The American Barbecue Showdown

The contestants craft signature barbecue plates to show what they can make over an open flame, including one dish cooked al fresco in the all-new Trench.

Things get spicy when the judges ask the cooks to take their pick from a pantry packed with peppers that range from friendly to face-melting.

The pitmasters dig deep in the Trench to make a mouthwatering surf and turf menu, cooking their proteins both above and below ground.

After a dramatic campfire breakfast cook-off, the competitors roll through a new challenge: barbecuing a stuffed roast with a delicious surprise inside.

The four fire tamers still in the game get creative to cook perfectly pulled meat and sides using an array of rickety, makeshift smoker rigs.

The competition gets personal as the barbecuers race to make family-style holiday feasts inspired by their own most delicious traditions.

Semifinalists tackle a new test in close quarters, sharing one dome to suspend their dishes over open fire as they attempt Brazilian-style churrasco.

The last two pitmasters standing go whole hog in this fiery finale, serving snout-to-tail spreads to determine who will go home a barbecue champion.