Former professional athlete and chef Eddie Jackson shares his Texas upbringing, culinary influences and Bobby Flay stories. This week on Food Network Obsessed, host Jaymee Sire chats with former professional athlete turned chef, Eddie Jackson. He shares how his Texas roots shaped both his love of food and football and the highlight of his career with Jerry Rice. Eddie talks about his view of food through a performance perspective and if he actually believes in “cheat days.” He describes his journey to opening his own food truck and the Caribbean influences that inspire him. Eddie also shares his experience competing on—and winning—Food Network Star and his relationship and memorable stories with Bobby Flay. And don’t miss Eddie’s recommendations for his favorite Texas barbecue joints at the end of the episode.
Former professional athlete and chef Eddie Jackson shares his Texas upbringing, culinary influences and Bobby Flay stories. This week on Food Network Obsessed, host Jaymee Sire chats with former professional athlete turned chef, Eddie Jackson. He shares how his Texas roots shaped both his love of food and football. He talks about the family members who inspired him to cook from a young age, and his journey to opening his first food truck (including preparing comfort food for football teammates in college). Eddie also shares his go-to Game Day recipes. Eddie also shares his experience competing on—and winning—Food Network Star and his relationship and memorable stories with Bobby Flay. And don’t miss Eddie’s recommendations for his favorite Texas barbecue joints at the end of the episode.
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Find episode transcript here: https://food-network-obsessed.simplecast.com/episodes/eddie-jackson-on-football-food-trucks-the-best-texas-barbecue
[MUSIC PLAYING] JAYMEE SIRE: Happy Friday foodies, and welcome to Food Network Obsessed. This is a podcast where we dish on all things Food Network with your favorite Food Network stars. I am your host Jaymee Sire. And today, we have for the very first time a former professional athlete on the podcast. And you know from my background as a sports anchor, this was a very fun crossover for me.
I loved connecting with this guy on all things sports and also his favorite Texas barbecue, which is also a very important topic in my world. From NFL player, to Food Network Star winner, to host of Food Network's Christmas Cookie Challenge and Cooking Channel's Yum and Yummer. To borrow a sports term, this guy is the ultimate utility player.
And now he's joining Bobby Flay and Michael Symon on the new season of BBQ Brawl. He's had quite the journey to get where he is today, and I can't wait for you to hear all about it. Let's welcome Eddie Jackson.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Eddie, welcome to the pod. It's been a while since we've seen each other in person at least. How have you been?
EDDIE JACKSON: Well, I've been great.
JAYMEE SIRE: That's the short answer.
EDDIE JACKSON: I've been doing as good as you can possibly do with everything that's going on. So I have no complaints.
JAYMEE SIRE: All right. Well, I'm happy to hear that. I'm so excited to have you on because as we discovered when we co-hosted Beat Bobby Flay together, we actually have a ton in common. Namely, the fact that we both started out in sports and then later transitioned to food.
I spent four years at ESPN. You spent five years in the NFL playing quarterback for a handful of teams, Panthers, Dolphins, Patriots. You retired in 2009. I don't think we've ever had a professional athlete on the show before. So I would like to start with that chapter of your life. I'm curious, which was your first love? Food or football?
EDDIE JACKSON: You know what? I think food was my first love, because food was the first thing that I was introduced to. And then football-- and then sports came after that. But food for me is like-- my earliest memories from food is like when I was three years old, so.
JAYMEE SIRE: And what is that? Do you actually remember something from three years old?
EDDIE JACKSON: Well, yeah. I used to help my grandmother make biscuits in the morning, and this is before I even thought about sports. So, yeah. And so I watched my grandmother make biscuits. Every single morning I would help her out, and that's really when I fell in love with food.
JAYMEE SIRE: Do you still make grandma's biscuit recipe?
EDDIE JACKSON: It's funny that you ask that because my grandmother's biscuit recipe is actually in the Food Network magazine, and it's--
JAYMEE SIRE: Well, there you go.
EDDIE JACKSON: And it's a picture of me and my grandmother when I was three years old.
JAYMEE SIRE: Oh my gosh. I love that. I'm going to have to pick up a copy and check that out. But as you mentioned, football did become one of your loves as well. I think growing up in Texas, is that pretty much a requirement?
EDDIE JACKSON: Yeah. I mean, football in Texas, sports in Texas, period. It rules everything. Like the town shuts down Friday night. Friday night lights. It's literally how my high school days were. The whole town was shut down whenever we would play. But, yeah. So sports, football in particular, it rules in Texas.
JAYMEE SIRE: That's so funny. I actually was going to ask you like how similar your high school football experience was to Friday night lives. I'm sure people ask you that all the time. But is that really like an accurate depiction of what it's like down there?
EDDIE JACKSON: Oh, 100%. Not necessarily my school, but other schools in my district because my school was kind of in the middle of a bigger city. But other teams that we would play, like Flower Mound, Marcus, and all those type of schools in Lewisville, the town would shut down just to go watch the team play.
JAYMEE SIRE: Wow. That's awesome. Well, obviously you did pretty well because you continued on to play in college. You were signed by the Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2004. Even though you didn't hear your name called necessarily on draft day at the time, was that kind of a dream come true just knowing that you had made it to the NFL?
