Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Back in June of this year, chef Jack MacMurray III of the Boathouse at Forest Park took the People’s Choice Award for Best Bacon in the 8th Annual World Food Championship Show Me Series. That victory earned him a spot in next week’s WFC Ultimate Food Fight in Dallas, where he’ll again go for the gold in the bacon category.
“I'm refining the dish I did in June to win the golden ticket,” says MacMurray. “I took a version of that and made it more fine-dining.”
More than 1,500 chefs from 40 states and 15 countries will convene in Dallas to compete in 10 categories from October 16–20, and the stakes are high. With more than $350,000 in cash and prizes, the Ultimate Food Fight will award the largest total payout in competitive cooking history.
This year’s event is the first for MacMurray, who will compete in the bacon category against another local culinary icon, Mike Johnson of Sugarfire Smoke House and Hi-Pointe Drive-In. (It was Johnson who hired MacMurray for the executive chef position at Boathouse, where Johnson also has an interest.)
“Knowing someone else in this category does put me at ease,” MacMurray admits. “Mike and I have known each other for decades. We've competed with and against each other in wing, barbecue, and burger competitions. We're good friends who love to compete. It's not about ego, that's for damn sure. For me, it's about doing what I'm gifted to do. I've been doing this a long time, so I'm really grateful to still be at this competitive level.”
Chefs competing in the bacon category will be given a total of two hours to prepare two dishes. The first hour calls for a bacon appetizer using tomato juice or Bloody Mary mix from Red Gold, an event sponsor. Competitors’ signature dishes must then be ready for the panel of five judges by the end of the second hour. MacMurray explains that menu-planning means nothing if he can’t nail execution in the heat of the moment.
“The higher you go in this competition, the more imperative attention to detail becomes,” he says. “I've competed for a long time, and execution is key. If you make a mistake, you know it. That's where you're gonna lose.”
MacMurray prefers to focus on winning. When asked if there were plans for the prize money in the event of a victory, he says, “My daughter just got her driver's license, and a car would be a really sweet gift for her.”
The WFC Ultimate Food Fight offers demonstrations and workshops, in addition to competitive events. Visit the WFC website for more information.
