If you haven’t seen or heard much from pitmaster Pat Martin lately, it’s because he’s been kind of busy. In addition to operating multiple locations of Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint and Hugh Baby’s, he’s recently opened SweetMilk in Donelson with his friend Bill Darsinos. In between all that, Martin has somehow found the time to star in a new cooking series on the Outdoor Channel, a travelog exploring the history of outdoor cooking called Life of Fire.
The new book from the Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint and Hugh Baby’s founder is more manifesto than cookbook
Produced by celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern’s Intuitive Content, the show is an offshoot of Martin’s book of the same title. Exploring the roots of the open-fire pit cooking that has been the lifeblood of Pat’s cuisine for years, Martin travels the country to visit some of his old friends and new masters of cooking over live fire. Never one to avoid getting some ash on his hands, Martin embeds himself in the businesses of pitmasters, chefs and farmers who practice these old-school techniques in segments filmed in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia and California. Viewing a preview trailer, I recognized noted firemasters like Chris Lilly from Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Ala., Bryan Furman whose celebrated Atlanta barbecue joint B’s Cracklin’ BBQ was lost to a fire in 2019, and Zach Parker of B.E. Scott’s BBQ in Lexington, Tenn. Other promised guests will include the aforementioned Bill Darsinos and Joseph Lenn of J.C. Holdway in Knoxville.
Pat even took the time to travel and learn about international open-fire traditions in Greece and Laos. As passionate as he is about preserving the barbecue traditions he learned in West Tennessee, Martin is committed to shining a spotlight on other styles of cooking to larger audiences and ensuring that they survive the latest convenience-driven food trends.
The first episode isn't on my cable schedule yet, but it is set for release May 6. You can also go ahead and set a reminder to let you know when it airs, or stream episodes later. Outdoor Channel is available to cable and satellite customers throughout the United States, and is available for streaming via Sling TV, Hulu Live TV, Fubo, Frndly TV and other services.Â
