Latest news with #TristenEpps
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I Asked 3 Chefs To Name the Best Hot Dog Brand, and Their Top Pick Totally Surprised Me
We might not all agree on whether a hot dog is a sandwich, and what should (but more importantly shouldn't) be used as a hot dog condiment is always a lively debate. But what we can agree on is that hot dogs are undeniably a summer staple. Alongside a wedge of juicy watermelon, an ear of sweet, buttery corn, and a soft-serve ice cream cone, a hot dog is a loud alert to our taste buds that summer has arrived. Even if we're enjoying a hot dog on the coldest day of winter, a single bite is enough to transport us back to boardwalks, ball games, and backyard cookouts. A dog dressed as you desire feels like a treat, however, if the sausage itself is meh, it can make you wish you opted for a burger instead. To help you ensure your hot dog experience is always a home run, we spoke with some seriously meat-savvy chefs to find out which brand they think is best. George Duran, celebrity chef and TV host based in New York, N.Y. Tristen Epps, winner of 'Top Chef' season 22 and the chef-owner of Epps & Flows Culinary and Buboy restaurant in Houston, Texas Dominic Iannarelli, chef-owner of Prime & Providence in West Des Moines, Iowa Perhaps you're on Team Chicago Dog, and believe that yellow mustard, relish, sport peppers, onion, tomato, and a pickle spear are top tier. Or maybe you crave Coney dogs, with their meat sauce, yellow mustard, and onions. Or perhaps you opt for the all-American combo of ketchup and mustard. Regardless of how you top things off, the chefs say it's all about that base. Here are what chefs look for in a hot dog: Classic ballpark flavor. 'When it comes to hot dogs, I'm not here for mystery meat that tastes like it was left behind by a witness protection program,' jokes George Duran. 'I want flavor that makes you feel like you're at a baseball game, even if you're just standing over your kitchen sink eating it at midnight.' If the dog is bland, overly sweet, or delivers an artificial flavor, it's a hard pass, the chefs agree. Two meats or fewer—but ideally just one. All three chefs we spoke to agree that an all-beef hot dog is best for the most classic and pronounced flavor. But if that's unavailable, seek out a sausage with no more than two meats (ideally beef with either pork, turkey, or chicken.) 'Hot dogs with three or more meats are likely to have the most amount of byproducts, which is what gives hot dogs their bad name. These tend not to have a focused flavor profile, and usually are very salty,' explains the most recent 'Top Chef' winner, Tristen Epps. Juicy texture with a nice snap. The interior should be juicy and the exterior must offer a pleasant, obvious snap. This is usually courtesy of a natural casing, Epps says, which delivers 'the quintessential texture of a good hot dog.' An appealing color. It should look more like sausage than bologna, according to Epps. 'A deep, beefy color indicates the quality and cook of the hot dog during production, whether it's smoked, poached, or boiled. The lighter the color, the less flavor it probably says,' adds Epps. Now that we've covered what makes a hot dog chef-approved, it's time to reveal the experts' pick for the best in the biz. Turns out, it's the same hot dog that Julia Child reportedly adored 'as much as a fine French meal.' According to two of our three experts, Costco's hot dogs reign supreme. 'Costco hot dogs are legendary for good reason,' Duran says. They rose to fame in the store's food court because of the substantial size and the almost too-good-to-be-true price. 'A 1/4-pound dog is still just $1.50 with a drink at Costco,' Duran raves. For reference, the typical hot dot weighs in at about 1 1/2 to 2 ounces. The all-beef counterparts Costco offers are more than double the size, at 4 ounces, which ends that debate of 'How many hot dogs counts as a meal?' With these hot dogs one will definitely do it. Besides the budget-friendly price and size, Duran digs these dogs because 'they sell the exact same product in bulk, labeled as Costco's Kirkland Beef Dinner Franks. If you can't get to the Costco food court, bring the Costco food court to you!' With balanced seasoning, juiciness, and that delightful snap, Duran says, 'Costco's Beef Dinner Franks have more flavor than a Fourth of July parade.' If you prefer a hot dog that's easier to fit in a standard-sized bun, the warehouse store has another chef-approved option. Epps tells us that Costco's Kirkland Signature All-Beef Hot Dogs are his go-to, especially when hosting parties and large gatherings. The 2-ounce dogs 'hit all of the criteria of a best hot dog at a killer price point,' according to Epps. No need to fret if you're not a card-carrying Costco member. You won't be disappointed by either of these widely-available options: Vienna Beef Beef Franks: Dominic Iannarelli prefers Chicago-style dogs. So for him, the trophy goes to Vienna Beef's beef franks. 'It checks my two most important boxes: all beef and natural casing,' Iannarelli says, adding that he loves the pleasant flavor from mustard and garlic in the mix. Boar's Head Uncured Beef Frankfurters: For a pleasantly smoky quality, 'great snap and really natural hot dog flavor,' Epps also enjoys these celery salt- and garlic-infused dogs. Your local butcher's hot dogs: For Iannarelli, the freshly-made option from your butcher shop or meat market is often your best bet of all. No matter which brand you buy, you can't score a tailgate touchdown or conquer as cookout MVP if you drop the ball on the prep. Sure, you can grill for some smoky flavor. But you'll sacrifice an evenly-crisp exterior, which ensures the best snap, the chefs say. Instead, here's how to cook hot dogs like a pro: Fill a skillet with 1/2 inch of water and add a pat of butter or two. Bring the water to a boil, then use heat-safe tongs to add your desired amount of hot dogs. Cook the hot dogs until the water evaporates and butter starts to sizzle, then allow them to sauté, turning frequently, until the surface is golden brown on all sides. Toast or warm your hot dog buns, and garnish as desired. 'Bonus points if you eat it standing up next to a cooler filled with canned soda or beer,' Duran says. Read the original article on ALLRECIPES
