"Amount of flavor that you can develop" — BBQ Brawl's Maneet Chauhan on the pros and cons of live fire cooking

BBQ Brawl stars Maneet Chauhan, Antonia Lofaso, and Bobby Flay recently shared their take on the pros and cons of live fire cooking, a technique that was showcased in the June 8 episode, in which the "brawlers" had to prepare global dishes over a live fire.

In a video shared on Food Network's official Instagram handle (@foodnetwork) on June 15, 2025, the three captains shared opinions on live-fire cooking. Maneet, while speaking to the cameras, stated that the technique helped enhance the overall taste of the dish.

"I think the advantages of live fire cooking is the amount of flavor that you can develop, right? I mean, it is-- it really depends, Is it, you know, is it a long [time, or] short time? It really depends, and it has this amazing potential of adding so much depth and flavor to anything that you are cooking," she explained.

The BBQ Brawl cast member, while reflecting on the disadvantages of live fire cooking, mentioned that the primary and most common issue was that the entire cook would be at the "mercy of the environment."

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What did BBQ Brawl stars Bobby Flay and Antonia Lofaso say about live fire cooking?

The other two team captains, Tournament of Champions season 6 winner Antonia Lofaso, and Bobby Flay were asked the same question. Antonia, while speaking to the cameras, confessed that she loved live fire cooking, despite its challenges. She believed the harder the cook, the more a chef could showcase their problem-solving abilities.

Antonia then explained that multiple factors affected live fire cooking, from the sun and the ground to the wind and more. Moreover, she pointed out that the responsibility of regulating the flame also rested on the cook.

"You're responsible for the heat which is so different than being in a beautiful kitchen that has an oven that stays at 500 degrees or a fryer that lights at 400," Antonia said.

The BBQ Brawl star stated that live fire cooking not only involved fire that came from the stove but also the heat the sun produced, which according to her, made the process even more challenging.

Moreover, she explained that it required a balanced environment to deliver the desired results. However, the balanced environment, like Maneet mentioned earlier, was difficult to create because the natural elements like wind and sun were out of the chef's control.

BBQ Brawl star Bobby Flay expressed a similar sentiment, praising the impact of live fire cooking on the flavor of a dish, but at the same time, criticizing the play of external factors on the cooking technique.

"There's almost nothing better than that kind of smoky flavor from the grill whether you're cooking a burger, or something like a brisket, or doesn't really matter," he said while speaking to the BBQ Brawl cameras.

In the June 8 episode of the Food Network show, the contestants participated in a live fire cooking challenge, which saw the pros and cons mentioned earlier by the team captains come into play. While some prepared lamb chops on the grills, others used the fire to prepare kebabs.

The judges of BBQ Brawl were impressed by the overall smoky flavor of the dishes and the tender taste of the meat prepared in each. However, not everyone could utilize the advantages of the open fire, failing to infuse their dishes with the added flavors. By the end of the episode, Team Antonia was declared the winner of the challenge, whereas Alexandra from Team Maneet was sent packing.

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BBQ Brawl episodes are available to stream on Food Network.