Like most competition pitmasters looking to make the jump to commercial barbecue, he needed a bigger pit, preferably a 1000-gallon offset pit that is the standard for most Texas joints.

Memphis pitmaster Ronald Payne of Payne’s Bar-B-Q is one of six barbecue professionals chosen for Kingsford’s Preserve the Pit fellows program. Fellows chosen from across the industry include ...

Beckman began dialing-in that pit in his backyard while searching for a trailer from which to prepare and serve the barbecue.