Eater
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Houston's ‘Top Chef' Winner Tristen Epps Is Taking His Afro-Caribbean Cuisine on the Road
Tristen Epps was already a rising force in Houston's culinary scene, and now the James Beard semifinalist has even more accolades under his belt. Judges of the reality television cooking competition Top Chef crowned Epps the winner of its 22nd season, Top Chef: Destination Canada , on Thursday, June 12, after an outstanding run that showcased his culinary prowess and deep-rooted passion for Afro-Caribbean cooking. The chef, who's previously worked under acclaimed chef Marcus Samuelsson, wowed the judges with his bold, inventive style, racking up two Quickfire wins and five elimination challenge victories. He also led his team to victory as executive chef during the show's pivotal Restaurant Wars episode, all while coping with personal hardship: His stepfather was critically ill back home. Midway through the season, Epps learned of his stepfather's passing. Rather than stepping away from the competition, he chose to stay, dedicating each dish to his stepfather's memory. Though Episode 10 brought his only real stumble — judges critiqued an imbalance in seasoning — Epps quickly bounced back. In the finale, he cemented his win with a four-course 'Meal of Your Life' menu, a fusion of Ethiopian cuisine and his Trinidadian roots that featured monkfish with baccala mbongo; pollo dorengo with injera shrimp toast; and an oxtail Milanese crepinette. The win is especially significant: In addition to $125,000 in Delta Airlines credit, invitations to some of the biggest food and dining events in the country, and $250,000 cash prize (reportedly the largest prize in Top Chef history), Epps is also the first Black chef to win Top Chef in 15 years. Until recently, the chef kept his victory under wraps while preparing for his next big move: the launch of Buboy, a fine-dining Afro-Caribbean tasting menu restaurant in Houston. Now, Epps is finally free to celebrate — and to reflect. Eater caught up with Epps to talk about his favorite and most challenging moments on Top Chef , and what's next for him professionally as he brings his vision to diners across the country. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Congratulations! How are you feeling? Tristen Epps: I'm still trying to get used to it, but a lot of people are really supportive. What was it like keeping your Top Chef win a secret? I mean, it wasn't so bad. I call the same people every day, like my mom, so she makes it easy to talk about, and then my core group of friends knew I made it. Did you have a strategy going into the competition? My strategy going in was to not make friends and stay focused, try to take it really easy in the beginning, and just try to pace myself for longevity: keep to my point of view, and then, really ramp things up later. It didn't go that way. I ended up liking everybody, and I ended up winning a lot in the beginning. I don't know if it was my competitiveness, but I didn't know how to take it easy — cooking and trying your hardest went hand in hand. But in the end, it was really cool. Like being in Canada, being in Italy — it was such a beautiful experience. Do you have a favorite moment? Being able to tell my mom at the end that I won was a magical moment for me, and also my first individual win. I went in with this point of view of cooking diaspora cuisine, and you know, people are having more success with it, but you never know for yourself, right? My whole point of wanting to do this is to put it out there at a really high level, and when people decide to give you a shot at it, they have a lot of expectations. It's like, 'Impress me or I'm going back to what I know,' so it's nerve-racking. The first day I did my cooking and won, it created this validation for me: 'Okay, this cuisine is enough, and it's enough to do in this format.' That was just an amazing feeling, especially on that platform. What was the most challenging part of the competition? Staying who you are can be challenging. People will think something is all you know or all you can do, and sometimes you just naturally pander to whatever's around you, you try to adapt, and you end up making others feel comfortable so you feel comfortable. I was trying to dictate what I felt and thought onto a plate, inaudibly to the people who don't know me. The mental toll of the competition was probably the biggest challenge. If you're not someone who can be alone or if you're not able to really be comfortable in your thoughts for periods, that can be challenging. You don't have the everyday things you can wind down with, right? There's no scrolling the internet. There's no talking to someone on the phone, and the person you might connect with might be gone the very next day. I'm still really soaking in the moment. I'm still planning on opening BuBoy at some point — finding a building and space that is important and meaningful to me is impactful. But right now, I think I'm just gonna take it on the road a little bit. I'll be announcing more soon about it, and I just want to bring what I'm gonna do to the country. Top Chef was one of, if not the greatest, experiences I've had professionally. It's such a rewarding feeling, even if I don't feel the full brunt of it right now. I've been walking around Chicago