EDDIE JACKSON: Yeah. I mean, I would never forget that day. That day was so stressful because I was projected to be a third round draft pick. So we were fully ready to get the phone call. Phone call never came in. I was like, OK, what am I going to do? And I guess about an hour after the draft ended is when I got-- I got several calls, but I got called from Carolina. And that's one of the teams that I really wanted to go.
JAYMEE SIRE: And why is that?
EDDIE JACKSON: Well, at the time, the Panthers had just played in the Super Bowl against the Patriots. And I just fell in love with the team. They had a few guys that I knew, that I went to college with. Dante Wesley, he went to Arkansas. So he was there. He was telling me how good the facility was, how great the city was. My mom had just moved to North Carolina. So I was like, I want to go to North Carolina. And it happened. It worked out for me.
JAYMEE SIRE: That's awesome. Looking back at your career, what would you say would be your career highlight?
EDDIE JACKSON: This is the best story ever told. So I am-- I'm from Texas, right? And people automatically assume that I am a Cowboys fan, but I'm not. I'm a 49ers fan--
JAYMEE SIRE: Oh, wow--
EDDIE JACKSON: Because I grew up the hugest, hugest Jerry Rice fan. I had Jerry Rice jerseys. When I played little league, I was number 80. Jerry Rice and Bo Jackson, those were my two guys. So I was a huge 49ers fan. When I made it to the NFL, playing with the Panthers is the best story. We were playing Seattle in Seattle.
And I'm thinking it may have been like the fourth or fifth game of the season and somebody gets hurt, and they send me in there. And I'm turning, looking at the sideline trying to get the play. And I turn back around, I'm getting ready to guard this person. And I look, and it's Jerry Rice. So the very first person that I covered in my NFL career was my childhood idol, Jerry Rice. It was the best--
JAYMEE SIRE: Oh my gosh.
EDDIE JACKSON: I mean, couldn't make it up, could not make it up.
JAYMEE SIRE: How did you do against him?
EDDIE JACKSON: It was a run play. It wasn't-- if it was a pass play, he definitely would have ran past me because I was frozen solid. I was frozen. Couldn't do anything.
JAYMEE SIRE: Have you ever had a chance to tell him that story?
EDDIE JACKSON: I talked to him after the game. He actually gave me some-- gave me his gloves after the game. So I still have those gloves. Yeah.
JAYMEE SIRE: That is so cool. That is a great story. I'm curious also thinking back to your playing days and kind of what sports nutrition was like back then to how it is now. How different do you think the approach and mindset, just that evolution of people knowing more information about what they're putting in their bodies.
EDDIE JACKSON: Yeah. So it's totally different. We've learned a lot over the last-- I mean, it's 10 years ago, 12 years ago. So we've definitely learned a lot about how the body works with certain things and a lot of stuff that's starting to come to light, especially like with gluten allergies.
I can't even think of anybody when I was playing in the NFL that had gluten allergy, or knew anything about gluten. And now it's everywhere, or different types of allergies and things like that. It'll just feel like just food knowledge as a whole has grown so much over the last 10 years, specifically when it comes to nutrition.
We've just learned so much. So you're starting to see that now in these locker rooms, not just in the NFL but in college as well, to where when I go back to my school, our meal plan or what they call a training table, everything is color coordinated with calories.
A whole section of gluten-free this, or if you are a lineman, you have a green color and you can only get food from a green table because it's kind of broken down to how many calories and how many carbohydrates.
So I just think the knowledge has definitely grown over the last 10 years, and you're starting to see guys playing a lot longer, specifically like Tom Brady.
JAYMEE SIRE: He has. That's true.
EDDIE JACKSON: He attributes everything to his diet.
JAYMEE SIRE: He is very strict about his diet. That's like a whole other podcast just to dive into his diet and his strategy and all that. As an athlete, do you see food as fuel, or something that should be enjoyed?
EDDIE JACKSON: I see it both ways. I understand that food is definitely fuel, and it's so evident. If you don't eat before you work out, you become lightheaded. If you do eat, you feel amazing. My whole motto as a personal trainer is what to eat, when to eat, and how to eat. So once you understand that, what does your body need and when does your body need it? And then how do I get that in a healthy way. And once you understand that, then everything else is easy.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah. Absolutely. I mean, do you believe in the concept of a cheat day?
EDDIE JACKSON: No, 100%. You got to have a cheat day. You have to have a cheat day. I've been on this cheat day thing forever. I've been telling everybody. Now cheat day is just everywhere. But if you do what you're supposed to do and you're taking care of your body, sacrificing things that you may love or things that you may crave, you deserve to have a cheat day.
JAYMEE SIRE: I think my problem is that I have cheat days like every day, so.
EDDIE JACKSON: So you have cheat weeks.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah. Yes. I got to figure it-- get it down to one day. I think then that I would be a little bit more successful. I'm curious thinking back to your playing days, do you miss it at all? Do you miss playing football? Are you happier in what you're doing now?
EDDIE JACKSON: I'm so happy with what I'm doing now. I would say I miss it maybe like that first year I was removed from it. But once I got involved with food, food was just such another joy in mind. If there's something that I always wanted to do was just do something with food, and it's always been a part of my life. It's something that I truly have a passion for.
