
A pitmaster from St. Charles Parish took center stage on the national stage when he showcased his cooking talents on Netflix’s third season of “Barbecue Showdown.”
Gerald Vinnett Jr. is known for his extraordinary grilling techniques and dedication to his craft. From humble beginnings as a backyard enthusiast, Vinnett now competes in prestigious events like Memphis in May and Hogs For the Cause. His achievements were further recognized when he became a grant recipient of the inaugural Kingsford Preserve The Pit Initiative, solidifying his reputation as a leading pitmaster.
But little did he know that his success in those events would lead to him appearing in one of Netflix’s most popular cooking shows.
Vinnett said when he found out he had been selected to compete on “Barbecue Showdown,” he at first thought it was a scam.
“Then when I realized it wasn’t I just wanted to make sure I did everything I could do to get on the show and then do my best when I got there,” he said. “I actually always watched the show so I knew everything about it. So I was really excited to get on and enjoy that whole experience.”
Growing up in St. Rose, Vinnett always enjoyed barbecue and seafood boils. In fact, he said that barbecue was his way of keeping the family together. His secret to success comes down to a little bit of love.
“It’s because of the love I put into it,” he said. “I love what I do and I hope it shows in what I do. I also barbecue a lot, so I’ve done some good things and I’ve messed up a lot of stuff too. But every time I get better.
“I like to use every situation as a learning experience.”
Vinnett attended Destrehan High School and graduated from LSU with a degree in electrical engineering. He currently lives in Destrehan and works for Entergy. Though his day job keeps him busy, Vinnett still finds the time to compete in cooking competitions and has even started his own business, Big Papi’s Smokehouse.
“Going through the pandemic I got a chance to try different things and after good reviews I decided to go for (opening Big Papi’s Smokehouse),” he said. “I also wanted to be able to hand something down to my sons and hopefully they can take it further than I can.”
Vinnett added that the best part of owning his own business is meeting, and feeding, people.
“Barbecue has a funny way of getting people together, so seeing that and having people enjoy my food is great,” he said.
Vinnett made his national debut on July 4 when “Barbecue Showdown” aired on Netflix. The show pits nine talented barbecue chefs against each other in timed competitions with different challenges in each episode. The winner of the show takes home $50,000.
Vinnett said he was amazed by all that went into making the show happen.
“So many people, so much equipment, so many cameras,” he said. “My main goal and all I could think about was, ‘hey man, if you get on this show two things – just don’t get eliminated first and don’t go looking crazy.’ I think I did that well.”
Vinnett earned his spot on the show after a long process that included food testing and interviews. He was joined by friends and family at a watch party on July 4.
“Man everybody is very excited. I’m actually excited that they are excited,” he said. “I feel like we’ve all taken this journey together so this is hopefully just another step.”
All episodes of the show are available to stream now on Netflix.