- BYU sous chef Ruth Dubon is competing in a national cook-off in Salt Lake City.
- Dubon feels confident with her dish, citing home-court advantage and local ingredients.
- She competes against five other chefs, aiming to impress judges with her chicken dish.
SALT LAKE CITY — After cooking the same meal more than 40 times, Brigham Young University sous Chef Ruth Dubon is "confident" she has mastered her dish.
Still, heading into a national culinary cook-off in Salt Lake City this week, Dubon is feeling grateful for the benefits of a home-state advantage while competing with chefs from across the country.
"I'm really excited. I feel like I have home-court advantage, cooking in my backyard," Dubon said.
The National Association of College & University Food Services' 24th annual national culinary challenge is at the Salt Palace Convention Center on Tuesday.
No chef from Utah has ever won the competition, but competing in the same state where she has been practicing since November provides Dubon with a boost of confidence.
"I know how everything is going to cook in our altitude. And I have my local grocery stores (where) I can buy local produce from, and I know the quality I'm going to have and not have to worry about not having my ingredients," Dubon said. "So I'm just excited and grateful that it's going to be here in Utah."
Dubon will cook head to head against five other university chefs: Emily Getz from Penn State, William Reardon from Fairfield University, Jason Hilgers from Northwestern University, Jonathan Harthorn from University of Oregon and Darin Keithley from University of North Texas.
Together, all six competitors beat out 32 other chefs at the regional level to qualify for the national competition. To win at the national level, Dubon must impress a panel of judges while cooking in front of a live audience.
Dubon confessed she feels slightly "nervous" about the competition, particularly racing against the clock, but she's no stranger to competitive cooking — she's been doing it since high school, so she understands what it takes to calm her nerves and perform successfully.
"I do get a little nervous, but I just focus my mind on what I'm doing," Dubon said. "I don't focus on the judges walking past, watching what I'm doing. I just focus on the time and what I'm working on."
"I know what needs to be done at 40 minutes, what needs to be done at 30 minutes, up until the last second," she continued. "I've just got to keep my head up high, feel confident. If I do mess up, I have a Plan B, I have a Plan C."
Participating in previous cook-off competitions, like the TV show "Teen Chef Pro," cooking at several restaurants in Utah County and her degree in culinary arts from Utah Valley University have prepared Dubon to compete on a national level.
She also credited her time as a sous chef at BYU, particularly guidance she has received from her colleagues, with strengthening her skills.
"BYU has really helped me," Dubon said. "They've helped give me time to prepare up until this moment. I've had to do a lot of practicing, and so all my teammates, all my bosses, they're very supportive."
What is Dubon's dish?
Each competitor must create an original dish using a 3.25- to 3.5-pound whole fresh chicken and 1 pound of chicken liver. The dish must also feature starch, vegetables and sauce.
On Tuesday, Dubon will cook chicken and liver ballontine, with fried chicken liver, sautéed red Swiss chard and vegetables, celery puree and a savory bread pudding. "I'm trying to utilize as much of the ingredients that I can," she said.
Dubon started developing the multipart dish in November, making only minimal modifications since. She first presented the dish in March during the regional competition.
"We've tweaked a few things that we got critiqued on in the regional competition, but essentially, it's the same exact dish with just a few changes," Dubon said. "I feel ready; I feel prepared. And I feel confident in my dish."
Ahead of the competition, Dubon expressed gratitude for all the people who have provided her with support and guidance.
"I'm grateful for all the help and all the support from my family and my coworkers, all the chefs who have helped me, given me feedback, given me critiques, and, for my family, for always supporting me, for being there for me," Dubon said.
"Most importantly, I thank God, because without him, I wouldn't be able to do this."
Where is NACUFS 2025?
The NACUFS culinary challenge is on Tuesday, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.
The winner of the competition will be announced Wednesday, at 7:30 a.m.
