Esaul Ramos did not want to do another Food Network show. But the calls kept coming.
It’s easy to understand why: Ramos is a two-time James Beard-nominated pitmaster. He runs the Michelin-recommended 2M Smokehouse. He reached the final round of “Grill Masters: Texas” on Chopped in 2018.
After Chopped, he ignored and dodged invitations, not wanting to compete alone. But then came an offer he could not resist: We’d like you to appear on our new show with your wife.
The Food Network show, “Pitmasters,” premiers at 8 p.m. on July 13 with a lineup that includes Esaul and Grecia Ramos and eight other two-person teams.
An all-star panel of culinarians, which includes pitmaster Ernest Servantes from Burnt Bean Co. in Seguin, will judge the live fire competition. The winning team collects up to $50,000.
“It was an awesome experience,” Esaul Ramos said. “It wasn’t a once in a lifetime experience. But it was definitely one of the top three greatest experiences of my life.”
The Ramoses were the only husband-wife team in the competition, which lends another layer of intrigue to a show steeped in mystery. How does Grecia, an accomplished pastry chef, fit into a show devoted to smoked meats? Does she help her husband with brisket and ribs? Does she bake desserts?
“I can tell you there will be a little bit of everything for sure,” she said. “There are some surprises here and there that we’ll be able to showcase.”
Her ambiguity is intentional. The show, of course, will not reveal the winning team. But it also refuses to disclose when and where “Pitmasters” was filmed and how long the competition lasted. Before contestants grant media interviews, they are coached on what they can and cannot say.
So Grecia’s precise contributions remain a secret. But the Ramos’s did offer a detail that may or may not wind up on the cutting room floor. Grecia cut herself on the first challenge.
“I don’t know if they caught that (on camera) or not,” Grecia said. “I have a bandage. I was grating something. I still feel it to this day.”
Lights, camera, open fire: Esaul arrived on the set ready to cook. He’d done TV before. Grecia had not.
“At the beginning, it was very nerve wracking,” Grecia said. “The cameras were in my face. But after a while, you forget the cameras are there. It’s another day of cooking.”
The Ramoses would not disclose what they cooked or baked. But they acknowledged the show presented unexpected challenges.
“We did things within our wheelhouse and things outside our wheelhouse,” Esaul said. “Five hours on a TV show isn’t the same as five hours in the real world. It goes by so much faster. You have people looking at you. You have people judging you. Honestly, it was going to come down to physicality and mentality. We just had to do what we do on a daily basis. But can we keep mentally keep going, knowing what’s at stake?”
Once Esaul and Grecia agreed to do the show, they had less than a month to prepare. Grecia wanted to practice different scenarios. Esaul wanted to show up and wing it.
“My wife has a love-hate relationship with the way I do things,” Esaul said. “I fly by the seat of my pants. She’s a planner. She definitely was like, ‘Let’s figure out some really cool dishes in case anything happens. Let’s do our homework.’ I’m like, ‘Let’s see what happens.’ We ended up doing a little of both.”
The couple agreed on one thing: Grecia would plan and pack their wardrobe.
“We didn’t know what kind of weather we’d have,” she said. “So that was major planning.”
The Ramoses competed under the gaze of four judges: Andrew Zimmern, Emmy and James Beard winning host of Bizarre Foods, Jess Pryles, cookbook author of “Hardcore Carnivore,” Moe Cason, a cookbook author, barbecue chef and competitor from Chopped: Grill Masters, and Servantes, co-owner of Burnt Bean Co., which earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
“It was both a little intimidating but at same time a pleasure to be judged by Ernest,” Esaul said. “Ernest is a person that understands culinary. It was an honor. He is somebody we both look up to.”
The couple plans a gathering at McIntyre’s-Southtown on July 13 at 7 p.m., one hour before the show airs.
They are grateful for the unexpected call from Food Network.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my wife,” Esaul said. “We make such a great team. The show made you get out of your comfort zone to create some things. It will be nice to show the audience that our skill sets are sometimes beyond the smoke.”