It helped me to transition. I didn't miss football. Of course, I missed like that first season after I retired. Watching I was like, oh, man, the excitement, the crowd, the camaraderie. I miss that, but I was also-- I felt good because I had something that-- I was doing something that I loved. So it's not like I was in accounting sitting in a cubicle. I was like-- I was cooking. This is what I grew up doing.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah. Absolutely. I mean, you became a personal trainer, and then you also opened up this Caribbean food truck in Miami, and then eventually Houston. So what did inspire you to move into the culinary world post-football?
EDDIE JACKSON: Well, I've always been around food. Like I said, both of my grandmothers were chefs growing up. So our house-- I mean, I was always around food always. So we all cook. Everyone in the family cooks. And I really started cooking at about 10 with my dad.
And that's when we moved to Dallas, and I really started getting serious with cooking and trying to learn more to the point to where when I went to college, I used to cook every single day, and I would sell plates to my teammates for $5. So I would sell like the little styrofoam to-go plates. And it was all like comfort food, like home cooked meals, like meatloaf and mashed potatoes, or like fried chicken and macaroni and cheese, or like lasagna. Just stuff that they were missing from home.
So I did that for three years in college. But no, so it just-- it was always something that I loved doing. And it was just natural. As soon as I finished playing, I had a conversation with my dad and he was like, what else do you love to do? And I was like, cooking. He was like, well, you need to do something with it. So I actually started catering first before I did the food truck.
I started a catering company in Miami to where I was catering events for all of my teammates. And I was like, if you guys-- you know how guys in the league-- they always got something going on. So I was like, man, if you've got an event going on, just let me cater for free.
And that's how I really got my feet wet. It was doing all these catering events. And I really got really good with it and people were like, oh, you need to open up a restaurant. I was like, maybe a food truck first. So that's how I got the food truck and just everything just kind of went from there.
JAYMEE SIRE: How long were you doing the free catering events for your teammates before you kind of decided to start charging?
EDDIE JACKSON: I did maybe like five and then--
JAYMEE SIRE: OK.
EDDIE JACKSON: But these guys were like going over the top. They were, you know, lobster this and tomahawk steak that. And I'm like, all right guys, look.
JAYMEE SIRE: You're like, I can't afford this. So the food truck is, you know, Caribbean food, what is your connection to that type of cuisine?
EDDIE JACKSON: So I lived in Miami for 13 years. So after I retired, I stayed in Miami. And Miami was the second team that I played for. So I spent most of my time in Miami. And I really and truly kind of fell in love with the whole Caribbean kind of a scene down there.
And it was like flavors that I wasn't accustomed to growing up in the South and in Texas where we didn't have scotch bonnets, and cooking with pimento seeds and allspice and things like that. Very fragrant spices. We didn't have that. So I fell in love with it. And I would go to Jamaica. I would go to the Bahamas and Puerto Rico. And just I started picking up all these flavors.
And that's what-- that was most of the cooking that I was doing. When I was doing these catering events, guys wanted Jamaican cuisine. They wanted Puerto Rican or Cuban. And so I really had to learn how to pull those flavors off, and that's how I really and truly fell in love with it. So I was like, what will my first truck bring? Caribbean grill.
And it's a healthier kind of cuisine. Gets a lot of flavor. But it's a lot of fresh things, fresh sea foods and lean cuts of meat. And so that's why I thought it would be a good combination to do Caribbean grill as a healthy food truck.
JAYMEE SIRE: It makes a lot of sense. But as you mentioned, you are born and raised in Houston. You're back living there now. What feels like true Texas food to you?
EDDIE JACKSON: Barbecue.
JAYMEE SIRE: Barbecue. Yeah.
EDDIE JACKSON: Texas is barbecue all day. We're very carnivorous. Yeah. We love--
JAYMEE SIRE: I support that.
EDDIE JACKSON: We love our meats. So it's all about the briskets and the steaks, and we love beef here in Texas. And it's probably like our main form of barbecue. It's like brisket, beef ribs, and everything else comes after that.
JAYMEE SIRE: Well, obviously you have your hand in a bunch of different cuisines. You talk about fitness and health, the Caribbean food, the barbecue, how would you describe your cooking style?
EDDIE JACKSON: Well, for me I pull flavors. I pull styles from just my travels. And what I think is going to hit-- and when I say hit, is going to work-- I just create it at my place here in Houston. So I have a food truck park now where I have all kinds of trucks.
JAYMEE SIRE: That's awesome.
EDDIE JACKSON: And I'm always coming up with different cuisines to try at these different trucks. So I just finished a taco truck, but it's like a taco fusion truck. So we do like bulgogi tacos, hot chicken tacos. We do have a berbere spice beef dish, beef tacos. So I just pull from just like my travels or when I go to different places.
I try to get a little bit of that cuisine to get a flavor or get an understanding of where I'm at. And I feel like that's truly how you can evolve as a chef. You know what I mean? You have to experience new things and just not get pigeonholed into one type of cuisine, in my opinion.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah. I think that makes a lot of sense. That said, I feel like everyone is always going to look to you for the game day recipes as well. If you're having friends and family over watching a football game hanging out, what are you cooking for them? Or do you not-- you prefer just to watch the game.
