Australian by birth, Texan by choice, Jess Pryles is a respected authority on Texas- and competition-style barbecue. She is the cofounder of the Australasian Barbecue Alliance, the creator of the Hardcore Carnivore line of meat and steak seasonings, and the designer of an eponymous model of the Pitts & Spitts smoker. In addition to sharing her expertise at events sponsored by such institutions as Texas A&M University, the American Meat Science Association, and the Texas Beef Council, she has been featured on the Food Network and Today and in such publications as Parade, Food & Wine, and the Austin Chronicle, among others. She lives in Austin.