Champion pitmaster Christie Vanover says live fire cooking may be the next major evolution in competition barbecue after witnessing firsthand the explosive growth of the Texas Open Fire Meat Up.
“Live fire very much might be the future of competition barbecue,” Vanover said. “What’s happening right now is unlike anything our sport has seen.”
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Inside the Texas Open Fire Meat up
The annual event, created by Argentina-born Texas pitmaster and open-fire ambassador Al Frugoni, celebrated its fifth year last weekend. What began as a small social gathering of cooks sharing techniques and tending fires has grown into a global destination for barbecue teams and creators.
This year’s event drew an estimated 500 to 600 barbecue influencers and 26 live-fire teams representing 22 countries. Every rig on site was fueled strictly by wood or charcoal. No electricity. No pellets.
“The creativity was unreal,” Vanover said. “Teams were cooking everything from whole steer to global dishes that highlighted their barbecue traditions.”
Vanover originally planned to cook, demo or judge. Instead, Frugoni tapped her to serve as an event manager.
“I’m so glad I said yes,” she said. “Being behind the scenes and seeing how these teams operated from all over the world was incredible.”
A Competition Model Built for the Public
While the first two days focused on networking, demos and internal education sessions, Saturday marked the official competition and a major distinction from traditional KCBS events. The Meat Up required teams to participate in both a judges choice and a people’s choice tasting.
KCBS teams often avoid people’s choice because it diverts time, product and focus from their turn-ins.
But at the Open Fire Meat Up, teams arrived with 10 to 20 members, enabling them to engage the crowd while still crafting standout plates for the judges.
“Requiring people’s choice changed everything,” Vanover said. “The public had a voice. Sponsors saw real engagement. And teams embraced it because the format allowed them to truly tell their story.”
The public component worked. All 2,500 available tickets sold out before gates opened.
Team Melinda’s Hot Sauce won the People’s Choice with their TKO Wings, while the judges crowned Team Guatemala champion for a porchetta with pineapple-ginger salsa.
“The teams put their heart and soul into it,” Vanover said. “The presentations were Memphis in May style, face-to-face, and the flavor profiles were phenomenal.”
Why Sponsors Are Paying Attention
Vanover said the event succeeded in an area where traditional contests struggle: sponsor ROI.
“With KCBS, teams often hand food to blind judges and that’s it,” she said. “But here, 2,500 people were tasting, asking questions, smelling charcoal, meeting influencers and interacting with brands. That level of visibility is priceless.”
The teams themselves also secured sponsors to offset costs, creating a high-value loop of exposure between brands, cooks and attendees.
The combined social reach of attending cooks was estimated at 80 million followers.
“But it wasn’t about who had the biggest following,” Vanover said. “Al wants everyone to have a voice because everyone influences someone.”
Breaking News: Memphis in May Adds Open Fire Category
The event’s success led to a major announcement: the Open Fire Meat Up is officially partnering with Memphis in May. In 2026, the world-famous competition will add an Open Fire division with 15 total teams. The top five teams from this year’s Texas Meat Up have already earned automatic entry.
“This is a global expansion of competition barbecue,” Vanover said. “Seeing open fire cooking elevated to one of the biggest barbecue stages in the world is massive.”
Live Fire Comes to Las Vegas Next
Vanover said the momentum will continue at her own event, the BBQ Jackpot, held Nov. 22 at the Silverton Casino in Las Vegas. Already the largest KCBS competition on the West Coast with more than 100 teams and 150 judges, the contest will feature a new public-facing “BBQ Pit Stop” showcasing live-fire cooking.
Duraflame will anchor the area, joined by cooks like Al Frugoni, Blazing Star Barbecue, Craig Carter of Ace’s Wild, Monument Grills, Girls Gone Grillin’s Christy Howell and Todd and Susie Bulloch of Hey Grill Hey.
“It’s free for the public. Free samples. Live fire demos. And unbelievable food from some of the biggest names in barbecue,” Vanover said.
Jack Daniel’s will also host a cocktail area, and the event leads directly into the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix that night.
“If you want to see where barbecue is heading, this is it,” she said.
With open fire cooking expanding globally, Vanover believes it will soon play a larger role in both competition barbecue and brand-driven events.
“Barbecue is evolving,” she said. “And open fire cooking is going to help push our sport into a whole new era.”
