By no means is this an exhaustive list but here are the barbecue shows and episodes that I’ve found so far on Netflix streaming.
What else have I missed? Feel free to comment below if there are other selections on Netflix and I will update this post.
-Monk
Mind of a Chef S1E15 – “Smoke” (23 mins)
This series’ first season follows chef David Chang and his culinary experiences around the globe. This particular episode deals with the idea of “smoke” and in addition to short segments on barbecue styles, this episode includes ones on Allen Benton’s bacon, as well as a visit by David Chang and Sean Brock to the Louisville Slugger factory to get personalized bats made.
The North Carolina barbecue segment visited Raleigh’s The Pit back when pit master Ed Mitchell was still there and showcases whole hog barbecue. The Texas segment interviews Joe Capello, the pitmaster from City Market in Luling while in Kansas City they talk with the Doug Worgul, the marketing director of Oklahoma Joe’s. Pretty basic stuff, but well produced by ZPZ Productions (who works with Anthony Bourdain).
There is a later episode where Charleston Chef Sean Brock cooks a whole hog with Rodney Scott in South Carolina’s lowcountry that was previously available online, but unfortunately it is not on Netflix. (Update: As of 8/6/14, season 2 is now on Netflix.)
Best Food Ever S1E5 – “Buzzworthy BBQ” (42 mins)
Narrated by John Goodman, this episode counts down the 10 most “buzzworthy” barbecue joints in the US (whatever that means), although the list itself is a bit questionable. Most joints featured aren’t the traditional southern ones you might think of and they seem to want to feature joints with unique dishes like smoked salmon from a place in Washington state and BBQ nachos from a joint in Memphis. At most there are 2 legit joints on the overall list, and I suspect that the other ones each may have had a good publicist.
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown S1E4 – “Libya” (42 mins)
While there would be several better episodes from Bourdain’s previous show No Reservations, unfortunately that series is not currently available on Netflix streaming. This episode doesn’t deal directly with barbecue but ends with a poignant scene on a beach on Libya’s coast with the following voiceover quote from Bourdain:
“I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start.”
BBQ Pitmasters – 3 seasons (42 mins)
This is clearly the most well known barbecue reality/competition show and has gone through a couple of different formats. It’s first season was filmed documentary style, following several competitors over the course of a barbecue competition season at various events. Myron Mixon and Tuffy Stone were two of the competitors followed during the course of this format and would go on to be full-time judges starting in season 3 (as well as 4, which is not available). The less said about season 2 the better. I’ve tried to watch it but can’t get through a single episode.