The Pitmaster's Podcast - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

Hang out with Big John and Kim of Big John's BBQ Mar 05, 2026

Show notes

We're Big John's BBQ out of Las Vegas. I am the head pit master - Big John Bowman. My BBQ journey started in Kansas City in 2009 when my wife Kim worked with the marketing agency for the American Royal BBQ—so I got to meet and taste BBQ from top competitors, and I was instantly hooked. I bought a cheap offset smoker, started learning everything I could, and when we moved back home to Vegas, it grew from cooking for friends and church gatherings into catering events and weddings. In 2015, I launched Big John's competition bbq team and started competing. Since then we've done numerous Nevada BBQ Association events, 16 KCBS contests, and a few SCA events, with highlights like 1st place brisket at the 2024 Golden State Battle in Hollister, CA, and Grand Champion at the 2025 KCBS BBQ Jackpot in Las Vegas. We're currently ranked 4th in the KCBS Master Series—and we're a family team: my wife Kim, my parents Rocky and Sandy, and my Brother Doug.

Uncle Jesse's BBQ team make the BBQ World Cup Feb 26, 2026

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Brennon Nielson and Nate Benson tell us about Slab O Rama and their Reserve Grand Champion win to qualify them for the 2027 BBQ World Cup and a shot at 1 million dollars!

BBQ World Cup Update Feb 19, 2026

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A brand-new global BBQ World Cup has just launched, with a $1 million prize purse. The event links 40+ qualifying barbecue competitions worldwide from the U.S. to Australia, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, New Zealand and the U.K. into one global championship season. The finals are scheduled for April 2027 in Las Vegas.

Join us and Daniel Vaughn, Underseasoned's #1 Most Influential Person in BBQ Feb 12, 2026

Show notes

Named #1 by The Underseasoned BBQ show's 150 most influential people in bbq Daniel Vaughn is the barbecue editor for Texas Monthly and arguably the most influential voice in smoked meat today. He didn't just define what great barbecue is, but helped create the culture of standing in line for it. • Barbecue Editor at Texas Monthly and the only full-time barbecue journalist in the U.S. • Author of The Prophets of Smoked Meat and co-author of Whole Hog BBQ • Current editor of the Texas Monthly Top 50 known the bible of barbecue in Texas, and therefore, the world • Curator of the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival, held annually since 2010

Meet AJ Garza of God's Country BBQ The first BBQ World Cup Qualifier Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

I've been in the competitive scene for five years now. In 2022, I clinched the coveted title of Team of the Year in Brisket from the Champions Barbecue Alliance Association. Over the past few years, I've proudly secured two top-3 brisket finishes at the fiercely competitive San Antonio Rodeo, where the stakes are high with nearly 300 teams competing. What really keeps me going, though, is the bond I've formed with fellow BBQ enthusiasts. It's not just about winning. It's about the friendships and sense of community we've built.

Fat Plate BBQ, Tasting Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

At Fat Plate BBQ, everything began with a passion for outdoor cooking. What began as a weekend hobby in our own backyard quickly turned into a passion for creating bold and creative flavors that help make your next cook your best cook. I first caught the BBQ bug over a decade and a half ago, after buying a used Primo Oval XL from Craigslist. Probably 35 different cookers later, Fat Plate BBQ was born. Somewhere in the middle of that timeline, I started competing in as many sanctioned and unsanctioned BBQ contests as I could find. Just as my competition journey was picking up, COVID hit and shut down most comps anywhere near me. My desire to continue scratching that BBQ itch manifested itself in a slightly different way. With a background in tech, I decided to use the pandemic caused downtime to start an online BBQ supply store: boostyourbbq.com. Boost Your BBQ put me in a unique position to work with highly successful teams and contacts from all across the country. I was able to use my knowledge of competition BBQ to source products, help others on their BBQ journey, and just straight up learn everything I could. At this time, the SCA had a heavy presence on the East Coast, and I started competing regularly there. Personal commitments started demanding more of my time. I was lucky enough to become a father of two kids that I wanted to spend more time with, but also my parents' health began to rapidly decline, so I sold Boost Your BBQ and took a step back from competing. My wife and I cater upon request using our line of seasonings we've spent years perfecting, and I never wanted anyone to run out of food or feel like the BBQ wasn't a good value, so we have become known for our large portion sizes (a big old fat plate of BBQ), so Fat Plate BBQ it was. Our line of seasonings have been developed from our competition recipes and feedback from highly successful KCBS teams. Fat Plate BBQ rubs have helped many teams win MULTIPLE GC's, RGC's, 180's and Golden Tickets. Our Beef Blanket rub was part of the recipe for the FIRST EVER DOUBLE PERFECT SCA scores (West Newton, PA). Our sponsored teams have placed highly at hundreds of KCBS competitions and the Jack. Fat Plate BBQ's main goal is to create killer flavor profiles that don't taste like everything else on the market. We go for creative and unique, but still "covering the bases" to achieve traditional flavor profiles. Our rubs compliment each other, and lend themselves well to layering flavors. Our soon to be released products, really raise the bar and fill the gaps in the rub and sauce categories and add to our unique offerings.

Hot Takes Jan 22, 2026

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Let's talk about some BBQ topics that get people engaged on social media.

Meet Chris Bentley, of Bentley BBQ Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

Chris Bentley of Bentley BBQ—Alabama-based pitmaster and content creator known for bold backyard BBQ, grills, smokers, and rotisserie cooking. From low-and-slow classics to hot-and-fast favorites (and even homemade ice cream), Bentley brings real-deal flavor and fire to everything he cooks.

Meet Misty Banchero, The Seattle Butchers Wife Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

Misty is a Seattle, Washington native with a love affair with meat. She shares her "Stories of a Seattle meat man's wife" on social platforms and may be better known as @SeattleButchersWife. Her marriage into a 3rd generation meat family was a kickstart for Misty's BBQ journey. Shifting from her long-time career in corporate retail through the pandemic, her passion for grilling became an obsession. Misty combines her creative and engaging talents with her love of smoke and meat. Her mission is to share her journey and to inspire more women to step up to the grill. From live fire to simple pellet grill cooks she's learned tips and tricks to share and has created mouthwatering pictures and videos on social media. When she's not at the grill you can find this backyard BBQ expert traveling or spending quality time with her butcher husband and their 3 children.

Rerun - We Talk with Tony Ramirez aka TFTI BBQ Dec 25, 2025

Show notes

Tony Ramirez, also known as TFTI BBQ on social media, has spent nearly twenty years perfecting his backyard barbecue skills in the Bay Area, California. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Tony is self-taught, inspired by his Filipino and Cajun heritage, his beloved parents, and a passion for BBQ Pitmasters reruns, YouTube tutorials, and personal culinary experiments. What started in 2021 as a hobby of posting BBQ pictures and videos has since evolved into a full-time career, with Tony partnering with major brands like Miller Lite, Char-Griller, Reynolds Brands, and Tony Chachere's. His unique, approachable flavor combinations and techniques, which sometimes bend traditional barbecue "rules," have earned him a beloved spot in the live-fire BBQ community. Find him online on all major social media platforms as TFTI BBQ.

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