# Paul Holden - Willinghams Pitmaster - Afterhours Encore Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/bbq-nation-1088636/paul-holden-willinghams-pitmaster-afterhours-encore Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/bbq-nation-1088636/paul-holden-willinghams-pitmaster-afterhours-encore.md Podcast: [BBQ Nation](https://stenobird.com/podcast/bbq-nation-1088636) Published: 2026-03-03T12:15:00+00:00 Episode link: https://bbq-nation.captivate.fm/episode/paul-holden-willinghams-pitmaster-afterhours-encore Audio file: https://op3.dev/e/episodes.captivate.fm/episode/f896f142-8d3c-457b-a9e6-10cff27758de.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/bbq-nation-1088636/episodes/paul-holden-willinghams-pitmaster-afterhours-encore Duration seconds: 1077 ## Resource The discourse herein elucidates the multifaceted nature of competitive barbecue as we engage with Mr. Paul Holden, a distinguished pitmaster from Willingham's Barbecue in Georgia. A salient point of our dialogue centers around the necessity for a paradigm shift in barbecue competitions, advocating for a greater emphasis on the intrinsic quality of smoked meats as opposed to the superficial allure of sauces. We delve into personal anecdotes, revealing Paul’s nostalgic recollections of culinary experiences, particularly his affinity for his mother’s turkey pot pie, which stands as a testament to familial bonds and the influence of heritage on culinary practices. Furthermore, our conversation traverses the landscape of competitive cooking, exploring the challenges faced by pitmasters and the evolution of barbecue culture. As we navigate these intricate topics, we invite our listeners to engage with the art of barbecue, underscoring the importance of experimentation and the joy of cooking in one's own backyard. Links referenced in this episode: paintedhillsnaturalbeef.com willinghams.com Companies mentioned in this episode: Painted Hills Natural Beef Willingham's This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/bbq-nation-1088636/episodes/paul-holden-willinghams-pitmaster-afterhours-encore/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/bbq-nation-1088636/paul-holden-willinghams-pitmaster-afterhours-encore.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.