Geoffrey Zakarian, Amanda Freitag, Ted Allen and Moe Cason in "Chopped Grill Masters"

When it comes to cooking during the dog days of summer, the grill reigns supreme. Be it charcoal or propane, the king of outdoor cookers gives food that tasty char that just can't be replicated inside the kitchen. Plus, cooking outside doesn't heat up the house!

As has become a seasonal tradition, Food Network's "Chopped Grill Masters" returns this week on Tuesday, July 31. The five-episode special series brings together some of the country's best masters of grilling for a no-holds-barred tournament in classic "Chopped" style, with host Ted Allen overseeing the contest, regular "Chopped" judges that include Amanda Freitag and Geoffrey Zakarian sitting in judgment, and a number of guest judges, including barbecue legend Moe Cason.

This season delivers a regional twist, with each of the first four episodes featuring competing chefs from the same place. In the premiere episode, four of the best grill masters from Kansas City, Missouri, convene in the "Chopped" kitchen to vie for the title of the city's top griller. Among the ingredients hidden in the appetizer basket are some double cut pork chops that may look delicious, but cooking and assembling a dish with them in only 20 minutes is no walk in the park.

After the judging, the entrée round's basket contains a bubbly surprise that adds a sweet note to the chefs' dishes, and in the dessert round, the two remaining grill masters have to blend banana and pineapple flavors into a cohesive whole -- all while using grills to cook the mystery baskets' ingredients.

Later episodes feature grill masters from Tennessee, North Carolina and Texas, with the winning chef from each regional contest moving on to compete for the $50,000 prize and the ultimate bragging rights in the Tuesday, Aug. 28, finale. In that ultimate episode, the chefs deal with a wild and smoky ingredient in the appetizer basket and transform the classic meat and potatoes dish in the entrée round before cooking with sugary and festive ingredients in the tournament's final basket.

Summer is the season for grilling, and "Chopped" is all in with its annual Grill Masters tournament. Join host Ted Allen and the judges as the first competitors enter the "Chopped" kitchen on Tuesday, July 21, on Food Network.