Fords and Falcons; drag racing and epic burnouts in the driveway. It's all part of their DNA, they say.
Judging the teams are Eat Well For Less New Zealand host Ganesh Raj; Food writer Nici Wickes; and most importantly, BBQ pitmaster Jared Macdonald. Guest judges include A-list chef Peter Gordon; MasterChef New Zealand winner Karena Bird; and Jess Granada from Nanam Eatery.
Pitmaster Macdonald, who owns two Texas Pete's BBQ restaurants in Hamilton and has competed in BBQ championships in both New Zealand and Australia, says the all-weather outdoor competition will be intense.
"While all contests have their share of drama, this show really showcased what the kiwi barbecue is all about - good mates, good food and great memories. Even the most masculine bloke turns into a teddy-bear when you put him around a grill, have a laugh and enjoy a great meal," says Macdonald.
The Kiwi cliche: men at the barbecue, women on the salads, rings true at first glance of the show, with only three women in the competition. However, the Cook brothers are full of praise for the women they compete with who are also part of the New Zealand competitive barbecue scene.
"Typically, barbecue is male-dominant, however the girls add some finesse and flare that's hard to compete with," the Cooks say. "We think the girls on the show were incredible and will hopefully get more females wanting to get their hands on a set of tongs and take the lead on a pit."
The brothers are keen competitors in the NZ professional barbecue community and say they have outgrown their trophy cabinet three times over.
"We have won multiple first, second and third-place trophies in the NZBA (New Zealand BBQ Alliance) in every category with perfect scores in brisket, pork belly, ribs, lamb and pork," they say.
They have twice taken out Reserve Grand Champion at King of the Mountain in New Plymouth and were Reserve Grand champions at Kumeū too. Mike has won first place seven times in the Steak Cook-off Association (SCA) ancillary categories and finished first in New Zealand in both the Steak & Ancillaries Championship overall for the 2021 season.
The Cooks have also won Golden Tickets to compete in the World Championships in the SCA in Texas.
As for the tools of the trade for non-initiated barbecue wannabes, prepare to learn that there is more to life than your average gas barbie. Mike started out on a Weber Kettle and Steve's used homemade drums and a Big Poppa Smokers Drum, to name but a few. Between themselves and their dad, the brothers have owned more 30 barbecues. These days their chosen weapon is the Octopit MultiQ.
Other mean cookers on the show include wood/charcoal/pellet-fired burners with names like the Kiwi-Can-Q and the Oklahoma Joe's Bronco. Impressed? Wait until you see the seven teams hit the grills with an arsenal of different meat cuts, they make eye fillet look pedestrian.
More than 1,500 rowdy spectators gathered for Fight At First Sight.