Food Network is premiering a new competition series called Pitmasters, and sitting at the judges table is Austin’s Jess Pryles of Hardcore Carnivore, a live fire cook, meat expert, and author who has spent years becoming one of the most credible voices in the barbecue world. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Pryles moved to Texas in 2015 and has since built a reputation that most lifelong Texans would envy. She is the founder of Hardcore Carnivore, a brand offering rubs, seasonings, cooking tools, and apparel, and she holds a graduate certification in meat science from Iowa State University.
The show premieres Monday, July 13 at 8 p.m. Texas time on Food Network and streams the following day on Max. The format is a week-long non-stop live fire competition where teams of elite pitmasters go head to head for up to $50,000 in prize money. Joining Pryles at the judges table are Andrew Zimmern, Moe Cason, and Ernest Servantes.
Pryles will not be the only Texan at the table to watch. Ernest Servantes, co-owner of Burnt Bean Co. in Seguin, is also sitting at the judges table. Servantes is well known for earning a spot on Texas Monthly’s Top 50 BBQ list at number one, a James Beard Award nomination, and a place in the Michelin Guide, all out of a small town on the square in Seguin. He built his reputation on the competition circuit, winning just about everything Texas had to offer before channeling that into a brick and mortar restaurant that blends Central Texas technique with Mexican-American roots. Between Pryles and Servantes, Central Texans are basically running the judges’ table.
The competition runs on two challenge formats running simultaneously, which is where things get genuinely stressful to watch. The Big Burn gives teams nine hours to produce a family-style BBQ platter with two proteins and at least one side that represents their identity as a team. While that cook is still going, judges drop a surprise Flash Burn into the mix. Teams have 60 minutes to produce a single perfect bite of barbecue. One challenge inside another, with fire going the entire time.
Texas shows up strong in the competitor field. San Antonio’s Esaul and Grecia Ramos are competing, along with Jeremy Yoder teaming with Al Frugoni out of Boerne, and Ruben Santana, also from Boerne, will be teamed with Hector Garate from Charleston. The full roster pulls from across the country, from Louisiana to Utah to the Pacific Northwest, but the Lone Star State is well represented on both sides of the judges table.
Pitmasters is produced by Alfred Street Industries for Food Network. Full episodes and pitmaster profiles are available at FoodNetwork.com. Follow along at #FNPitmasters.