Fort Worth chef Tim Love reigns supreme on Iron Chef

by Teresa Gubbins

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The mystery ingredient was chiles.

Tim Love, chef-owner of Lonesome Dove, Duce, and Love Shack, won his challenge on Iron Chef, the Food Network show that pits visiting chefs against the show's panel of resident chefs.

The show, which premiered on May 20, had Love competing against Masaharu Morimoto with the mystery ingredient chiles.

Love opened his menu with a chile-infused margarita, followed by a surf-and-turf course, and a chocolate-chile cheesecake accompanied by a trio of teas that wowed judge Jeffrey Steingarten.

Morimoto confessed up front that he wasn't familiar with chiles, but still managed to lose by only one point.

Savvy viewers might wonder why Love didn't compete against chef Bobby Flay, whose strength in Southwestern cuisine makes him the more obvious foe but who is rumored to have rejected Love's request for a match-up. (A Food Network spokesman says he can't confirm that rumor.)

Love and his two assistant chefs wore cowboy hats and repeatedly interrupted the hour-long cooking contest with shots of Tuaca, the vanilla-flavored liqueur served at Duce.

Food Network will re-air the show numerous times on Thursday May 24 and Sunday May 27.

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