American Grilled: The prelude

American Grilled

I am a contestant on American Grilled.

Of course, I can’t talk about the actual competition. The series starts tonight but my episode doesn’t air until Sept. 3. So mum’s the word lest the Travel Channel pulls up to 5117 with a 54-foot moving van to take away my house.

But I can talk about the unlikely scenario that landed me on this national show to begin with.

As is many times the case, it’s not what you know but who you know and I know Danielle Dimovski. She’s a fellow Char-Broil All Star Blogger and has her own hit show on the Travel Channel – BBQ Crawl. And she sent me a message: “You ought to apply to American Grilled.”

I like grilling. Actually, I love grilling. I do it almost every night. And I love reality shows. I have never missed a single episode of Survivor and I’m not ashamed of that. So a timed competition that involves grilling? How hard could that be?

But I am probably one of 8,000 people applying for this so I do not get my hopes up as I fill out the extensive online questionnaire and hit the “send” button.

Ring.

I am at the CRC warehouse, with the cement plant going full bore across the street, when the phone rings. I can barely hear the male voice on the other end. It’s some dude in New York City wanting to ask me some questions about American Grilled. They are questions that require some bravado on my part, explaining why I’m God’s gift to grilling. I fake it.

“What’s you’re favorite thing to grill?” he asks. I search my memory bank for some outlandishly difficult ingredient.

“Steak.” Really, can’t you come up with anything more impressive?

Perfectly grilled filet mignon topped with herb butter

Perfectly grilled filet mignon topped with herb butter

I grill a really good steak. See? So I embellish and tell him I also make a red wine reduction. That sounds marginally better. The dude hangs up and I figure that is that.

Ring.

It’s a delightful young lady in California a few weeks later. She wants to ask me more questions about American Grilled, including that annoying one about my favorite thing to grill. Steak. I say steak again. What is my issue? Nobody is going to put you on national television because you know how to grill a steak. Why didn’t I say alligator or water buffalo? She hangs up and, once again, I surmise that this will be the end of the road.

Ring.

I am sitting on a bench outside the Little Brothers Shell Station in Brentwood, waiting to get my tire changed. It’s another delightful young lady in New York. “I am happy to tell you that have you have been selected to compete on American Grilled.”  I am stunned. What does this actually mean? I have been told nothing about how this works other than I am expected to show up in Memphis in a few weeks. “Is there anything I need to do to prepare other than be hysterical?” I ask her. “No, that’s about it,” she says. “Oh, and don’t tell anyone you’re doing this.”

Don’t tell anyone I’m doing this?

So I haven’t until now. The producers say I can now tell my friends and family I am going to be on American Grilled. I can now tell you that I competed on my birthday and that it involved torrential rain and the very real possibility of tornadoes. And it involved grilling. Have I told you I grill a pretty good steak?

4 Comments

  1. Jane, The Heritage Cook
    July 2, 2014 at 3:31 pm

    I am so thrilled for you Catherine! You totally deserve this recognition and I’m sure you have a fabulous time. Hope you gave those boys a real run for their money! 🙂 I know how creative you are during the Char-Broil competitions, so I’m sure you did us all proud! Can’t wait for Sept 3rd!!!

  2. MaryAnn
    MaryAnnReply
    July 2, 2014 at 7:12 pm

    Wow well in that case I will have to watch the entire show. Starts pretty soon. Love the story. So exciting:) Mary Ann

  3. Len Reinhardt
    July 20, 2014 at 1:23 pm

    Congratulations!

    • Catherine Mayhew
      Catherine MayhewReply
      July 20, 2014 at 4:48 pm

      Thanks! It was a blast.

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