Chief Master Sgt. Brian Hornback, Air Force Global Strike Command command chief, presents the Warrior Chef trophy to the winners of the quarterly challenge, Airman 1st Class Edward Hurtado, left, and Airman 1st Class Kyle Murphy, both 10th Missile Squadron missile chefs. Hornback was the presiding judge in the challenge. The two competitors will have their name engraved on the coveted Warrior Chef trophy as 2012’s 2nd-Quarter Warrior Chef Competition winners. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Katrina Heikkinen)
Senior Airmen Brady Robertson, left, and Marvin Lat, both 12th Missile Squadron missile chefs, peal mangos in preparation for their dish of Korean ribs. The two incorporated Maraschino cherries into their meal by adding them to candied mangos. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Katrina Heikkinen)
Staff Sgt. Jeanne Smith, 819th RED HORSE Squadron services member, left, slices red peppers as Staff Sgt. Ernesto Roman-Cruz, 819th RHS services member, cuts an avocado to prepare guacamole to add to their pork tenderloin dish during the 2nd-Quarter Warrior Chef Competition at Sun Plaza Park on June 28. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Katrina Heikkinen)
The entrée scoring the most points from the judges and earning first place was barbecue turkey drumsticks, bacon with asparagus and garlic roasted tomatoes. Airman 1st Class Kyle Murphy and Edward Hurtado, 10th Missile Squadron missile chefs, created the dish. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Katrina Heikkinen)
by Airman 1st Class Katrina Heikkinen
341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
7/6/2012 - MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- Warm temperatures and blue skies made for a perfect setting for the quarterly Warrior Chef competition held at Sun Plaza Park on June 28 as 10 of Malmstrom's best chefs brought their barbecue recipes to the grill.
Representatives from the 10th Missile Squadron were Airman 1st Class Edward Hurtado and Airman 1st Class Kyle Murphy; from the 12th Missile Squadron were Senior Airmen Marvin Lat and Brady Robertson; from the 490th Missile Squadron were Senior Airmen Robert Reichensperger and Jamel Prevost; from the 341st Force Support Squadron were Staff Sgt. Celia Morse and Airman 1st Class Heather Parks; and from the 819th RED HORSE Squadron were Staff Sgts. Jeanne Smith and Ernesto Roman-Cruz.
Teams had 90 minutes to prepare their barbeque meal. The secret ingredients, however, were thrown at them minutes before preparation.
"We couldn't pass up this opportunity to hold the competition outside because it's such a beautiful day," said Tech. Sgt. Brian Cool, 341st Operations Group chef superintendant. "Another twist we threw into the challenge was giving the contestants tri-tip steak as well as Maraschino cherries [for their secret ingredients]."
Judging the competition were Chief Master Sgt. Brian Hornback, Air Force Global Strike Command command chief, Ingrid Callahan, 341st FSS chief of the force development flight, and Jim Thul, formerly known as "Jim the Barber." Meals were judged on texture, creativity and originality, taste, appearance and plate presentation, honoring theme ingredients, and dress and appearance.
The 10th MS took home the coveted trophy for the first time. Their winning dish, barbecue turkey drumsticks, bacon with asparagus and garlic roasted tomatoes earned many compliments from the judges.
"The flavor just melts in my mouth and the tomato is so good," Callahan said.
This was Hurtado's second time competing and Murphy's first. Both competitors were humble and surprised of their win.
"I was a little shocked when I found out we won," Murphy said. "But everything turned out good and the tomatoes were very rich in flavor. I'm very appreciative and honored to take the trophy home."
