From the basketball court to the backyard grill! 🏀🔥🥩

On Episode #8 of the VGrillers Podcast, George and MrFlavorsmith sit down with Craig “Cmac” McPherson — former college and professional basketball player turned pitmaster, grilling personality, Big Green Egg Team Green member, and the man behind Cmac Cooks.

Cmac takes us through his journey from grilling tri-tip with his college teammates to discovering the Big Green Egg and becoming deeply involved in one of the most passionate communities in barbecue. 🥩🔥
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We dive into the world of Big Green Egg, the legendary Egghead community, and some of the biggest Eggfests in the country — including the Ohio Eggfest and the massive Eggtoberfest in Atlanta.
Cmac gives us an inside look at what makes these events so special: hundreds of Eggs 🔥, thousands of BBQ fans, incredible food, cooking demonstrations, backyard cooks, professional chefs, and a community built around live-fire cooking.

🏆 He even shares the story of helping Big Green Egg Team Green set a Guinness World Record for chicken wings!

But for Cmac, barbecue is about much more than food.
❤️ We talk about his long-running Ribberfest backyard BBQ cook-off, his involvement with local charities, raising money for families in need, supporting childhood cancer causes, and how grilling can bring entire communities together.

And of course… we talk MEAT. 🥩

Cmac explains why tri-tip is still his all-time favorite, why slicing it correctly matters, his experiences with Brazilian barbecue and picanha, and how a simple Weber kettle eventually led him down the rabbit hole into the world of smokers and kamado cooking.

🔥 If you love BBQ, grilling, Big Green Egg, live-fire cooking, BBQ festivals, or just great stories from people who live the grilling lifestyle, this episode is for you.

Welcome back to the VGrillers Podcast! In Episode 7, George and co-host MrFlavorsmith sit down with Joe Barragan (Joe Barragan SD) for an in-depth conversation about everything barbecue, content creation, and the incredible community that surrounds live-fire cooking.

Joe shares how his passion for cooking evolved from the kitchen to the backyard, why the Weber Kettle remains one of his favorite cookers, and how social media has opened doors to opportunities with brands, live cooking demonstrations, and major barbecue events. We also dive into his experiences at Memphis in May, cooking at Big Green Egg Fest events, working with Jealous Devil Charcoal, teaching barbecue classes, competing alongside talented pitmasters, and why the barbecue community is unlike any other.

Along the way, we talk about favorite grills, pizza ovens, brisket, beef ribs, tri-tip, salmon, live-fire cooking, content creation, and the lessons learned from stepping outside your comfort zone.

Whether you're just getting started with backyard barbecue or you've been smoking meat for years, this episode is packed with stories, inspiration, and plenty of barbecue talk.

👍 If you enjoy the episode, be sure to Like, Subscribe, and turn on notifications so you never miss future conversations with some of the best people in the barbecue community.

👇 We'd love to hear from you in the comments:
What's your favorite grill or smoker, and what would your dream barbecue setup look like?

In this episode, George (Founder & CEO of VGAS) and MrFlavorsmith sit down with Captain Ron Cooks—one of the most respected names in the Big Green Egg and live-fire cooking community.

Ron shares his incredible journey from backyard barbecue enthusiast to cooking alongside some of the biggest names in barbecue, winning major live-fire competitions, teaching thousands of grillers, and building a passionate community around outdoor cooking.
In this episode we discuss:

🔥 How Captain Ron got started with barbecue
🥩 Why the Big Green Egg became his grill of choice
🏆 Winning South Beach Wine & Food Festival's Masters of Fire
🍖 Memphis in May, EggFests, and live-fire cooking events
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Teaching families and kids to cook together
🔥 Reverse searing steaks, pork butts, briskets, and barbecue tips
🦎 Cooking unusual meats—including smoked iguana!
🍔 Why barbecue is really about bringing people together

Whether you're a backyard griller, BBQ competition fan, Big Green Egg owner, Kamado enthusiast, or someone looking to improve your outdoor cooking skills, this conversation is packed with stories, tips, and inspiration.
👍 If you enjoyed this episode, please LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more interviews with the biggest names in barbecue, grilling, smoking, and live-fire cooking.

🎙️ New episodes of the VGrillers Podcast feature pitmasters, content creators, product innovators, and industry leaders who are shaping the world of outdoor cooking.

🔥 Pork Ribs, Party Ribs, St. Louis vs Baby Back, Live Fire BBQ & Backyard Grilling! | V Grillers Podcast Ep. 4🔥
What's the best pork rib to cook? 🤔 Should you choose St. Louis ribs, Baby Back ribs, or full spare ribs? In Episode 4 of the V Grillers Podcast, George and MrFlavorsmith dive deep into everything pork ribs, including the legendary 3-2-1 method, party ribs, live fire cooking, hanging ribs on a barrel cooker, Weber Kettle cooking, Kamado grilling, flavor stacking, smoke flavor, backyard barbecue techniques, and what makes great ribs unforgettable.
Along the way, the conversation turns into stories about Desert Storm barbecue, underground pit cooking, unique outdoor cooking experiences from around the world, camping meals, smoked trout, Fourth of July cookouts, and why barbecue creates memories that last a lifetime.
Whether you're cooking on a Weber Kettle, Kamado grill, barrel smoker, ceramic grill, charcoal grill, or live fire setup, this episode is packed with practical tips, barbecue inspiration, and plenty of laughs.

🔥 What does it take to become an award-winning pitmaster, cookbook author, and barbecue entrepreneur?

In Episode 5 of the VGrillers Podcast, George and MrFlavorsmith sit down with Chef Ray Sheehan for an incredible conversation about barbecue, business, family, and building a legacy.

🏆 Ray shares his journey from working in professional kitchens to becoming an award-winning BBQ sauce creator, cookbook author, recipe developer, and respected educator in the barbecue community. We dive into competition barbecue, mop sauces, rubs, entrepreneurship, cookbook writing, Big Green Egg cooking, and why helping the next generation of pitmasters is one of his greatest passions.

Welcome to V-Grillers — the podcast for backyard grillers and entertainers everywhere. I’m your host, George, here with Jay and Erick to talk all things backyard BBQ.  This is the place to get tricks, techniques and tools to help you cook with confidence. Join us for practical conversations – and maybe a few laughs along the way.