Steve McHugh

Four-time James Beard Foundation Awards’ finalist for “Best Chef: Southwest,” and 2020 and 2022 finalist for “Best Chef: Texas,” Steve McHugh is the chef and owner of Cured in San Antonio, Texas. The restaurant is endowed with a name that celebrates his successful battle against cancer, as well as the artisanal cured meats that are the foundation of his menu.

Cured has been recognized as a runner up for Esquire’s “Best New Restaurants in America”, and was named to Eater National’s list of “38 Essential Texas Restaurants.” McHugh’s sustainability efforts brought him to participate in the James Beard Chef Action Summit at Princeton University, where industry leaders convened to work towards positive policy changes. McHugh was also involved in a month-long virtual James Beard Boot Camp supporting equity in the hospitality industry. McHugh was recognized for the second time in 2022 by the James Beard Foundation as a Smart Catch Leader for his use of the purest regional ingredients paired with organic methods. And the International Fresh Produce Association named Chef Steve McHugh a winner of the 2022 Produce Excellence in Foodservice Award.

In 2024, McHugh was named as the Executive Curating Chef for the Spurs Club, from Spurs Sports & Entertainment. The members-only social club and private dining is situated in the new Victory Capital Performance Center. McHugh leads the culinary direction of the club, designing the complete food menu and the beverage program for the restaurant and bars within the club.

McHugh released his first cookbook, Spring 2024 — Cured: Cooking with Ferments, Pickles, Preserves, & More. Transforming ingredients into extraordinary culinary dishes, this cookbook doesn’t just show how to preserve foods — McHugh shares the cornerstone of his cooking — elevating produce that tastes of the sun and of the fertile fields from America’s lands. With over 150 curated recipes, the book is a definitive guide on cooking with preserved foods, from pickles and jams to charcuterie and mustards. Discover an arsenal of techniques for curing ingredients like meat and seafood, fermenting vibrant vegetables, transforming fruit into jam, and more — all with the goal of capturing seasonal ingredients at the peak of flavor to showcase the best of the past and present.