This week’s episode of This Week in Barbecue went far beyond smoke and fire. We talked about fear in kitchens, rising costs, recognition, and what happens when the people who make our food feel unsafe just showing up to work. This epsiode reflects on identity, labor, and why barbecue still matters as a place of community in a moment that feels anything but communal.

On Episode 121 of This Week in Barbecue, we step into one of the most uncomfortable conversations happening in food right now: authenticity, ownership, and what happens when technology forgets the people who built the craft.

We open with a discussion around Black-owned versus Black-facing companies and why that distinction matters more than ever in barbecue. From there, we revisit the idea of tendernism and how something once rooted in feel, experience, and patience is being flattened into visuals and shortcuts.

Then we dig deep into AI-generated food content. What happens when a video looks real, feels real, and performs real, but none of it came from a pit, a cook, or a human hand? Barbecue is not an exact science. Weather shifts. Meat behaves differently. Fire has moods. AI strips out nuance, removes context, and leaves people blaming recipes instead of learning the craft.

We ask the hard questions. Should AI be required to credit creators? Are recipes instructions or are they art? Is paywall barbecue the future, and what does that do to a culture built on sharing? Are we mad at AI, or are we mad that the system forgot who actually did the work?

This episode is about more than technology. It is about community versus consumption, stories versus transactions, and what it means to protect a craft that has always lived around fire and people, not screens and prompts.

This week on the podcast, Rasheed dives into the shifting realities of modern barbecue. From Traeger’s quiet hiring push and Smokeslam 2026 being put on pause, to the heated conversation around Tendernism, Keith Lee, and tipping culture after a visit to Destination Smokehouse, the episode explores how attention, money, and integrity collide in today’s food world.

The conversation also highlights the return of the legendary Shed Showdown and a growing concern for bloggers and recipe developers facing AI-driven content theft. It is an honest look at barbecue, entrepreneurship, and what it takes to protect craft and culture when everything feels in flux.

This Week in Barbecue, Season 8 Episode 17, Rasheed Philips and Bryan Hull close out 2025 with an unfiltered talk about the state of BBQ. From canceled collaborations to Traeger’s meltdown, from the rise of “tenderism” to the future of open-fire cooking, the duo tackles what barbecue needs to let go of and what deserves to rise in 2026.Topics Covered: The MOVE challenge and the BBQ fitness wave Why “tenderism” might be marketing gone wrong, Traeger lawsuits, tech burnout, and dropping stock prices. The Campbell’s Soup controversy, Nostalgia, food quality, and the illusion of flavorThe cuts, cooks, and community BBQ needs next This Week in Barbecue is the podcast for those who love the culture, craft, and chaos of the pit. Subscribe for weekly episodes, hot takes, and everything barbecue

In today’s episode, Rasheed and Bryan sit down with the newest member of the misfitsss barbecue crew Tyler, a professionally trained chef from Canada who’s making the leap into the world of live-fire cooking.

Fresh off our first big pop-up residency at RoundTrip Brewery, we break down:

• What it’s really like transitioning from chef life to pitmaster life
• The surprising similarities (and real differences) between the two crafts
• The wins & mistakes from our first official misfitsss BBQ pop-up
• How passion, pressure, and community shape the way we cook
• Why “tenderism” has Rasheed fired up again
• Behind-the-scenes moments from the RoundTrip event
• What we’re improving next time and what worked better than we expected

Whether you’re a chef, pitmaster, backyard griller, or someone who just loves the culture of barbecue, this episode has something for you. It’s honest, funny, and packed with the kind of real-life lessons you only learn standing next to a live fire.

Be sure to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and drop a comment:
What do you think is the biggest difference between a chef and a pitmaster?

Welcome back to This Week in Barbecue, the podcast where we don’t care when you get your ‘cue, as long as it’s not drive-thru.
We’re fresh off the Open Fire Meat Up, I’ll give y’all a quick recap and talk about what it was like cooking on Big Javi’s rig, the Fire Coop. We’ve also got an interview dropping soon with Tay from EatBobbys on YouTube, so keep an eye out for that.

Now, this week we’re diving into a mix of topics, from meat prices that’ll make you question your life choices, to the never-ending tipping debate, and even a Texas high school barbecue program that’s shaping the next generation of pitmasters.

Plus, we’ll break down what skyrocketing food costs mean for your holiday table, from turkey shortages to creative ways to feed the family without going broke.

So grab a plate, pour a drink, and let’s talk barbecue, community, and the cost of keeping the fire going.

This week, the mics get turned in a different direction.No headlines. No festival rundowns.Just two friends and one of the most honest conversations we’ve ever shared.Bryan Hull sits down not as my co-host, but as a man with a story.For years, Bryan poured his heart, time, and talent into a Texas-style BBQ restaurant outside of Texas, helping drive it to a Top 3 ranking and more than 5x its revenue. He built systems. He built culture. He built success.So why walk away when the stakes were that high?Why leave after climbing that mountain?This episode cuts deep into a partnership that wasn’t a partnership.communication that never came,grief that reshaped priorities,and the hidden cost of sacrificing your mental health for someone else’s dream.Bryan speaks openly about loss, burnout, and rediscovering his self-worth through the flames of adversity. It’s raw, real, and necessary — for anyone who has given everything to a passion… only to realize you might be giving away pieces of yourself too.Barbecue teaches patience.It teaches resilience.And sometimes, it teaches you when it’s time to walk away.If you’ve ever questioned your value, your boundaries, or your future — this one’s for you.

This week, Rasheed sits down with Anthony DiBernardo, the pitmaster and founder behind Charleston’s beloved Swig & Swine BBQ, to talk about the journey from dream to legacy. Anthony opens up about betting on himself, the sacrifices and support that built his business, and the heartbreak of losing his son, Asher. Together, they reflect on resilience, faith, and how community and the Holy Smokes BBQ Festival, help heal and uplift families through their work with Ronald McDonald House Charities. It’s an honest, deeply human conversation about what barbecue really means when the fire goes beyond the pit.

Rasheed welcomes Mel (Darkside of the Grill) — one of Canada’s top pitmasters — for a fireside-style conversation you won’t want to miss. Fresh off showcasing and winning at Eggtober Fest, Mel shares his origin story, reflects on his growth in the BBQ world, and gets real about the tension between BBQ influencers and true pitmasters.

From the first spark to the last ember, this episode is about community, craft, and the universal language of fire. Whether you’re firing up your first cook or you’ve been tending pits for decades, this is the kind of conversation that hits home.

This week, we’re taking the gloves off and digging deep into the evolving world of barbecue and culture. From the growing “sample culture” popping up at pits across the country to California’s war on nonstick pans (and what that means for your kitchen), we’re serving up hot takes and real talk.

We’re breaking down whether cutting your workforce to save a business is savvy or short-sighted, swapping holiday budget meal ideas to help you feed the crew without breaking the bank, and naming the essential gear every pitmaster should own. Plus, we’re asking the big question: if AI can write your emails and drive your car, how long before it’s running the pits?