COMPETITOR

Papi On the Patio

HEAD COOK: Roger Donohoe

COMPETITION: World Live Fire Championship

When Roger was a young boy he made a small BBQ grill from an old Coke can and used it to grill a hot dog. That was the day his passion for live fire cooking was born. For years his urge to grill stood in check by the inconveniences of time, money, and a lack of knowledge. No one in his immediate family ever used a grill, so everything he needed to learn would have to be self initiated. As an adult Roger’s grilling passions grew slowly but when he went through a divorce, he needed a way to keep his mind from dwelling on the negatives. He went to the local Sam's Club store and bought a brisket. After watching several YouTube videos, he was excited to put his new found expertise into action. A long 14 hours later, he pulled the masterpiece from the smoker, sliced it up, took a bite and promptly spit it out. A few years later, and after hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars worth of practice, and after being encouraged by several now well-fattened neighbors, he entered his first competition. It did not go well, but after more practice and learning Roger began to take walks on a regular basis. In May of 2023 he became the first person in the Western USA to get a perfect score on a Steak Cookoff Association steak. It is still the only perfect score in the Southwestern USA. He is currently the Utah points leader for SCA. Roger competes in SCA as well as KCBS and other BBQ competitions. He has had multiple Grand Championships, 50 top 5 finishes, and almost 70 top 10 finishes in his 3 years competing.