Black Chef's in America:
Matt Horn

You can't have a conversation about barbecue without talking about Matt Horn. Horn is a self-taught pitmaster, who has changed the landscape of barbecue in America. It's not an easy feat, especially considering the deep history and tradition of barbecue in cities like Memphis, Kansas City and Austin. But through combining techniques commonly found in Central Texas barbecue with elements from foodways of the Black South, Horn has created his own unique style, referred to as "West Coast barbecue". He views this new barbecue style as a way to bring a national spotlight to Black food and culture, and to honor previous Black pitmasters.

Horn got his start learning how to cook barbecue in his grandmother's backyard, and selling his food at farmers markets, sometimes making less than $250 a day. But instead of getting discouraged, he honed his craft and focused on delivering the highest quality food that he could.