The Pitmaster's Podcast

I'm Raymond Patterson. I've been competing in Steak Cookoff Association events since 2019. What started as a love for cooking quickly turned into a passion for traveling, meeting great people, and building lifelong friendships through the BBQ community. What I enjoy most about competing is the people. The camaraderie, the shared knowledge, and being able to help others improve their cooks is what really keeps me coming back. I genuinely enjoy helping people, whether it's on the competition trail or through teaching. I also teach a steak cooking class on BBQChamps.com, where I help cooks at all levels sharpen their skills and gain confidence on the grill.

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.

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!

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.

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