EDDIE JACKSON: Well, I would prefer to just watch the game, but that doesn't happen at all. So game day kind of food for me is-- I love game day food for one, you can do exactly what I was talking about. You can put spins on common classic, like sliders. You know what I mean?
So, for instance, I think in my book, I have a Jamaican jerk slider. So it's like a slider just fused with kind of those Caribbean spices. That's the type of things that I like to do. But for game day, there's a few things that are a must. You always have to have a great dip, like a great dip.
JAYMEE SIRE: Agreed.
EDDIE JACKSON: I'm a huge fan of queso. You've got, man, like queso is the way to my heart. Chile con queso, you got to have it, man. You got to have it. Secondly, you have to have amazing one-handers. One-handers are like sliders, or chicken wings are a good one-hander. Tacos could even be a one-hander. You have to have like one-hander because you always have to have a hand free for a cold beverage. Right? You've got to have a hand free for a cold beverage. I eat a beer.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah. I like your game day playbook. I think is something that resonates with a lot of people. When we come back on Food Network Obsessed, Eddie tells us about his experience on Food Network Star, and we talk about the new season of BBQ Brawl.
I always love hearing how people got their star with Food Network. We know you were doing the food truck. Obviously, it was going pretty well. So what made you decide to try out for a Food Network Star?
EDDIE JACKSON: For me, Food Network Star, I was always a huge fan. I was still a huge fan of Food Network. Bobby Flay was like my Jerry Rice. In the food world, he was like Jerry Rice. He is someone that I always looked up to and Guy Fieri. So I just remember one day-- this is random-- and I had just got finished doing another TV show maybe like a year before.
And that was-- I got on that show by accident. And so once I left that show, I kind of had this feeling, like this bug. I never, never thought I would be doing anything with food on TV. This was all about food. I was going to like, catering, maybe open up a restaurant type of thing. And then just one day I was sitting at home. I had just moved to Houston.
And I was sitting at home watching probably like-- I don't know-- Brunch at Bobby's or something. And there was a commercial. It was just like, oh, think you could be the next star of Food Network? Try out at da da da. And I said, I think I can do that. Literally, I was just like, I said it to myself. I was like, I think I can do it. So I filled out the online application, and I got a callback and did the audition, and simply I got on the show.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah. You got on the show. You did very well on the show.
EDDIE JACKSON: I did all right.
JAYMEE SIRE: What was that whole experience like for you? I mean, obviously kind of having just started to dip your toe in that world and then now having to compete against other chefs.
EDDIE JACKSON: Yeah. So for me, I think it was just like-- I kind of brought it back to me being a free agent in football. And I say that because I was competing against people that had two restaurants already, or people that had been to years and years and years of culinary school and now they've evolved, and they've been training.
One guy was a chef at Per Se in New York. That's like the cream, top of the top back then. And so I'm competing against all these people, and I consider it like they were drafted and now here I am a free agent.
Obviously, a lot of people have more experience than I did because I was-- this was like a second career for me, which I was starting out basically. And so I just knew I had to compete a lot harder than they were and take it as kind of like football for me to where-- every week we would have challenges. And if you did good, then you would move on to the next week. If you didn't, you would be in the bottom three, and they would tell what you messed up on and hopefully you can fix it.
A lot of people weren't able to do that. So whenever I would be in the bottom, they would tell me exactly what I messed up on, and I guarantee you I never did that wrong again. You know what I mean? So that's what it was for me. I took coaching is what I saw. This was coaching.
I listened to Giada and Bobby and took their criticism, and took it to heart, and would practice during the week on what they would tell me what I need to fix. And I feel like that's truly how I ended up winning because I took the criticism and worked on it.
JAYMEE SIRE: I think that's a really great point because that is one thing I would say about athletes is very open for the most part to coaching, to critique, to what can I do to be better the next day. But I'm also wondering how much did constantly always having to be in a pressure situation with the NFL, with games, how did that help you prepare for the stress of a food competition format?
EDDIE JACKSON: Yeah. So with this show, like competition shows-- like this type of show, specifically Food Network Star, it's all like ebbs and flows, ups and downs. And so me having that background-- I really believe that having that athletic background on the highest level that you could possibly be on, it's all about ebbs and flows like in the season, ups and downs.
I don't think that's normal for people to be in that kind of a setting like competition wise. Like every day is something. You could be on a high for 30 minutes and then the next 30 minutes something happens, and you're on the verge of getting sent home. That can emotionally just wreak havoc.
And I saw that in a couple of my competitors where we will do something-- they would do something amazing, then the very next day they would just totally bomb it. And they would just play with their head, play with their emotions to where they was like, OK, I'm done with this. I'm ready to go home. For me, I loved it. I loved that feeling of like, what if like-- am I going to bomb today? Am I going to-- am I going to kill it today? I thrive off of competition. And so for me, it was more fun than nerve wracking for me.
JAYMEE SIRE: Were you superstitious at all when you played football?
EDDIE JACKSON: I wasn't really superstitious. I wouldn't have a rabbit's foot in my pocket or--
JAYMEE SIRE: Not washing your socks.
