安迪・格罗内曼，澳大利亚肉类及畜牧业协会北美市场开发经理

对驻美市场开发经理安迪・格罗内曼（Andy Groneman）而言，烧烤最初并非职业规划，也不是美食追求，只是他陪伴父亲的一种方式。

安迪最早关于烧烤的记忆无关赛事比拼，更多是温情陪伴。守着烟熏炉、外出垂钓的周末不只是闲暇时光，更是塑造他热爱与职业道路的成长经历。

安迪回忆道：“我很小就开始做烧烤，只为能陪着父亲。”

这项简单的消遣很快发生转变。随着安迪逐渐上手掌勺，各类奖项接踵而至。早年在本地赛事斩获佳绩，燃起了他的竞技之心，这份热爱一坚持便是数十年。

如今安迪任职澳大利亚肉类及畜牧业协会驻美国市场开发经理，但他走上这份工作的历程十分特别。三十余年征战各类烧烤赛事，他已是全美顶尖烟熏烤肉大师，在美国皇家烧烤大赛、杰克丹尼世界邀请赛等全球顶级烧烤赛事中斩获多项冠军头衔。

安迪定居堪萨斯城，这座城市也深刻影响了他。堪萨斯城被誉为世界烧烤之都，孕育出一群关系紧密、满腔热忱的烧烤从业者。

安迪表示：“烧烤圈子很小。无论我在美国哪个地方，总能通过烧烤结识朋友，有参赛选手、餐厅经营者，也有单纯热爱这门手艺的爱好者。”

这份共同热爱不分国界。早在入职澳大利亚肉类及畜牧业协会前，安迪就与澳大利亚建立了深厚联系。21世纪10年代初，他受邀前往澳大利亚推广美式烧烤，与澳洲烧烤行业专家、澳洲专业烧烤设备品牌负责人戴维・斯普里格（David Sprigg）等人合作。他开设实操教学课程、讲解肉类分割选用技巧，还登上澳洲版《厨艺大师》节目，深度融入当地蓬勃发展的烧烤文化圈。

这段跨国缘分后来起到关键作用。回到美国后，安迪当时担任布斯溪和牛公司营销总监，一次行业交流契机让他接触到澳大利亚肉类及畜牧业协会。自身专业积累、行业人脉与热爱完美契合，入职顺理成章。

他说道：“这个工作机会出现时，我几乎没有犹豫就做出了决定。”

安迪的竞技烧烤生涯，核心在于极致注重细节。挑选尺寸适配的肉品、把控燃料、调味、烤制时长，胜负全系对各项变量的精准把控。参赛选手往往会花费数周筹备一场赛事：挑选大理石花纹完美的肉材、反复打磨风味搭配，甚至模拟评审现场环境，测试成品长时间放置后的口感状态。

安迪表示，普通烧烤制作者与冠军选手之间的差距，藏在细微把控之中。

“菜品风味要有层次叙事，但任何一味都不能过于突兀”， 他说道。

这类赛事的评审由普通消费者担任，而非专业美食评论家，口味平衡便是取胜关键。

即便如此，安迪坦言，他为评审制作的菜品和自己日常食用的做法截然不同。

“我个人偏爱焦壳更厚、风味浓郁的口感，但评审追求一口完美体验：肉质软嫩、口味均衡，不会有过重的刺激感。”

正是这种灵活调整的能力，搭配始终严苛的自我要求，让他常年稳居赛事顶尖行列。

比赛竞争虽激烈，但同行互助始终是烧烤文化的核心。

安迪说：“如果有人缺肉或者燃料，旁人都会主动伸出援手，这是行业里不成文的规矩。”

近些年赛事奖金与关注度提升，选手竞技心态愈发专注，但社群互助的氛围依旧浓厚。

走出赛场，安迪在澳大利亚肉类及畜牧业协会的工作充分发挥了他的专业技术，以及他在烧烤行业内的口碑影响力。他负责在美国市场推广澳洲红肉，重点深耕竞技烧烤赛道与餐饮行业，这两大领域对肉质稳定性与品质要求极高。

“澳洲牛肉最出众的优势就是品质稳定”， 他说，“尤其是草饲牛肉，纯正浓郁的牛肉风味，非常适配烧烤做法。”

他提到，澳洲和牛已然悄然成为众多顶尖参赛选手提升作品竞争力的首选食材。

斩获无数荣誉的安迪始终保持谦逊，他称妻子是自己事业路上不可或缺的后盾。往年他一年要参加三十多场赛事，全程都有妻子相伴支持。他打趣道：“她简直值得被奉为功臣。”

支撑安迪一路走到现在的初心从未改变：热爱烧烤，珍惜因烧烤结缘的所有人。无论是指导后辈、开拓市场，还是点燃烟熏炉烤制肉食，这份热忱始终清晰可见。

安迪・格罗内曼快问快答

全美最佳烧烤城市？

堪萨斯城。

最被低估的烧烤分割肉？

羊肩肉，适合手撕做法，风味浓郁，广受大众喜爱。

最爱吃的肉类？

牛小排。

要不要搭配酱汁？

一般不蘸酱汁。

选购烟熏炉的一条建议？

贴合自身生活需求。入门选简易颗粒炉或炭烤炉，技艺与空闲时间充裕后，再更换功能更复杂的设备。

家庭制作牛胸肉最常犯的错误？

烤制时长不足。耐心慢烤，相信慢烹的效果。

增香秘制配料？

少许芹菜盐提升底味，再加孜然增添醇厚风味平衡口感。

消息来源：MLA

Andy Groneman, MLA Market Development Manager – North America

For MLA’s US-based Market Development Manager, Andy Groneman, barbecue didn’t begin as a career move or a culinary ambition – it started as a way to spend time with his dad.

