UC Riverside chef Burke Reeves is training with the focus of an athlete for perhaps the most intense 60 minutes of his professional career.

“I shuck a bunch of oysters,” Reeves said. “It’s just constantly practicing and getting faster.”

Reeves, 47, of Corona, is preparing to head to Providence, Rhode Island, on July 11 to compete in the National Association of College and University Food Services’ Culinary Challenge.

Reeves will represent UC Riverside, where he’s been executive chef of residential dining for the past five years.

He earned his place in the competition in March after winning the gold medal at the Pacific Coast Regional Challenge in Salt Lake City, beating out 15 other chefs. The win marked the first time UCR has won any regional conference culinary competition – and it was Reeves’ first competitive event.

“I’m excited because I’m representing UCR and I’m representing Riverside at a national level,” he said.

Andy Plumley, UCR’s assistant vice chancellor, auxiliary services, said he’s just as excited to have the university spotlighted.

“Chef Burke and his team delight us here on campus every day with menus that are healthy and flavorful,” Plumley said. “The university’s goal is excellence in everything, and UCR dining plays a critical role in fostering an excellent sense of campus community. We’re pleased to share (Reeves’) culinary artistry with the rest of the country for a week, so long as he promises to come back to us.”

The winning dish that Reeves will attempt to re-create on the national stage is something he calls “An Ocean’s Garden.”

“We had to use oysters, clams and squid,” he said of the official rules. “So, I came up with this Japanese-style dish.”

An Ocean’s Garden features littleneck clams with a matcha green tea miso broth. There’s also sweet Thai chili ponzu oyster shooters, served chilled over pink salt crystals. Then, there’s the spicy squid, kombu, togarashi fried egg and vegetable sauté to top it all off. The entire entrée is infused with hickory smoke that’s trapped under a crystal glass dome before serving.

“You’ve got that Japanese mystic smoke, and it gave it a good aromatic,” Reeves said, adding that the true secret to making the dish work is being careful not to overcook the seaweed or turn the squid into, well, rubber.

But the national event will further test Reeves’ mettle in the kitchen, judging him not only on the food, but also scrutinizing his organization, culinary technique and style. He also will have to race the clock, with only five minutes to set up his cooking station and one hour to replicate his winning dish from start to finish. Adding to the pressure will be a live audience of college and university food-service professionals, industry experts and judges.

“You’re judged on your organization, your execution, your waste, your food quality,” he said. “They’re looking at all of that. There’s a lot of pressure, but I’m super prepared and I’m very organized.”

He’s also ready to wow the judges with a little extra showmanship, which Reeves draws upon from his early days as a reggae and hip-hop musician.

“I change that nervousness to excitement,” he said. “I’m explaining to the judge what’s in my dish and giving them a tasting spoon. I’m making crazy faces and just having fun. I’m starting to loosen up a bit.”

Winning the competition would net Reeves a trophy, $500 and industry prestige, but he said he’s mostly interested in representing the university and his students well.

“This honor means a lot to me because it shows a level of excellence that the UCR dining team brings,” he said. “Win, lose or draw out of this contest, I know I have a great dish.”