and, you know, different cities since it has aired, and the reception I have gotten has been so amazing. Even walking around with some of my castmates has been so amazing, because people tuned in to see the food they're making and the people they are. I would say this is a lesson to everyone: don't be afraid of who you are, especially cooks. If you are part of a culture, scream it to the rafters. Learn about others, because they're probably connected, talk to as many people as you can from other cultures, and always, always strive to learn more about yourself and where you come from, and how it connects to different people. Food naturally brings us together, so if I can understand more about your culture and food, other than just eating it, I think the world would be much more unified. I think that's kind of the platform that Top Chef gave me. I've shown everyone that I can connect to culture, and I'll also celebrate the hell out of it. See More:
News18
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Who Is Tristen Epps? All You Need To Know About The Top Chef Season 22 Winner
Last Updated: Here is everything you need to know about Tristen Epps, who bagged the winning trophy in season 22 of Top Chef. Season 22 of the reality show Top Chef, featuring several aspiring chefs competing for the coveted title, has come to an end, and we got the winner – Tristen Epps. He has showcased impeccable culinary skills, impressing the judges to creatively whip up every storm to escape the elimination rounds. Throughout the entire season featuring 14 episodes, he has won hearts of the judges and foodies around the world. On the final episode of the cooking reality show Top Chef season 2, Tristen Epps was crowned the winner after competing against two other finalists – Bailey Sullivan and Shuai Wang. Making his fans proud, Epps prepared a four-course meal to ace the final challenge of the game. Additionally, it was the progressive meaning of his dishes and the Afro-Caribbean roots which got the likes from judges, including Richard Blais and Gregory Goudet. Talking about his extraordinary dish that helped Epps to win the season, it featured his mission to 'un-colonise" food. As per a report by Fandomwire, for the first course, he prepared monkfish served alongside pickled turnips and baccalà mbongo. Following this, the second course featured Pollo 'dorengo" with shrimp toast and shellfish jus, the third dish-oxtail Milanese with curry butter and bone marrow gremolata, and the final and fourth one was a tropical root vegetable cake with plantain cream and cassareep sorbet. All of them were incredibly thoughtful and prepared to leave a mark among food enthusiasts around the world. Who Is Tristen Epps? Coming to Tristen Epps, who won the 22nd season of Bravo's Top Chef, the maestro hails from Trinidad, a country in the Caribbean. Although he bagged the winning trophy, mid-way during the show, he had already given up his dream after the passing of his father. Nevertheless, he gained courage, and dedicated his victory to his late dad. After his win, he reportedly said, 'I didn't do it for me; I did it for so many people. Somebody believed in me enough on their deathbed," leaving his fans moved. Right from his childhood, Epps had a liking towards cooking, and while he travelled the world with his military mother, he developed cooking as his passion. Ahead of appearing in Top Chef, Epps has also appeared in a number of cooking reality TV shows. Talking about his professional education, he has a degree in Culinary Arts and Food & Beverage Industry Management, which he pursued from Johnson & Wales in Charlotte, New York. Following gaining valuable cooking lessons, he participated in ABC's The Taste in 2014 and a number of series, including All-Star Best Thing I Ever Ate, The Taste, Chopped and also Top Chef in 2006. First Published:
Pink Villa
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Who is Tristen Epps? All About Top Chef Season 22 Winner Impressing Judges With Extraordinary Culinary Skills
Tristen Epps was crowned the winner of Top Chef season 22. The Houston star impressed the judges with his extraordinary culinary skills and the flavors while competing against the other two finalists, Bailey Sullivan and Shuai Wang. Epps served a four-course meal for his final challenge, which not only had the best taste but also included a deep-rooted meaning. The finale episode of the reality show also marked the return of the chef judges from the previous seasons, who joined the contestants as sous chefs. Other guest judges also included Richard Blais and Gregory Goudet. Moreover, Epps' final dish had Afro-Caribbean roots. Who is Tristen Epps? Tristen Epps, who was born in Trinidad, went on to win the 22nd season of Bravo's Top Chef. He developed an interest in cooking from his childhood days, as he spent most of his time traveling the world with his mother, who is in the military. Epps is known to immerse himself completely in the food culture of the countries he travels to. Additionally, the winner of the reality TV show earned his degree in Culinary Arts and Food & Beverage Industry Management from Johnson & Wales in Charlotte, New York. Ahead of competing in Top Chef, Epps went on to participate in ABC's The Taste in 2014. Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, who was also a part of the 1024 show, went on to become Tristen's mentor, on and off screen. Meanwhile, following his win on Top Chef, Epps dedicated his victory to his late father. He said, "I didn't do it for me; I did it for so many people." He added, "Somebody believed in me enough on their deathbed," referring to his father passing away while the chef was competing in the show. After the tragic news, Tristen Epps had almost made up his mind to quit the competition. However, he stayed back and made history.
