After months of anticipation, the episode formerly known as number one but now affectionately referred to as "four" finally aired last evening on TLC's revamped BBQ Pitmasters series.  Why all of the buzz?  Because this episode included not one but three close friends of Smoke In Da Eye competition BBQ team -- Bigmista Barbecue, Diva Q, and Big Poppa Smokers.  Rounding out the pack was a blast from season one past, Johnny Trigg of Smokin Triggers. 

We had the chance to sit down with the latest Pitmaster inductees to discuss their experience...the good, the bad, and the gator.  Check it out and make sure you tune in next Thursday, September 9th to see another good friend, 3 Eyz (with the help of Thom Emery), take on A Boy & His BBQ, Woodchicks (from season one) and Big Mouth Smokers.  After that, it's a march to the finals for Ponderosa BBQ, Yazoo's Delta Q, Firehouse BBQ, Smokin' Triggers and the winner of next week's show.







SmokeInDaEye asks:  So let’s start at the end, how do you all feel about the overall Pitmasters experience now that it’s over?

Bigmista replies:  It truly was a great experience. It was intense but so much fun!

Diva Q:  It was great. We had a real blast. So much fun. It was the hardest competition I have ever been part of. I am so glad we did it.

Big Poppa:  The overal experience of Pitmasters was great. We were given a sketchy outline and being the first show filmed they were kind of producing it on the fly. I think that they expected us to not be able to cook, and hopefully we surprised them a little.


SIDE:  Obviously the backlash from barbecue fanatics about the format change has been disheartening. Did it take anything away from the moment for you all personally or is it the price of entertainment?

Bigmista:  I was a little disappointed that so many people trashed the show before they even saw it but I guess change is difficult. The important thing is that people are talking about the show and the ratings are up from last season. That means that there is a good chance that there will be a Season 3. More BBQ on TV is a good thing for all concerned.

By the way...if there is a season 3, I'd like to officially put in my request to either host the show or be a judge!

Diva Q: It is what it is.  It is not disheartening to me personally at all.  It was to be expected. BBQ is full of passionate people. The purists would scoff at it.  People like me not so much.  It certainly didn't take anything away from the experience.  Its great to see so many people talking about it. At the end of the day thats a good thing.  I think overall people need to remember its just fun BBQ entertainment. It doesn't detract from their own personal preferences.  The BBQ Pitmasters show was never labeled as a KCBS, MBN, PNWBA, FBA or any other sanctioning body contest.  People just need to take it at face value.  It's just fun. 

Big Poppa:  The backlash is understandable....usually when you make the diehards happy you become invisible to the general public.  It's a reality TV game show and it was really fun.  It wasn't a documentary on world peace or brain surgery. I think that its funny that a lot of people who hate it still watch and also were ones that didn't like last season....until this season.


SIDE:  What was your biggest challenge throughout the process minus the cooking itself? Perhaps getting all of your gear out to California or cooking with no shade in the sun all day or something else?

Bigmista:  I think I was the closest of all of the competitors.  I think the biggest challenge was all of the white dust on the ground.  It got all over everything anytime somebody walked by.  I wanted to choke whoever chose that location.

Diva Q:   For us the biggest challenge was logistics. Coming from Canada not only did we have challenges in getting some of our stuff there, we also had the challenge of making sure everything we brought was legal from the standpoint of the US border patrol service and Homeland security.  We had a lot of help in this area from some great folks at Traeger Canada, Basques charcoal, Plowboys BBQ, Smoky Mountain Smokers, and Butcher BBQ. They made sure a lot of the things we needed were shipped ahead of time from the US to Big Mista's (Neil Strawder) home.   At one point he called me and asked if he was now my shipping depot! LOL.  Additionally, we borrowed other items from Sylvie Currie (Member of Neil's team and the 4Q) and Neil himself.  When you are flying in with a couple of hockey bags, you can only bring so much. Knowing that there was a possibility of anything being thrown at us we then also did a lot of grocery shopping when we arrived. We wanted to be prepared for everything.  The other issue would have been the heat. It was like cooking on the face of the sun. We drank a whole lotta cocktails to compensate for it.  We had to be out there visible for the cameras for the vast majority of the time so it took its toll on us. What people may not realize is that the show is only 44 minutes of tape but we were there over 15 hours or so cooking and doing interviews etc. So when you see the teams standing at the picnic tables for judging or whatever they may have actually been standing there for well over an hour in the blazing sun. It was brutal but necessary. 

Big Poppa:  There were no real challenges other that to not get baited into showing our fellow competitors disrespect.


SIDE:  I know you are all active members of BBQ-Brethren.com. Did it make it more special cooking against your fellow brethren or was it tougher to bring you’re a game against close friends?

Bigmista:  We all really enjoyed each other and it was really hard to talk smack. In the end though we were all competitors and we all wanted to win.

Diva Q:  I didn't go with any intention other than to win. I think any team whether they are a member of the Brethren or not would do the same and bring your A game.  That being said, the hardest part is trying to do some BS posturing smack talk.  When they are your friends that's hard.  Plus it's not in my nature to be cruel or belittling to any other team.  We all started somewhere.  The BBQ Brethren, The Pickled Pig and the BBQ-4-U.com forums are all very instrumental in helping me learn new techniques and make friends.  What was awesome and special to me though was our camaraderie.   We had fits of laughter over different things with BIg Poppa Smokers, Smokin Triggers, Bigmista's BBQ, our producer Jordan and the entire Original Media and TLC staff. Neil even made everyone breakfast the morning after the shoot. We hung out in the back of the pimped out Big Poppa's Smokers' van. I had some great chats with Johnny and Trish Trigg.  Thats the sort of stuff that I remember.  It was all fun.  Just a whole lotta fun. 