EDDIE JACKSON: Yeah. Like, no, don't wash my socks or anything like that. So I never really got into superstitions or things that I needed to do like baseball guys. But, you know, baseball guys are all about superstitions.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yes. They're--
EDDIE JACKSON: But no. I never really got into that. I never really got into that.
JAYMEE SIRE: So you didn't have any superstitions then on Food Network Star before any of the big challenges or anything like that?
EDDIE JACKSON: No. I just used to-- I really and truly used to just like wing it and be myself. I'm naturally like an upbeat guy. So it wasn't like I had to try to do anything like-- you know what I mean? I was just being myself. And if they liked it, they liked it. They didn't, they didn't.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah. I mean, as we mentioned, you ended up winning your season of Food Network Star, and Bobby, Giada were your mentors. Looking back just on how far you've come since then, could you have ever imagined on finale day that you would be here today talking about all these other projects that you're doing on Food Network?
EDDIE JACKSON: I tell you what, once I won Food Network Star, I knew that this was going to be something I was going to be doing for a long time, because I'm a hard worker. And I take advantage of opportunities because I was taught like opportunities, they don't come too often. So that was the opportunity of a lifetime for me to be able to truly transition and truly forget about football.
Yes, I have forgot about football, but it wasn't-- you know what I mean? It was still there, but now it's solidified. OK. I want Food Network Star. Now this is real. So take advantage of this opportunity. So I hit the ground running literally. I was trying to do anything and everything that I could with Food Network. It was like, you want-- yes, yes. Would you be interested? Yes. You want to host this show? Yes.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yes. The answer is always yes in that situation for sure. And you talk about how much you idolize Bobby, but he really seemed to take a liking to you as well. What is it about him that you connect with as both maybe a person and a chef?
EDDIE JACKSON: So for me, the thing that I respect most about Bobby is his passion for his craft. I always gravitate, and I like people like that. And not necessarily just food but just in life. When someone truly loves what they do and you can see it, I gravitate to people like that. I also love how humble Bobby is. Bobby is the man.
So he's very humble. I'll tell you a story, and this is when I really kind of saw Bobby in a new light, and I told him this story. So it's not like it's a secret. So it was the first-- it may have been when me and you did beat-- it was like one of the first few times that I did Beat Bobby Flay. And Bobby was filming like two episodes a day. And at the time, GATO had just opened up.
I went to the hotel, and he had told me I can go. He was like, oh, you can go, blah, blah. I'll let him know you're coming. So I get there at the restaurant, and he was in there cooking. And I'm like, dude, you've been cooking all day long and now you're back at the restaurant cooking all night? And he was just like, I love it. This is what he said. He was like, I love it. I love food. I love cooking. That's what he said.
And I was like, man, that's what I'm talking about. The passion is what gets me. And then he did something. I had some friends go there, a young kid who was autistic, and he loves Bobby Flay. And this is when Bobby-- this is like right after I had won Food Network Star. So people always think and-- when they see you on TV, they think that because they see me filming a show with you or Bobby Flay, that Bobby is like my best friend in the world. No, we're cool.
So it's like, hey, can you ask Bobby to do this? And so I was like, OK, But in this situation I was like, I'll do it. So I text Bobby that I have a friend coming to his restaurant that's a huge fan. He didn't respond. My friend calls me and-- his mom calls. She's in tears. She's like, Bobby came out and took care of us and gave me all this stuff, took pictures with us.
And I just thought that was the coolest thing ever, that he took time out of his day to do that. He didn't know me personally then. We know each other better now, but this was five, six years ago. Right after I won Food Network Star, and he did that for me, for that kid. And, man, that's when I truly gained more respect for Bobby after that.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah. I love hearing that story because I think you're right. I mean, I think he's not the type of person to tell everybody when he is doing things like that. But he's doing a lot of that I think behind the scenes.
EDDIE JACKSON: He definitely does.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah. I mean, how is it-- you mentioned Beat Bobby Flay. By the way, that episode we did together is still one of my faves because it was game day and we accidentally like we were wearing complementary color. I don't know.
The whole thing was super fun. We had a blast. But having the opportunity to do that, especially after being on the other side as a competitor, how is it being on the other side of the table as a judge on some of these shows?
EDDIE JACKSON: You know what? For me, I love judging. Just my knowledge of food, I'm always learning things about food. When it comes to food, I'm like a nerd because I'm always-- I learn something new every day. And for me, with judging, I know how I like to be judged. So I like to judge people how I want to be judged.
Like tell me what you like about it and then tell me what you don't like. Or tell me how I could fix it in your opinion. Don't just, this is crap, this is-- what were you thinking? You know what some people do, but that's just not my style. I try to be as authentic as I can in my personality, in my judging style, and I think competitors-- I know I appreciate that kind of judge when they're authentic, and it seems like it's genuine and not for a camera.
JAYMEE SIRE: Absolutely. Do you think you could beat Bobby?
EDDIE JACKSON: Oh, yeah. I mean, definitely. I'm a competitor. Look, Beat Bobby Flay is all about that dish.
JAYMEE SIRE: What is your dish? What's your signature dish?
