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Al Frugoni and Jeremy Yoder of Mad Scientist BBQ join the Wise Guys for two incredible conversations at the 2026 Texas Open Fire Meat Up in Hondo, Texas!
Fresh off their appearance together on Food Network's Pitmasters, these two BBQ personalities share their experiences, passion for live-fire cooking, and stories from the international barbecue community.
First up: Al Frugoni! The man behind Texas Open Fire Meat Up tells us how a gathering of just 12 people around a fire grew into an international BBQ event bringing together pitmasters and cooks from 25 countries. We talk about the incredible food, the community behind the event, and what separates live-fire cooking from true open-fire cooking.
Then we sit down with Jeremy Yoder of Mad Scientist BBQ! Jeremy shares his experience competing on Food Network's Pitmasters, his recent barbecue adventures in Peru, and some fascinating foods he encountered along the way. From traditional Peruvian cuy (guinea pig) to seriously underrated lamb ribs, this conversation goes well beyond traditional Texas BBQ.
Jeremy also discusses his plans to bring even more science into barbecue and explore new cooking cultures in 2027.
In this episode: - How Al Frugoni built Texas Open Fire Meat Up - The global community of live-fire pitmasters - What competing on Food Network's Pitmasters was really like - Jeremy Yoder's barbecue adventures in Peru - Cooking traditional Peruvian cuy - Why lamb ribs deserve more attention - The science behind great barbecue - What's next for Mad Scientist BBQ
CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome to Wise Guys BBQ 02:58 Al Frugoni Joins the Podcast 06:50 Inside Texas Open Fire Meat Up 09:31 Live Fire vs. Open Fire Cooking 13:18 Jeremy Yoder Joins the Wise Guys 14:40 Competing on Food Network's Pitmasters 16:55 Jeremy's BBQ Adventures in Peru 18:12 Cooking Traditional Peruvian Cuy 22:13 Why Lamb Ribs Are Underrated 23:48 Jeremy's Plans for BBQ Science in 2027 26:13 Final Thoughts & More Interviews Coming
🔥 If you love barbecue, grilling, live-fire cooking, and conversations with the people shaping the BBQ world, subscribe to Wise Guys BBQ for more interviews, recipes, cooking techniques, and BBQ adventures.
🌐 Visit us: https://wiseguysbbq.com
🔥 Learn more about Texas Open Fire Meat Up: https://www.openfiremeatup.com