Big Poppa:  I hate the idea of cooking against the brethern.  I had met Bigmista a few weeks before and had admired Diva Q's work as a pitmaster...especially how connected she is with her blog.  I truly believe that our three teams have become legitimite friends.  New friends, but friends that I value and respect.  I've only been on the board for a little over a year and know that we are sort of brethern underdogs. I think that Neil and Danielle knew that we could cook a little...I had cooked dinner for Neil at a comp and Diva had seen some of my work.


SIDE:  And obviously you all got the great honor of having to cook ribs against a rib master. Did you feel like that made for an unlevel playing field out of the gate or were you confident you could hold your own?

Bigmista:  I think what made the playing field unlevel in my eyes was the fact that none of the judging was blind. If you know that you are about eat ribs from a legend, "The Godfather," I think it colors your perception before you take a bite. That's just human nature.

Diva Q:  Well personally I was praying for a pork butt. LOL!  I think I would have rather the judging be blind for that portion of the show.  I think it gives a somewhat preconceived notion having to be there with Johnny Trigg and having him introduced as he was.  There is a reason why I went and took his class with Pellet Envy based on their individual successful track records.  However I do believe without a doubt my ribs were great.  They were super flavorful (without relying on gobs of sauce for flavor) , really well cooked and Myron called me on it.  I was proud of that.  I figure if Myron Mixon scored me super high then really the other scores don't mean much to me - he is the one who is experienced he is the one who actually knows what a good rib is versus a bad rib.  So I'll take that and be happy with it.  Seriously, Warren Sapp is a big ole teddy bear of a guy but what does he know about judging BBQ?  Additionally, I respect the culinary skills of Chef Art Smith immensely but at the end of the day this is BBQ. 

Big Poppa:  What can I say about Johnny Triggs. Very nice man. His wife is a doll. When we pulled in and saw his Jambo we sort of figured that we were at very best cooking for second. When they annonced the day of the shooting that it would in fact be presentation judging I pretty much knew we were going to cooking spares. Please I mean no disrespect, but it is Johnny Triggs on one end and us on the other end.


SIDE:  Do you still care for beans?

Bigmista:  I love beans even if Warren Sapp doesn't know that chili is supposed to be thick and not "sopped".

Diva Q:  Still love them!! They are a great source or protein and immensely versatile. 

Big Poppa:  I care for beans and have very strong opinions about the judging of the beans. They were very hard kidney beans and with the 45 minutes there was no way we could make them super soft.


SIDE:  Ever care to cook gator again?

Bigmista:  Not particularly.  But somehow, one of those packs of ground gator followed me home.  I think Diva slipped it in my cooler.

Diva Q:  Not really.  It's not that accessible to me here. 


SIDE:  Any regrets having not advanced?  Things you might have done differently in hindsight? 

Bigmista:  Yes.  I regret not winning the money.

Diva Q:   Anyone would be disappointed not to advance.  I believe I made better dishes took more risks and showcased what you really can do with bbq smokers and grills more than the other teams.  We went above and beyond in each category. To not advance just bites royally.

Big Poppa:  I didn't expect to advance based on the competition...so no regrets.


SIDE:  Would you come back next year under the same circumstances?

Bigmista:  Depends of if the judging style is different.

Diva Q:  Absolutely in a heartbeat I would come back under the same circumstances or different circumstances...... I would come back. Bring it on. 


SIDE:  Do you wish it had been Smoke In Da Eye staring you down instead of Johnny?

Bigmista:  Yes.  Then I wouldn't have finished last.  (Editors note:  This is coming from a sprout eating California boy so take it with a grain of salt)

DivaQ:  Nope. Either would be fine. It doesn't matter to me...just get out of my way and let me compete.

Big Poppa:  I may be more scared of east coast hard core than a Texan with a Jambo.


SIDE:  Any final suggestions as to how John Markus and team might make season 3 even better?

Bigmista:  Blind judging and have me, Diva and Sterling from Big Poppa Smokers doing color commentary. Are you listening John?

Diva Q:  I think that blind judging for the main point component should be done. Other than that I have no issues with anything else. It is what it is. Fun BBQ entertainment.

Big Poppa:  I think that John Markus knows what he is doing.  If I could give advice it would be to the network...Don't eliminate on one dish, show more cooking and that would be about it.


SIDE:  And any final word for all the folks that rooted ya’ll on?

Bigmista:  Thank you to everyone who supported Bigmista's Barbecue. Come on out to one of our Farmers Markets and we will feed you well.

Diva Q:  I have had the best support team in the world from coast to coast and Internationally there were a lot of fine folks cheering us on even if they did not like the new format.  They rock.  Good BBQ karma is always essential and we get it from all of them.  I thank them each most sincerely for their kind words, encouraging emails, posts on Twitter and on our facebook accounts. 

Big Poppa:  I really appreciate all the support we got from our friends and families...

SIDE:  Thank you all and keep doing what you're doing so well!


- SmokeInDaEye.com, Home of Bigger, Badder, Bolder Competition BBQ(c)