EDDIE JACKSON: Oh, man. There's so many things that I know I could make better than Bobby. I mean, but there's like--
JAYMEE SIRE: Let's hear.
EDDIE JACKSON: But the problem is there's like hundreds of thousands of things that Bobby can make better than me.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yes. He's incredible.
EDDIE JACKSON: He's incredible.
JAYMEE SIRE: It blows me away every single time.
EDDIE JACKSON: He's incredible. And the thing with that is you have to be specific. Like if we were to do charbroiled oyster challenge, I would beat Bobby. I know I would beat Bobby.
JAYMEE SIRE: Putting it out there. We'll see if you get the call to try your luck. Speaking of Bobby, you joined Bobby and Michael Symon on the upcoming season of BBQ Brawl, which just wrapped in Austin. So you've kind of come full circle now.
You were cooking for him on Star, and now you're joining him on BBQ Brawl with his BFF Michael Symon. What's it like going from Bobby the mentor to Bobby the co-host and rival captain?
EDDIE JACKSON: Well, for me, I don't care that Bobby is Bobby Flay. He's the man. I still give him crap. I talk so much smack to him. And I think that's why we kind of hit it off because I wasn't nervous around him. I just started talking smack to him like he was my best friend.
Like the first episode that we filmed there, I was cracking jokes. I was like, man, are you really wearing those skinny jeans today, bro? And he was like, what? Are they too skinny? And me and Michael looked at each other like, go take those off, man.
So just stuff like that, just because we have a mutual respect for each other and we both-- and he knows the type of person that I am when it comes to competing and my love for food, my passion for food. And so I feel like that's why we just click, and we don't take each other too seriously outside of competing against each other. But once it's time to start competing, then yes. But outside of that, we have so much fun together and we just click.
JAYMEE SIRE: What were the days like on set with Bobby and Michael? Is there bromance as strong as ever?
EDDIE JACKSON: I'm not going to lie, the bromance was wafting in the air. It was wafting in the air. But no. Me and Michael-- So I have actually done some work with Michael as well on a few things, you know, from the two in his show BBQ Brew and Que. I have done a few episodes of that. But we all just click together.
We have a common love of sports. They're both huge sports guys. So obviously, we have that in common. We love barbecuing and grilling. So we have that in common. And we are-- all three of us, we like to win. So just having those three things in common, I mean, it was enough smack talking each day to last three seasons.
JAYMEE SIRE: That's awesome. I know you also learned a lot about barbecue from your dad. How excited were you to share that experience with your team on the show?
EDDIE JACKSON: Yeah. So my dad, like I said, my grandmother was a chef. So my dad learned how to barbecue at a very young age, but like old school style to where they would dig a hole in the ground and fill it with charcoal and wood or whatever they using, and that's how they would barbecue. So that's one of the first forms of barbecue, like real barbecuing, like hole in the ground, the mattress wiring, that kind of stuff. That's the real OG barbecuing.
But, no. So my dad kind of taught me all of my-- just kind of old school techniques when I was young. When I was 10, 11, 12, we would cook on the patio of our apartment, very small charcoal grill and kind of evolved from there. Every year it seemed like we got a bigger brisket smoker and bigger smoker and was cooking bigger cuts of meat. That's where we were doing whole hogs.
I remember we started out making burgers when I was like 10. And then by the time I was 17, we were cooking whole hogs. So I just kind of grew and grew every year. And we kind of grew together learning barbecue and stuff like that, which I thought was-- looking back on, I think it was really cool that we had that experience together.
JAYMEE SIRE: That's super special. I'm sure you learned a lot as well even from your own team. What sort of tricks of the trade did you pick up from some of the pit masters on your team?
EDDIE JACKSON: More so, I was giving them tricks and things. But for me, it's all about flavoring and learning how to layer spices and layer seasonings and layer flavor. And as a pit master, a lot of times you don't have an understanding of that.
But because I do-- I'm so versed in so many different types of cuisines and cook so many different things, I kind of have a different understanding of layering flavors. So with barbecue guys, it's all about season up the meat, smoke it, and then like-- I'm like, no, we got to do some more layering of flavor. So we're just teaching them how to season everything as you go.
If you add something to a pot, you season it, no matter what. Onions, season, tomato sauce, season. As soon as you add something to a pot, you need to season as you go. So that was it more than anything. Those guys on that show and ladies were so, so talented. Oh my gosh, so talented.
And the main thing was teaching them how to get through a competition like that, because on that show, it's much kind of Food Network Star. It's where you have those ebbs and flows and you needed to understand how to bounce back really quickly because in TV-- TV world, it looks like it's a week, but it's really just like a day. You know what I mean? So I was like, oh, next week-- and they're like, no, tomorrow.
JAYMEE SIRE: Tomorrow.
EDDIE JACKSON: So you got to bounce back. Forget what you just did. So that was more of-- there was more coaching than anything because they have the skills, obviously. They're like some of the best pit masters in the country. So it's just understanding how to navigate through the competition is where I came into play.
JAYMEE SIRE: Speaking of TV world, I mean, usually you're kind of jet-setting all over the place to film these different shows. You actually got to stay in your home state for this one. I mean, what was that like to be able to-- I mean, even though it was Austin, not Houston, but kind of be able to stick close to home?