Andy’s earliest memories of barbecue are less about competition and more about connection. Weekends spent near a smoker or on a fishing trip weren’t just downtime; they were formative experiences that shaped both his passion and his path.

“I started barbecuing at a young age just to hang out with my dad,” Andy recalls.

What began as a simple pastime quickly evolved. As Andy began taking a more active role in cooking, success followed. Early wins in local contests ignited a competitive edge that would eventually span decades.

Strong Australian ties

Today, Andy is the Market Development Manager for Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) in the United States (US), but his route into the role is anything but conventional. Across more than 30 years on the competition circuit, he has built a reputation as one of America’s elite pitmasters, earning titles at some of the world’s most prestigious barbecue events, including the American Royal and the Jack Daniels World Invitational.

Kansas City, Andy’s home base, played its part. Known as one of the barbecue capitals of the world, the city has cultivated a tight-knit yet fiercely passionate community.

“It’s a small world. I can be anywhere in the country and know someone through barbecue, whether they compete, run a restaurant, or love the craft,” Andy said.

That shared passion extends beyond borders. Long before joining MLA, Andy had already built strong ties with Australia. In the early 2010s, he was invited to help introduce American-style barbecue to Australian audiences, working alongside industry figures such as Grill Pro Australia’s David Sprigg. Teaching classes, advising on meat cuts, and even appearing on MasterChef Australia, Andy became deeply embedded in the country’s evolving barbecue scene.

That connection would later prove pivotal. Back in the US, Andy was working as Marketing Director for Booth Creek Wagyu when a chance industry reconnection brought him into contact with MLA. What followed was a natural alignment of expertise, relationships and passion.

“When the opportunity came up, it was an easy decision,” he said.

Andy’s career in competitive barbecue is built on meticulous attention to detail. From sourcing perfectly sized cuts of meat to managing fuel, seasoning and timing, success comes down to controlling variables. Competitors often spend weeks preparing for a single event, selecting meats with ideal marbling, refining flavour profiles and even simulating judging conditions to test how dishes hold up over time.

Separating good from champions

What separates a good barbecue cook from a champion, Andy explains, is nuance.

“You want your flavours to tell a story, but nothing can stand out too much,” he says.

In competitions judged by everyday consumers rather than professional critics, balance is everything.

Even so, Andy admits he cooks differently for judges than he does for himself.

“I might like a bit more crust or bolder flavour, but judges want that perfect bite - tender, balanced, not overpowering.”

It’s this ability to adapt, combined with relentless discipline, that has helped him consistently compete at the highest level.

Despite the intensity of competition, camaraderie remains at the heart of barbecue culture.

“If someone runs out of meat or fuel, someone else steps in,” Andy says. “That’s just how it works.”

Although higher stakes have introduced a more focused edge in recent years, the community spirit still runs deep.

Away from the competition circuit, Andy’s role with MLA leverages both his technical knowledge and his credibility within the barbecue world. He works to promote Australian red meat across the US market, particularly within the competitive and foodservice sectors where quality and consistency are paramount.

“Australian beef stands out for its consistency,” he says. “And the flavour – especially from grassfed product – really delivers that ‘beefy’ profile that works so well in barbecue.”

He noted that Australian Wagyu has quietly become a go-to for many top competitors seeking an edge.

For all his accolades, Andy remains grounded. He credits his wife as an essential part of his journey, supporting a competition schedule that once saw them competing in more than 30 events a year. “She’ll be canonised one day,” he jokes.

At his core, Andy is still driven by the same thing that sparked his journey, a love of barbecue and the people it brings together. Whether he’s mentoring cooks, developing markets, or firing up a smoker, that passion remains unmistakable.

Rapid Fire with Andy Groneman

Best barbecue city in America?

Kansas City.

Most underrated barbecue cut?

Lamb shoulder - perfect for pulled applications, full of flavour and always a crowd pleaser.

Favourite meat to eat?

Short ribs.

Sauce or no sauce?

Typically, no sauce.

One tip for buying a smoker?

Match it to your lifestyle. Start simple – pellet or charcoal – then build complexity as your skills and time allow.

Biggest mistake home cooks make with brisket?

Not cooking it long enough. Let it ride and trust the process.

Secret flavour addition?

A touch of celery salt for depth, plus cumin for earthy balance.

Source：MLA