Jesse Griffiths

Coming Up

Today, Jesse Griffiths is co-owner and chef at Dai Due, the lead instructor of New School of Traditional Cookery, and the owner of Dai Due Butcher Shop and supper clubs. The work reads as a deliberate accumulation of field knowledge, kitchen practice, sourcing, butchery, and the patient discipline of learning how ingredients move from landscape to plate. Rooted in Texas, his career has been built around traditional methods and around a practical view of food as something that can carry the outdoors into daily life.

Where They Are Now

In his current work, Jesse Griffiths sits at the overlap of chef, teacher, and steward of a specific food culture. At Dai Due, the name reflects a practiced, homegrown approach; as co-owner and chef, he shapes a place where hunting, cooking, butchery, and seasonal eating all operate in one frame. As the lead instructor of New School of Traditional Cookery, he translates that approach into instruction, with technique kept direct and usable. Through Dai Due Butcher Shop and supper clubs, he extends the same work beyond a single dining room, creating settings where craft and community meet at the table.

Signature

Jesse's signature dishes include Afield: A Chef’s Guide to Preparing and Cooking Wild Game and Fish, Wild Boar Burger, Mike’s Butcher Shop Hash, and Bison Lettuce Wraps. The book, Afield: A Chef’s Guide to Preparing and Cooking Wild Game and Fish, lays out the range of his knowledge and the seriousness of his subject. The Wild Boar Burger brings that approach into a more immediate format. Mike’s Butcher Shop Hash sits in the register of useful, sustaining cooking. Bison Lettuce Wraps show the same kitchen logic with a lighter touch. Together, they point to a chef focused on ingredient, preparation, and purpose.

In Their Words “I want to help people make the connection between the outdoors – fishing, hunting, foraging – and food. Great healthy, natural food.” “I about lost my mind. It was a huge, unexpected honor to be nominated again, especially for such a Texas-centric hunting book.”

Honors

Jesse's honors include James Beard Media Award winner, single subject category (2022) and James Beard Award nominee (2012). The recognition reflects work that has landed well beyond the restaurant: as an author and as a voice in conversations around food, tradition, and the outdoors.