Netflix’s ‘Barbecue Showdown’ Taps Self-Made Contestant From Orlando
- “Barbecue Showdown” debuted on July 4 and is available to stream on Netflix
- The competition pits barbecue masters from all walks of life against each other in a head-to-head competition of flavor and fire.
When the meat caught fire in season three of Netflix’s “Barbecue Showdown,” the Sunshine State was represented.
But not by a professional cooking master or even a restaurant chef. Melissa Pappas, a former special education teacher in Orlando who shares cooking tips and recipes online as Sweet Melissa Cooks, is self-taught. She told News 6 that cooking became therapy after she left an abusive relationship at age 19.
“I learned by watching cooking shows and reading cookbooks, then I started watching tutorials on YouTube. It quickly became a passion of mine, especially learning how to pair ingredients and flavors,” Pappas says.
“Barbecue Showdown,” which debuted on Netflix on July 4, pits nine talented barbecue chefs against each other in extremely frenetic timed competitions with different challenges in each episode, from grilling obscure cuts of meat to cooking over an open flame on the ground to serving tailgate dinners (with sides) to 50 hungry sports fans in just three hours. The winner takes home $50,000.
“The response to the news of the show has been overwhelming, to say the least,” Pappas said in an Instagram video. “It’s just beyond anything I could have ever imagined.”
“This experience was unlike anything I’ve ever done in my entire life and if you know me, you know I like to challenge myself. And this was certainly the case,” she said.
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Who is Melissa Pappas?
Before she discovered barbecue, Melissa Pappas was a mentor to young minds. She was a special education teacher in the Orange County Public School system, specializing in supporting children with severe autism and a variety of behavioral and educational needs for nearly seven years.
She was named the 2020 OCPS Teacher of the Year and received the Mary J. Brogan Excellence in Teaching Award from the Florida Department of Education, which recognizes extraordinary educators who instill passion, joy, and a love of learning in their students. In 2020, she was a guest speaker for Governor Ron DeSantis’ State of the State address.
Pappas earned a master’s degree from the University of Central Florida and a bachelor’s degree from the University of West Florida, both in special education.
What is Sweet Melissa Cooks?
Since 2020, Pappas has been cooking, developing recipes and collaborating on content creation under the name “Sweet Melissa Cooks.” She briefly worked at an Orlando branding agency, according to her LinkedIn profile, before going all-in.
“I took a leap of faith this year and stepped away from the corporate world and started my own thing,” the mother of two boys said on an episode of “Barbecue Showdown.” “You know, I do content creation and recipe development. It’s another way for us to come together as a family and I really love and appreciate that.”
Pappas brought a Florida twist to the show — including bacon-wrapped alligator bites and a whole red snapper — to compete with contestants from Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Kentucky.
Pappas was one of tens of thousands of applicants for the show, according to Netflix.
“Barbecue scared me, because you could put me in a kitchen with any ingredient and I’d make you something, no problem,” Pappas said on the show. “But barbecue is such a craft and such an art, and I had a deep respect for it.”
Pappas has embraced barbecue, but on Sweet Melissa Cooks, she shows viewers how to make other appetizers, desserts and sides and has a long-running series profiling “weird food combinations.”
“What I really want people to know is that when I share a recipe, I’m sharing my journey and my story with everyone. I do it in the hopes that others will feel inspired, encouraged, and empowered. Food is a true love language for me, so when I cook for someone, even my online family, I’m serving a piece of my heart to you,” Pappas said.
What is “Barbecue Showdown”?
“Barbecue Showdown” is a barbecue-themed reality show. Contestants from across the country, with varying levels of experience, face unique challenges in each episode that test their skills with surprise restrictions, different meats, settings and themes, and strict time limits.
Participants have smokers, grills, a rotisserie, ceramic eggs and a wide range of meats, vegetables and ingredients to prepare their dishes under stressful circumstances. Many are bringing different styles and origins to their cuisine this year, from Tex-Mex to Cajun to Jamaican and even Egyptian.
Contestants are judged by barbecue masters Kevin Bludso and Melissa Cookston, who look for cooking and smoking skills as well as delicious results. Actress and comedian Michele Buteau serves as host. The show also features occasional guest judges, including barbecue master Tuffy Stone, chef and author Kwame Onwuachi and chef Matty Matheson, restaurateur and actor on the FX series “The Bear.”
One chef is chosen as the winner of each episode, one receives an honorable mention, and one person is eliminated. The winner is crowned the American Barbecue Champion and receives a $50,000 prize.
Last year’s winner, Thyron Matthews, was also from Florida but was running a catering business in Iowa when he appeared on the show.
Applications for the fourth season of “Barbecue Showdown” are now open.
Where can I watch “Barbecue Showdown”?
All three seasons of “Barbecue Showdown” are on Netflix.
Who is on Barbecue Showdown Season 3?
Season 3 contestants include:
- Gerald Vinnett, Jr., Destrehan, LA
- Kareem El-Ghayesh, Austin, Texas
- Kent Rollins, Hollis, Oklahoma
- Luis Rivera, Springfield, Illinois
- Melissa Pappas, Orlando, Florida
- Shaticka Robinson, Smyrna, Tennessee
- Sloan Rinaldi, Houston, Texas
- Staci Graves Jett, Brooksville, Kentucky
- Tung Nguyen, New Orleans, LA
“The humans that I’ve met on this show, we all say this all the time, but they’ve taken up a space in my heart that I didn’t even know I was missing,” Pappas said on social media, “and now that they’re here, it’s… I feel so fulfilled. And they’re truly incredible, talented, passionate, driven, inspiring people.”