EDDIE JACKSON: Well, I felt good because first, I was able to drive there. So I had transportation every day. Austin itself, I grew up going to Austin all the time. Austin is our capital. So this is where we would go for our field trips when we were kids. Like go to see the capital. And all of the state track meets are held in Austin.
Austin holds a special place in my heart because I have so many memories growing up in Texas like going to Austin for everything. All the festivals are usually in-- all the good ones at least are in Austin, food festivals. And everything is in Austin. So it just felt good to be in my own backyard filming this amazing show with people just in my state.
JAYMEE SIRE: You've been on your fair share of baking shows as well, hosting Christmas Cookie Challenge, what would you say your baking skills are on a scale of 1 to 10?
EDDIE JACKSON: So my baking skills are actually like 10 out of 10.
JAYMEE SIRE: Really?
EDDIE JACKSON: Yeah. But see, I'm not a decorator though. My decorating is totally different. When it comes to baking, that's one of the first things that I learned with my grandmother. My grandmother was-- both of them were amazing bakers.
So I started out baking things first, lots of pastries and scones and biscuits and stuff like that. But when it comes to decorating now, the show I do-- the cookie show-- that's a whole other level. That's like artistry that's, you know, no. I understand it. I understand the techniques behind it, but I just never have done it.
JAYMEE SIRE: What is your favorite thing to bake? Is it the biscuits or something else?
EDDIE JACKSON: So my favorite thing to bake is I love pie. I love a couple of different types of pies. So pies and cakes, cookies of course. I love cookies. I love cookies.
JAYMEE SIRE: Are you a big sweets person?
EDDIE JACKSON: I'm a moody sweets person.
JAYMEE SIRE: A moody sweets person. What does that mean?
EDDIE JACKSON: So when I'm in the mood for sweets, I can't stop. Like last night, I ate like six chocolate chip cookies. But before that, I'm just not a sweets person.
JAYMEE SIRE: So you're not like, I need dessert after every meal--
EDDIE JACKSON: No, no.
JAYMEE SIRE: But if you're craving it, you go all in.
EDDIE JACKSON: If I'm craving it, it's going to be a problem.
JAYMEE SIRE: Does Ree ever let you grab a bite of cookie after judging?
EDDIE JACKSON: Now, it's different now.
JAYMEE SIRE: Oh, it's different?
EDDIE JACKSON: Yes, it's different. So, yeah.
JAYMEE SIRE: Give me the update.
EDDIE JACKSON: So now I actually judge the cookies and taste the cookies and eat the cookies.
JAYMEE SIRE: Well, that's exciting.
EDDIE JACKSON: Yeah. So last season was the first season that we started doing that. But the three seasons before that, I used to tell Ree, I was like, yo, if the cookie is good, I need you to just put it underneath the desk. You know how to have like a cubby hole where you keep your phone at?
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah.
EDDIE JACKSON: You know what I'm talking about. I'm like, just put it underneath the cubby hole.
JAYMEE SIRE: So you were sneaking some cookies--
EDDIE JACKSON: I used to sneak the cookies--
JAYMEE SIRE: And they finally decided like, all right, Eddie, we're just going to let you--
EDDIE JACKSON: So now they let me taste the cookies and eat the cookies.
JAYMEE SIRE: That's awesome. What about your show Yum And Yummer on Cooking Channel? Tell us about that.
EDDIE JACKSON: Yeah. So Yum And Yummer is a really cool show. All we do is talk about delicious food all over the world. Not just here in the States, but just food all over the world. In each episode, I kind of give themes to where we'll have an episode that's all about cheesiness and cheese.
And so it's just like the most indulgent foods from all over the world that involve cheese, or like we've done a whole-- recently, we just finished an episode that was all about fruits. And so how people use fruits in savory ways as well as sweet ways.
We did a really cool episode that I was proud of that was all Black-owned restaurants. So we did Black-owned local restaurants. And that was a really cool show. And we featured people just all over the country in that episode, which we thought was really cool.
JAYMEE SIRE: That's awesome. What's the most memorable dish or place you've had a chance to visit with that show?
EDDIE JACKSON: So the best place is-- I think was Rodney Scott's. Rodney Scott is a huge barbecue guy. He was actually a judge on the show BBQ Brawl. But his place is just so nostalgic, so old school the way they cook, and everybody in the barbecue world knows who he is. And he just had a cookbook come out too that I think is like a best seller. So that was the coolest, probably the coolest episode and the place that I've been to.
JAYMEE SIRE: That's awesome. I've heard nothing but wonderful things. So I'll have to check it out at some point.
EDDIE JACKSON: Don't watch it hungry though. Do not watch when you're hungry. Some of the stuff is just over the top.
JAYMEE SIRE: All right. Well, if you need a co-host ever, let me know. I'm available. Sounds like a dream job. It's been so much fun talking to you and catching up. I'm going to end with some rapid fire questions and then our final question that we ask everybody here on Food Network Obsessed. So are you ready for the rapid fire?
EDDIE JACKSON: I guess.
JAYMEE SIRE: All right. Let's go. They're easy, I promise. Dry rub or marinade?
