Our “campus” was Kate’s Mountain—a rustic lodge on a hilltop overlooking the Greenbrier’s 11,000-acre property.
Building the BBQ U Curriculum
As I developed the curriculum, I wanted students to learn not just killer recipes, but underlying principles of barbecuing and grilling. We’d start with the five methods of live fire cooking:
- Direct grilling
- Indirect grilling
- Smoking
- Spit roasting (rotisserie grilling)
- And my favorite: “caveman grilling (cooking directly on the embers)
We’d learn how to use a wide range of cookers: charcoal grills; gas grills; water smokers and offset barrel smokers; and ceramic kamado-style cookers, like the Big Green Egg. We’d cook on tiny hibachis and mammoth barbecue pits. Later, as the school evolved, we added infrared cookers and pellet grills.
We’d explore the layers of flavor—the rubs, marinades, sauces, and condiments—that give barbecue such complex tastes. And because I had just spent four years traveling the world’s barbecue trail to research my book, The Barbecue! Bible, we’d focus not just on American barbecue, but on live fire cooking around the planet.
A Hands-On Format That’s Anything But Ordinary
I didn’t want Barbecue University® to be just another demonstration class. The best way to learn is by doing, not just listening. I settled on a format we still use at the school today: we start with an hour lecture in which I explain the day’s menus and techniques. For the next two hours, our students do the grilling under the supervision of me, Craig Reed, Joe Archey, Steve Nestor, Jared Reiter, and the other BBQ U staff. We conclude with lunch cooked by the class, so everyone can taste the fruits of their labors.
Student Creativity and the Legendary “Presentation Table”
One of the coolest features of Barbecue University® is the “presentation table,” where our students show off the masterpieces they grilled in class. It wasn’t long before our enterprising students started improvising grilled dishes that weren’t on the menu. A playful rivalry arose as to which team produced the best-looking dishes (remember, you eat with your eyes as well as your palate) and which came up with the most improvisations. The record for a class—established at the Broadmoor—was 27 different dishes in one three-hour class! Some of these improvisations even found their way into my books (with credit to the student, of course).
We even have a “final exam” to remind everyone of the techniques and principles learned in class. But don’t worry: I invite the whole class to help with the answers, so everyone gets a diploma!
Not that our students would mind having to repeat the class. Many do—in fact we run at a 20 percent repeat rate. (Recidivists?!) As students returned year after year, our diplomas advanced to Masters, PhB (Doctor of Barbecue), post Doc, and beyond. To date, Debra from Tennessee and Kelly from Pennsylvania hold the alumni record, having attended the school a collective 20 plus years!
Our first class had 24 students, and all graduated with honors. Bon Appetit Magazine came to write about us. So did Esquire and Travel & Leisure. Suddenly, we were running two classes a year, then four, then five—with a waiting list.
A Global Roster and Star-Studded Guest List
Today, our students come literally from all over the world—some from as far away as Hong Kong, Colombia, and Dubai. Among our more celebrated students are ice skating legend Peggy Fleming and jazz star Earl Klugh. Computer magnate Michael Dell sent his private chef to Barbecue University® so did fashion mogul Ralph Lauren.
So who attends BBQ U? Some of our students are raw beginners who have never fired up a grill. A few are professionals, with years of restaurant experience. But most are people who love to grill and want to take their skills to the next level. Through the years, we’ve had doctors and contractors, tech moguls and fire folk, CEOs and retirees. Our youngest student was 13 at the time he started (with parental supervision of course!); our oldest well into his 80s.
From the Mountains to the Ranch: Barbecue University’s Journey
Over the years, we’ve moved the school—from the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia to the majestic Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs. We did a three-year stint at Montage Palmetto Bluff in the South Carolina Lowcountry. In 2023, we arrived at our current home, the majestic Alisal Ranch in Solvang, California—in the heart of the Santa Ynez wine country. If the latter sounds familiar, you’ve been watching my PBS TV shows. We taped Season 3 of Project Smoke and Season One of Project Fire at the Alisal, and it’s one of my favorite places on the planet.
Our outdoor classroom now has more than 30 grills, smokers, and wood burners (including a wood-burning pizza oven). Students get to test drive the latest grills and smokers, from the Kalamazo Hybrid Fire Grill (which retails for $21,000!) to the new Fyr high performance charcoal designed by mega-influencer Derek Wolf.
It’s Not All Fire and Smoke
But don’t think that Barbecue University® is all cooking and slaving over a hot fire. After lunch, our students have time to go horseback riding (the Alisal has more than 100 horses), golfing, shopping in nearby Solvang (aka, Little Denmark) and wine tasting at the more than 200 wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley. There’s even a little romance, because my cooking classes have resulted in two marriages. One couple swore their vows on, what else? The Barbecue Bible.
What’s on the Menu This Year?
The next session of Barbecue University® takes place at the Alisal on September 2-5, 2025. On the menu (to mention just a few of the 20-plus dishes you’ll learn to prepare at BBQ U this year):
- Tapas bar shrimp
- K-pop chicken
- Grilled beef tomahawks with pepperoncini chimichurri
- Hill Country brisket
- Bacon bourbon apple crisp for dessert
The Food Network called us “The Best Barbecue Experience in the U.S.” Eating Well Magazine called us “a fantasy camp for coal heads.” “I have attended cooking classes and retreats throughout the U.S. and Europe but have never experienced anything like Barbecue University®” wrote Larry Olmsted on Forbes.com.
Barbecue University®. Where the only marks you get are grill marks. Space is limited so sign up today!
Recipe Highlight: Grilled Beef Tomahawk with Pepperoncini Chimichurri
And that’s how we roll at Barbecue University®
Check out our 1000+ Recipes section here on Barbecue Bible.Com
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