The Pitmaster's Podcast

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.

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

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.

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.

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.