For more than 10 years, San Diego chef Steven Oliver dreamed of competing on Chopped, the fast-paced Food Network cooking competition where chefs turn mystery baskets full of offbeat ingredients into appetizers, entrees, and a dessert.
In February, his wish came true.
The episode, which aired in July, featured hot dogs in every round. For the appetizer, the barbeque sauce entrepreneur planned to make a simple salad or soup, but all of that went out the window when he opened the first basket. Instead, he presented a Reuben-inspired eggs benedict hot dog with Russian dressing hollandaise.
“I wanted to showcase a little bit of technique and cooking an egg is definitely something that requires technique and finesse—something the judges would appreciate and hopefully get me through the first round,” he said.
The plan worked, but Steven’s entree, a creative twist on beef wellington, was deemed undercooked by the judges. Had he made it to the dessert round, he’d been determined to make ice cream, regardless of what was in the basket.
“Putting yourself in new situations is important for growth and you learn a lot about yourself. I learned that I am not as good under pressure as I thought,” he laughed.
SNL had some fun with the "Chopped" concept.
Steven’s extensive experience working in the restaurant industry started with a dishwashing job out of high school, and from there included stints at the Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa and Nobu, where he gained familiarity with traditional Japanese ingredients like dashi, seaweed, and wasabi.
In 2017, he launched Thresher Sauces, a chef-made, culinary-inspired California style BBQ sauce company that produces seven unique flavors.
His signature sauces include Smoked Agave Grilling Sauce, made with all-natural coconut sugar, and Baja Achiote BBQ Sauce, while some inventive new additions include Wasabi’Q Mustard BBQ sauce, a tangy flavor with that familiar wasabi burn; Wakame Seaweed BBQ sauce, a slightly sweet flavor that goes great with seafood; and Umami Mushroom sauce, an earthy option with smoky notes of hickory.
Oliver is currently working on two new flavors that will feature harissa paste and black sesame.
“People in California are funky, unique and different,” Steven explained. “We’re applying that same idea to our sauces.”
Find Thresher BBQ Sauce
Steven Oliver sells Thresher at Valley Farm Market in Spring Valley, Jensen's Foods in Point Loma, the La Mesa and Hillcrest Farmers Markets and online.
Copyright ©2024 Edible San Diego (Archive). All rights reserved
