Meet the Pitmasters
World-class competitors. Passionate craftsmen. Real people who live and breathe BBQ.
BBQ Pitmaster
Kyle Matuszewski
Pitmaster & Founder · Your Behind BBQ
- SCA World Ancillary Reserve Grand Champion
- 4 KCBS Grand Championships
- 19 KCBS 1st Place Awards & 40 Top Ten Calls
- 5 KCBS Ancillary 180 Pins (perfect-perfect score)
- Jack Daniel's World Championship — 7th Place Dessert (2021)
- American Royal World Series — 14th Place Ribs (2021)
- 50+ SCA events in 2021 alone
- Competed in 11+ states
Growing up in Waddell, Arizona, Kyle Matuszewski was inspired by his grandfather Benny — a chef for the troops in WWII — and his father Jerry, a restaurant cook who kept the family fed with passion. A natural competitor who earned football scholarship offers, a torn ACL in his senior year redirected his path entirely.
During his recovery, Kyle and his dad discovered the TV show BBQ Pitmasters, which lit a fire that never went out. That Christmas, Kyle bought Jerry a smoker and the two began cooking every weekend, teaching themselves competition-style BBQ from scratch.
In spring 2014, they entered their first KCBS competition in Scottsdale against 100+ teams — and heard their name called. A 7th place chicken finish in their very first contest set the hook deep. Your Behind BBQ was born.
Kyle went all-in in 2018, selling his house to build a custom competition/vending trailer. He began vending at major festivals like Glendale Glitters and catering weddings and private events. That same year he began competing in Steak Cookoff Association contests, quickly becoming king of the ancillaries — winning nine first place ancillary contests in 2019 alone.
Then COVID hit. With more time at home to cook, Kyle honed his craft with intensity. Once contests resumed in 2021, he competed in more than 50 SCA events, earning two first place steak awards, 13 first place ancillary awards, 14 second place awards, 11 Top Ten steak calls and the title of SCA World Ancillary Reserve Grand Champion.
Kyle's dream: make Your Behind BBQ a household name, help weekend backyard warriors cook outstanding meals for their families, and keep chasing every competition he can — with his father by his side.
BBQ Pitmaster
Justin Coffini
Pitmaster · Your Behind BBQ
- 1st Place Pork — Jack Daniel's World Championship 2016
- 3rd Place Overall — American Royal World Series 2021
- 9th Place Steak — World Food Championships, Dallas 2021
- Specialty: Pork Shoulder & Brisket
- Competitor across KCBS & SCA circuits nationwide
- Backyard cooking class instructor across Arizona
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Justin Coffini moved to the Valley of the Sun looking for a change — in life and in weather. Always a foodie with a love of cooking, he stumbled into BBQ by pure chance.
In 2009, after a restaurant deal fell through, Justin and his wife Sharon happened upon a BBQ competition in Tempe on the drive home. One whiff of smoke and a conversation with the promoter later, Justin was hooked. He spent the rest of 2009 buying equipment and practicing, entering his first competition the following year.
Since then, Justin has competed across the nation and earned top honors at some of the most prestigious competitions in the world, including 1st place in pork at the 2016 Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational BBQ in Lynchburg, Tennessee, and 3rd place overall at the American Royal World Series of BBQ Invitational in 2021.
He has also segued into other food competitions with the likes of the Steak Cookoff Association. In 2021, Justin earned the opportunity to cook at the World Food Championships in Dallas, Texas, where he placed 9th overall in the steak category.
Justin prides himself on cooking the "big meats" — pork shoulder and brisket in particular are his specialties. But beyond cooking, the competitive BBQ circuit has given him the opportunity to travel the country, visiting small towns he might not otherwise have seen, and to make friends who have become family.
As he has become an expert in his field, Justin has had the opportunity to share his love of cooking through backyard cooking classes around Arizona — getting others excited about cooking at home and competing, just as he was when he first discovered competition BBQ back in 2009.