Kell Phelps, publisher of Barbecue News and managing partner of NBBQA, has launched a new barbecue podcast called Now That’s Smokin‘.
This week’s BBQ Tips Podcast is a collab with Kell. He invited champion pitmaster Christie Vanover of Girls Can Grill to talk about barbecue myths, failures and how she incorporates AI into her business.
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From early struggles to competition success
Vanover admitted she didn’t always have barbecue figured out. “The first time I started grilling was in the 90s, but I didn’t know what I was doing. I failed miserably and stopped,” she said.
She picked it up again in 2010 after moving to Texas, but the turning point came in 2012 at the World Food Championships. “I walked over to the barbecue section and thought, this is something I want to learn more about,” Vanover said. She launched Girls Can Grill in 2015 and began competing on the KCBS circuit two years later.
Why early fails matter
Vanover said those early stumbles are exactly why she teaches others. “I once bought a $99 offset smoker, loaded it with mesquite wood and ruined everything. The smoke leaked out, the flavor was awful. That’s what led me to start Girls Can Grill, to show people that barbecue isn’t just throwing wood on fire and meat on the grill. There are nuances that make all the difference.”
She recalled another big fail on the competition circuit. “I didn’t level a new pellet grill, and the grease drained into the firepot. The whole thing caught fire in the middle of a contest,” she said. “Fortunately, I had another smoker, and I saved it enough to turn in some boxes, but they were they were really bad.”
Busting barbecue myths
One of the biggest myths Vanover likes to break is that there is only one right way to cook barbecue.
“What you find on social media is that people get so confident in their technique that they tell you that this is the way, this is how you have to do it. That teaches people like, oh, this is the only way. And they’re afraid to like, steer a little left or steer a little right and try something new. I think that you just need to approach barbecue like an art form and have an open mind.”
With steak one of her pet peeves is that steak has to be medium rare. “It doesn’t. It has to be whatever way you like it. “To me, I like medium rare. I think the texture’s better, the flavor is better. Most of my family likes well-done steak. I’ve tried to switch them over. I’m not going to switch them over. And it’s okay. That’s how they want to eat it. That’s how they want to eat it. So I think the myth that I like to bust is that it really, it doesn’t have to be one particular way.”
Tools she trusts
When asked the one tool she can’t cook without, Vanover pointed to her Thermapen instant-read thermometer. “It guarantees my food is cooked to the right temperature. Whether I’m competing, demoing or cooking at home, it’s what I trust,” she said.
Organizing competitions
In addition to cooking and judging, Vanover now organizes one of the largest barbecue competitions on the West Coast. The BBQ Jackpot in Las Vegas drew 96 teams this year and offered a $20,000 prize purse. “As a cook, I know what teams want. As a judge, I know what judges want. I try to create a contest that satisfies both,” she said.
She also requires all judges to complete KCBS’ updated certification. “Teams are cooking to those standards. I want judges to know the most up-to-date rules.”
Using AI to manage the business
Vanover also revealed that she turns to AI to help her behind the scenes. “I’m not using it to create recipes,” she said. “But I do use ChatGPT to brainstorm ideas, organize content calendars and adjust tone. It’s like having a virtual assistant. It saves me time so I can focus on cooking and competing.” Listen to the full podcast to hear more about how she uses AI.
Looking ahead
Despite her achievements, earning a fifth-place brisket call at the Jack Daniel’s Invitational, appearing on Food Network’s Barbecue Brawl and publishing cookbooks, Vanover said she’s not done pushing forward. “Rule number one is have fun,” she said.
