In some cultures, live-fire is the primary method of cooking. For most of us in America, it’s considered a pastime or a hobby, rather than the standard way of cooking. For Chef Lisseth Campos, cooking over live-fire became a necessity after a hurricane knocked out power to her family's home for weeks.
Chef Lisseth wasn’t entirely new to the BBQ scene. Growing up in Venezuela, weekend BBQs were the norm. And she grew up close to the meat; her mother’s husband owned carnicerias (or butcher shops). Even though BBQs and butcher shops were commonplace to her, grilling was not. So, while many might start their grilling journey with something simpler like hot dogs or hamburgers, Lisseth jumped right in with top sirloin steak.
As Chef Lisseth says herself, “Fire teaches you fast,” and learn fast she did. In no time, she went from a basic charcoal grill to a Large Big Green Egg.
In fact, her Big Green Egg experience started on a semi-gifted Egg that had been placed out in her cousin’s neighbor’s driveway for free during the pandemic. What her cousin described as looking “pretty nice” turned out to be a turning point in her grilling career. Now? She makes everything — and we mean everything — on her Egg.
Salmon, apple cake, bok choy, pizza… these are just a few examples of Lisseth’s go-to dishes. But her absolute favorite meal to make on the Egg? Thanksgiving dinner. No, seriously! And not just the turkey, either. The whole bird and the baked sides: green bean casserole with mushrooms, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and even the gravy!
The food isn’t the only thing to love about her favorite holiday. No one is working on Thanksgiving, so the whole family can get together and cook together. There’s nothing like those moments when you’re all together, enjoying each other and a great meal at the same time.
The challenge of cooking an entire Thanksgiving meal on one Big Green Egg might make the average grillmaster sweat (in more ways than one), but Lisseth takes it as a challenge.
As she continues to stretch her imagination with new dishes and more challenging recipes, she looks to her mentors for inspiration and guidance. While many of her mentors in the live-fire space have been men, she finds her calling as a woman leading the next generation of live-fire chefs.
“Fire doesn’t care if you’re a man or a woman. If you’ve got the passion, let it burn and let it show.”
She instills this in her two daughters, who grill side by side with her for most meals at home, even producing cooking videos together on Instagram. Her youngest daughter is the director; her oldest daughter is the baker. Together, they enjoy baking pizzas on the Egg. The convection bakes an excellent pie, and it’s done cooking within 5 minutes or less.
The family is so fond of the Egg pizza that they threw a pizza party in the backyard for their daughter’s 10th birthday. The attendees were astonished— and inspired — that the pizzas came straight from the Big Green Egg.
The next challenge Lisseth will face is quite literally a head-to-head challenge. This year, she will introduce a dinner event series — fire vs. fire, if you will — featuring two chefs cooking head-to-head to introduce diners to “good eating in a conscious experience.”
Her goal is to show others how to love themselves through healthy eating by teaching them how to eat well, incorporating new vegetables, and emphasizing the importance of choosing high-quality meats and proteins. Making (and eating) food is how Lisseth shows love, and she’s on a journey to teach others how to eat to love, too.
When she’s not cooking with family, creating Instagram cooking shows with her kids, or hosting a dinner event, you can find Chef Lisseth at Un Pollo, her roasted chicken restaurant, in the Miami, Florida area.
Meet the Women of Fire
Lisseth is part of an extraordinary movement in the world of live-fire. Women all over the country are blazing their trails in front of the flames — and we’re showcasing a few of the special ones. Meet the other inspirational grillers, pitmasters, and live-fire chefs of our Women of Fire series.
