pitmaster

noun

pit·​mas·​ter ˈpit-ˌma-stər How to pronounce pitmaster (audio)
variants or pit master
plural pitmasters or pit masters
: a person who oversees the cooking done in a barbecue pit : a professional or skilled barbecuer
"This is good, really good," Allan says, tasting pitmaster Scott Smith's first cured pork belly. "I wouldn't change a thing."John T. Edge
He was one of Houston's most celebrated pitmasters and helped to kick off the barbecue renaissance here.J. C. Reid
Robert Polk, the pit master I met earlier this morning, comes in carrying a gorgeous brisket fresh from the smoker and hands it off to Smitty, who starts slicing it to make sandwiches and plates.Patricia Sharpe

Examples of pitmaster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In 2014, the chef and pitmaster brought his grilling expertise to Pearland, a principal city within Houston’s metropolitan area. Kayla Stewart, Bon Appétit, 23 Feb. 2024 An acclaimed pitmaster with his own book of recipes, Horn launched the eponymous West Oakland restaurant in October 2020. Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 And smart grilling is one of the latest trends to expand the audience and make things easier for suburban pitmasters. Chris Morris, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 But in Houston, pitmasters are building on tradition. Kayla Stewart, Bon Appétit, 23 Feb. 2024 Hamm and his wife, Anna Osceola, stopped by Near Southside’s Brix Barbecue around 11:30 a.m. Thursday, pitmaster Jeremiah Jemente said. Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Mar. 2024 Since then, their son, the pitmaster Greg Gatlin, has become a barbecue jack-of-all-trades. Kayla Stewart, Bon Appétit, 23 Feb. 2024 That’s what pitmaster/owner Paul Reddick and his restaurant team have been doing since the middle of this past NFL season. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024 Sanchez has old-school pitmaster chops from working with his father who ran Arnold’s Texas Bar-B-Q. Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pitmaster.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

pit entry 1 (in barbecue pit) + master entry 1

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pitmaster was in 1984

Dictionary Entries Near pitmaster

Cite this Entry

“Pitmaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pitmaster. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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