The Low & Slow Barbecue Show

Barbecue podcast “The Low and Slow Barbecue Show” serves up barbecue recipes, advice for smoking barbecue, and cooking barbecue stories of success - and failure! Home smokers and BBQ Pitmasters share advice - all steeped in Carolina barbecue flavor. Listen and learn how to smoke meat, the best meat to smoke, how to make Carolina barbecue sauce, and the best barbecue restaurants we love to visit - the best barbecue in North Carolina! (And maybe a few other “barbecue” places, too!) Every episode promises to share a few experiments for the next time you fire up the barbecue smoker.Barbecue meat smoking enthusiast, news journalist, and sports radio broadcaster Chigger Willard walks through the barbecue basics with guests who bring a wide variety of experiences to the barbecue world. Competitors. Restauranteurs. Fund-Raisers. Tailgaters. Moms and Dads. ALL the people who make the best barbecue share all their barbecue best.What wood do you use for meat smoking? How long should you smoke mea...

Episodes

Apr 30, 2026

39 min

Swig & Swine Barbecue Founder Anthony DiBernardo shares the story of his South Carolina restaurant, from sleeping on a cot set up by a smoker in 2014 to six locations across the Palmetto State today. The Holy Smokes Founder also explains how he aligned fellow Charleston business, Home Team Barbecue and Aaron Siegel, to create the annual charitable event that provides a visible impact for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charleston and Hogs for the Cause. Don’t miss Anthony’s plans for a meat-and-three tribute to his late son. Listen now, and you’ll also get his review of the Carolina BBQ Festival and find out which N.C. pitmaster he’d like to add to the Holy Smokes lineup.
This episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show is sponsored by Carolina BBQ Festival. Visit CarolinaBBQFest.org to get connected and keep up with the latest Carolina BBQ Festival events supporting Operation BBQ Relief. Stay tuned for details on the fall Pig Pickin’ coming soon!
Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!
 

Apr 23, 2026

28 min

Pork belly burnt ends, pulled pork from whole hogs and shoulders, ribs, brisket fried rice, sausages and … redfish!? The Low & Slow Barbecue Show’s Carolina BBQ Festival recap offers a review of the event and all the best bites. Find out how the Queen City Smoke and Barbecue Festival Saturday both evolved and continue to grow. We’ll guide you through the “Cool Corner” in the shade into the hot corner with the TMG Pits gang and more than two dozen bites scattered between the two and uptown Charlotte’s Victoria Yards. Get Chigger’s advice for finding pre-show meat smoking activity and learn how to effectively manage your way through a nearly bottomless barbecue menu in 90-degree heat.
This episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show is sponsored by Carolina Barbecue Festival which sends a big thank you to sponsor partners, pitmasters and everyone who attended the event supporting Operation BBQ Relief while celebrating a diverse blend of barbecue flavors that make up Charlotte and the Carolinas. Stay tuned for details about the upcoming Fall Pig Pickin’ and our 2027 barbecue festival coming soon.
Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!
 

Apr 16, 2026

26 min

Live fire legend Jack Arnold is bringing his unique high-energy barbecue experience to the Carolina BBQ Festival and he joins The Low & Slow Barbecue Show to talk about his new Burnt End brand and barbecue backstory. Find out what to expect when you see Jack Arnold on the Black Out BBQ Tour in 2026 and get his advice for firing up the smoker after winter break. Listen to learn how Jack connected with Carolina BBQ Festival to support Operation BBQ Relief. Don’t miss Jack Arnold’s perfect barbecue plate and get the details on how you can connect with the Carolina BBQ Festival and across the U.S.
This episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show is sponsored by Carolina Barbecue Festival, April 17-18 at Victoria Yards in Charlotte. 30+ pitmasters from the Carolinas and beyond celebrate the traditions of whole hog barbecue while supporting Operation BBQ Relief. Reserve your tickets today for the Kickoff, the Festival, or a full weekend of barbecue.
Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!

Apr 14, 2026

28 min

Garren Kirkman takes the Low & Slow Barbecue Show back to Peachland with a talk about what’s happening at Jon G’s Barbecue. Garren runs through the proteins and sides on the menu and how breakfast fits into the Barbecue Saturday schedule. Hear why part of the Jon G’s business plan remains true to its brewery pop-up roots, and how catering supports the full-time employees who stay busy beyond the one-day weekend barbecue party. How are food prices affecting Jon G’s? Garren talks about responding to marketplace changes and offers advice for BBQ food truck owners moving to brick-and-mortar. Don’t miss his take on the “barbecue beef” over “Best in the South” lists. Listen today to find out who to expect at this year’s Jon G’s Jubilee and what he’s serving for his fifth year at the Carolina BBQ Festival. 
This episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show is sponsored by Carolina Barbecue Festival, April 17-18 at Victoria Yards in Charlotte. 30+ pitmasters from the Carolinas and beyond celebrate the traditions of whole hog barbecue while supporting Operation BBQ Relief. Reserve your tickets today for the Kickoff, the Festival, or a full weekend of barbecue.

