You are invited...

Registration to this event has closed.

Join Chris Sussman, The BBQ Buddha, for a virtual master class on BBQ’ing on Thursday, August 26 at 3:00pm PDT / 6:00pm EDT.

Chris is a real pro, having worked all kinds of live fire environments, from the Big Green Egg, to Traegers, Timberline, Webers, Smokey Mountain, and a 250-gallon reverse flow smoker named “Esther.”

Chris will host a course based on his 2021 book, The Four Fundamentals of Smoking. Chris will share:

  • How to grill or smoke in any environment
  • When your food is finished cooking by sight and touch
  • How to forget about time and temperature
  • How to make recipes from scratch by balancing the five taste sensations

After you register, we will confirm your spot in the class and send out a BBQ kit:

  • A BigPanda collectible apron
  • Several recipe cards created by the BBQ Buddha
  • Two amazing rubs
    • Raising the Steaks - garlic-infused barbecue rub that challenges the Montreal-styled seasoning, created by Canadian co-founder of Dizzy Pig, Mike Kerslake
    • Cow Lick - all I can say about this one is that the Godfather of BBQ, Johnny Trigg said “That was the best steak I ever had, and I’m from Texas!”

You can either watch Chris work his magic and practice later or get some meat and follow along as he prepares a few steaks. At the end of the event, we will host a drawing for gift cards to Snake River Farms:

  • One lucky guest will receive a $500 gift card to Snake River Farms
  • Five guests will each get a $100 gift card to Snake River Farms

We can only accommodate 25 guests so register today. And, as with BigPanda events, we promise there won’t be 50-page Powerpoint presentations or any sales pitch.

About The BBQ Buddha

Chris Sussman, aka The BBQ Buddha, has been a backyard Pit Master since 2009. He first started honing his craft in the Washington D.C. area, before making the move to Louisville, KY in 2017. Chris won the national Big Green Egg festival’s top honor (Eggtoberfest’s People’s Choice Award) in 2017 with his cook team “Eggcellent Eats.”

Today, he is a member of the Big Green Egg Pro Staff and his recipes are featured on their website and affiliated social media channels. Snake River Farms also sponsors Chris to cook at festivals around the country (when those are happening). Chris has thousands of followers on his Instagram account, @the_bbq_buddha, and has been featured in major online publications such as MAXIM, Thrillist, and The Huffington Post.


The BBQ kit is valued at $35. If you can’t accept it, please let us know when you receive a confirmation. Please feel free to invite a guest to join.