pitmaster

noun

pit·​mas·​ter ˈpit-ˌma-stər 

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

The lineup alone — pulling in some of the South’s most talked-about pitmasters in one afternoon — makes this one of the more exciting food events on Charlotte’s fall calendar. — Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2026

Fans of Tootsie Tomanetz, the 91-year-old pitmaster of Snow's BBQ in Lexington, Texas, get in line before the crack of dawn for tender meat cooked upwards of 12 hours. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026

Garate got into the barbecue game thanks to the pitmasters of the second wave, which inspired other artisans to collectively upped their craft. — Charlie Kolodziej, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026

From championship pitmaster Carey Bringle, who lost his leg to cancer at 17 and became the first BBQ pitmaster to launch a bourbon. — Chris Perugini, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pitmaster

• bandmaster
• broadcaster
• cadastre
• disaster
• forecaster
• grandmaster
• headmaster
• newscaster
• paymaster
• pilaster
• postmaster
• roadmaster