Apr 9, 2026

31 min

Union Barbecue Pitmaster Holden Sasser gives the backstory on his Charlotte-area food truck and catering business. Find out what kind of barbecue to expect when he pops up at a breweryor event in the region – and how seasonal meat and produce availability promise unique menus at each stop. Holden reveals new things he’s cooking up at Union Barbecue. Plus, he shares his opinion on where food trucks fit into the Charlotte barbecue scene and how that environment has changed since Union Barbecue launched. Learn more about Holden’s restaurant roots and hear him explain why he left another career to enter the industry. Chigger professes his love for Big DEBORAH and don’t miss Holden’s Union Barbecue menu plans for Charlotte BBQ Night on Friday, April 17 at the Carolina BBQ Festival.
This episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show is sponsored by Carolina Barbecue Festival, April 17-18 at Victoria Yards inuptown Charlotte. 30+ pitmasters from the Carolinas and beyond celebrate the traditions of whole hog barbecue while supporting Operation BBQ Relief. Reserve your tickets todayfor the Kickoff, the Festival, and a full weekend of barbecue.
Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!

Apr 2, 2026

30 min

 Operation BBQ Relief co-founder and CEO Stan Hays shares an update on the non-profit organization’s efforts to provide hot meals in the wake of disaster and support heroes and their loved ones at Camp OBR. Find out about the next mission Operation BBQ Relief is developing to provide culinary skills for first responders and veterans pursuing careers in their life after service. Stan explains how Operation BBQ Relief took emergency food response across international borders using the same network of volunteers and partners that have provided 13 million meals to 42 U.S. states. Don’t miss Stan’s advice for getting the best barbecue bites at the Carolina BBQ Festival!
This episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show is sponsored by Carolina Barbecue Festival, April 17-18 at Victoria Yards in Charlotte. 30+ pitmasters from the Carolinas and beyond celebrate the traditions of whole hog barbecue while supporting Operation BBQ Relief. Reserve your tickets today for the Kickoff, the Festival, or a full weekend of barbecue.
Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!
 

Mar 26, 2026

33 min

Black Powder Smokehouse pitmaster Keith Henning reveals the details about the inaugural Smoke and Ashe 2026 in downtown Asheboro – PLUS his BBQ entrée for the Carolina BBQ Festival. Find out how Smoke and Ashe started, what’s on the schedule, and who’s joining the Pitmaster Invitational – like Nick Dampf from Dampf Good BBQ and Claire Calvin from East of Texas. “Big Brisket” takes you inside the Black Powder Smokehouse locations in Jamestown and Asheboro and shares his perspective on the Piedmont BBQ scene. Keith reflects on his fourth year at the Carolina BBQ Festival, what keeps him coming back, and how it has influenced the launch of Smoke & Ashe. 
This episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show is sponsored by Carolina Barbecue Festival, April 17-18 at Victoria Yards in Charlotte. 30+ pitmasters from the Carolinas and beyond celebrate the traditions of whole hog barbecue while supporting Operation BBQ Relief. Reserve your tickets today for the Kickoff, the Festival, or a full weekend of barbecue.
Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here! 
 

Mar 24, 2026

34 min

Title: Go Inside Town Brewing Company with Brandon Stirewalt
Copy: 
Town Brewing Company Director of Operations Brandon Stirewalt sets the stage for Carolina BBQ Festival’s barbecue brunch with a detailed look inside the host site. Hear about the roots of the Charlotte-born brewing company in Wesley Heights and you’ll understand how Town Brewing combines locally sourced North Carolina products and community-minded operations to produce award-winning beer and an unrivalled on-site experience. Get Brandon’s perspective on where Town Brewing Company fits in the larger Charlotte food and beverage scene, and how growing attention on Queen City’s culinary offerings boosts the local beer community. Don’t miss the barbecue order from this eighth-generation North Carolinian and what Brandon Stirewalt hopes to enjoy during the Carolina BBQ Festival barbecue brunch.
This episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show is sponsored by Carolina Barbecue Festival, April 17-18 at Victoria Yards in Charlotte. 30+ pitmasters from the Carolinas and beyond celebrate the traditions of whole hog barbecue while supporting Operation BBQ Relief. Reserve your tickets today for the Kickoff, the Festival, or a full weekend of barbecue.
Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!

Mar 19, 2026

26 min

Find out how Savor Charlotte is fanning the flames of the Queen City’s thriving culinary scene that’s drawing food fans from a 400-mile radius. Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority’s Laura White shares the economic impact of Charlotte’s food and beverage industry and highlights how Savor Charlotte’s fourth year is expanding into new arenas. Don’t miss Laura’s take on the “perfect barbecue plate” – including her picks from the Charlotte barbecue scene and beyond. Get the scoop on upcoming Top Chef Carolinas episodes around Charlotte, including the barbecue spotlight coming up in April. Find out how Charlotte measures up against other culinary cities in the South and what sets the region apart. 
This episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show is sponsored by Carolina Barbecue Festival, April 17-18 at Victoria Yards in Charlotte. 30+ pitmasters from the Carolinas and beyond celebrate the traditions of whole hog barbecue while supporting Operation BBQ Relief. Reserve your tickets today for the Kickoff, the Festival, or a full weekend of barbecue.
Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!
 
 

Mar 12, 2026

27 min

Midwood Smokehouse Pitmaster Matt Barry shares his perspective on Charlotte’s evolving barbecue scene and where Midwood Smokehouse fits in. Get the scoop on what Matt’s cooking up in partnership with Bojangles for the Carolina BBQ Festival’s BBQ Brunch, Brisket and Biscuits at Town Brewing Company in Charlotte. Matt also shares updates on Midwood Smokehouse locations – including a new site at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport – and what it takes to maintain oversight for all of them.
This episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show is sponsored by Carolina Barbecue Festival, April 17-18 at Victoria Yards in Charlotte. 30+ pitmasters from the Carolinas and beyond celebrate the traditions of whole hog barbecue while supporting Operation BBQ Relief. Reserve your tickets today for the Kickoff, the Festival, or a full weekend of barbecue.
Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!

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