EDDIE JACKSON: Dry rub.
JAYMEE SIRE: Beef ribs or brisket?
EDDIE JACKSON: Brisket.
JAYMEE SIRE: Favorite style of barbecue sauce?
EDDIE JACKSON: Oh, man. That's tough. I'm going to go with Carolina.
JAYMEE SIRE: OK. All right. Little mustard--
EDDIE JACKSON: Little vinegar--
JAYMEE SIRE: Based barbecues. Yeah. Best receiver you've ever covered?
EDDIE JACKSON: Randy Moss.
JAYMEE SIRE: Favorite coach you've played for?
EDDIE JACKSON: Bill Belichick.
JAYMEE SIRE: I wanted to ask you some where Belichick questions earlier, but I figured our food audience would maybe want to know more about the food stuff, so. We'll have to get into that next time. Push-ups or pull-ups?
EDDIE JACKSON: Push-ups.
JAYMEE SIRE: Favorite snack?
EDDIE JACKSON: My favorite snack is chili-lime peeled pistachios.
JAYMEE SIRE: Oh. That sounds delicious.
EDDIE JACKSON: I love pistachios. But the ones that's already peeled, you can just eat them.
JAYMEE SIRE: You end up eating a lot more though when they're not cracked open for you. Best thing you've ever made?
EDDIE JACKSON: In life?
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah.
EDDIE JACKSON: The best thing I ever made in life?
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah.
EDDIE JACKSON: Oh, Man. What?
JAYMEE SIRE: OK. You don't have to answer that one.
EDDIE JACKSON: Yeah. That's ridiculous.
JAYMEE SIRE: What about best thing you've ever cooked? Do you have that one?
EDDIE JACKSON: Best thing I've ever cooked. Man, there are so many different things. OK. The first time I made-- this is not the best thing. This is like one thing that stands out to me. The first time I mastered how to do like whole Jamaican Escovitch fish, which is just whole fish skin on, red snapper, but properly seasoned with pickled veggies. I remember the first time I had it in Jamaica, and I fell in love. And it took me a few times to master it. But when I did, it was so good.
JAYMEE SIRE: That sounds delicious. Well, our final question is something we ask everybody here on Food Network Obsessed, and that would be what would be on the menu for your perfect food day? So breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert. There are basically no rules for this question. So you can time travel or you can just travel in general. Money is not an issue. It's your day. So how about it?
EDDIE JACKSON: OK. So I will have to start off the day with my grandma Geraldine's biscuits and her peach preserves. For lunch, I would have to have a place called Monroe's. All of this stuff is just going to be nostalgic. Nobody's going to know what the hell I'm talking about.
JAYMEE SIRE: I like nostalgic answer.
EDDIE JACKSON: Nobody is going to know what I'm talking about. I used to eat these hot dogs growing up in Americus, Georgia. And it's actually been featured on Food Network, Monroe's Hot Dogs in Americus, Georgia. And it's still there. It has been around for-- I want to say-- I'm 40 years old, so it's been around maybe 45, 50 years, and till this day it's like the best hot dog I've ever had. I don't know what they put in their hot dog and the chili. But that's what I'm going to do for lunch.
JAYMEE SIRE: OK.
EDDIE JACKSON: My dinner is going to be-- I have to have a family dinner, right? So my family dinner would be my grandmother's dressing-- like I'm a sucker for Thanksgiving. So dressing, my auntie's macaroni and cheese. She makes the best-- auntie Maddy makes the best macaroni and cheese, hands down.
My grandma Ruth's fried chicken. Got to have the fried chicken. And for dessert, my grandmother used to make caramel cake. And to this day, I've not seen it, and only people that make it is people in my family. And it is the best cake in the world, homemade caramel icing.
JAYMEE SIRE: I love it.
EDDIE JACKSON: So that's how I'm going out. Nobody knows what I'm talking about. And I probably-- I felt like I was on an episode of like $40 a Day because that only costs me about 10 bucks for my whole day.
JAYMEE SIRE: Well, I mean, I like it. I said there's no rules. So you didn't have to spend absurd amounts of money.
EDDIE JACKSON: I'm not a fancy guy. I'm not a fancy guy.
JAYMEE SIRE: Yeah. No, I appreciate the nostalgia. I think that I would definitely have some of those answers in mine as well. Plus it comes full circle because we started off talking about your grandma's biscuits and we end that way as well.
It was so much fun chatting with you. I know my followers will definitely appreciate all of the sports talk, but I love when my two worlds collide. So I loved talking about food and sports with you, and thank you so much for the time.
EDDIE JACKSON: Oh, Jaymee, it's always a pleasure.
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JAYMEE SIRE: So good having Eddie on the podcast and talking a little sports again. That was a lot of fun. I personally would love to see an Eddie and Bobby face off. I don't know about you guys. Maybe we can make that happen. You can catch more of Eddie though on the new season of BBQ Brawl premiering on Food Network on Monday, June 14 at 9:00/8:00 Central.
As always, thanks so much for listening, and make sure you follow us wherever you listen to your podcast so you don't miss a single thing. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to rate and review. We love it when you do that. That's all for now. We'll catch you foodies next Friday.
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