Nissan calls it the “ultimate tailgating and barbecuing pickup truck.” Unveiled at the 2018 Work Truck Show, the Nissan Smokin’ Titan is on a four-city tour en route to the Great Titan Meat Up in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Today, the truck arrived in Denver, Colorado at the Roaming Buffalo BBQ. We had planned on attending, but inclement weather prevented our drive down from Wyoming.
The Smokin’ Titan will be in Kansas City, Missouri at Q39 BBQ on April 22 at noon. It will then depart for St. Louis and the Salt & Smoke BBQ Delmar on April 23 and then Central BBQ in Memphis, Tennessee on April 24.
The @NissanUSATrucks Instagram account will keep the public posted as to the truck’s whereabouts and status as well as fan photos of the truck’s stops.
Following the video is info on the Great Titan Meat Up, a first-annual event featuring celebrity chefs Cory Bahr and David Rose as official judges.
Great TITAN Meat Up
On April 28 in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., the heat will be turned up a notch at the Great TITAN Meat Up. With celebrity chefs Cory Bahr and David Rose serving as official judges, each of the competing teams will be challenged to out-cook a Nissan executive team led by Hayes, an outdoor cooking enthusiast. Hayes will be joined on his team by Brian Maragno, director, EV Marketing & Sales; Tiago Castro, director, Light Commercial Vehicles Sales & Marketing; and Kevin Yeoh, senior manager, Truck and Light Commercial Vehicles, Nissan Canada.
Competing against Hayes and his team will be five different media organizations, as well as a team from Nissan Canton Assembly – where Smokin’ TITAN and all TITAN and TITAN XD vehicles are assembled. Teams include:
- Team Nissan – Billy Hayes, Brian Maragno, Tiago Castro, Kevin Yeoh
- Team Nissan-Canton (Chicken) – Randall Jenkins, Jerome Staten
- Internet Brands (Turkey) – Aaron Cole, Charles Dyas and Robert Yarbrough
- Truck Trend (Brisket) – Sean Holman, Jason Gonderman, Brett Evans
- PickupTrucks.com (Lamb chops) – Aaron Bragman, Christian Lantry
- AutoGuide.com (Pork) – Craig Cole, Stephen Elmer, Ben Sanders
- Annie A to Z, healthyfatchick.com (Ribs) – Annie Alvarez, Michelle Rosenberg
Following a day of off-roading in the Tennessee hills in a fleet of Nissan TITAN and TITAN XD PRO-4X vehicles on Friday, April 27, competitors will attempt to smoke the meat of their choice to perfection in an all-day cooking competition on Saturday the 28th. Competitors will be judged on a 100-point scale in categories such as Presentation, Creativity, Composition of Ingredients, Preparation and Flavor.
“Smokin’ TITAN is the perfect vehicle for this one-of-a-kind event and I can’t wait to get out to Pigeon Forge,” said Bahr, who is Food Network’s “Chopped!” champion, among a laundry list of other accolades. “But have no doubt about it – David (Rose) and I will show no mercy when it comes to judging this competition. Only the best will be crowned the Great TITAN Meat Up champion!”
Nissan and barbecuing fans alike can follow along through the conclusion of The Great TITAN Meat Up on the @NissanUSATrucks Instagram and Facebook page, as well as by searching and utilizing the hashtags #SmokinTITAN and #TITANMeatUp.
