Meet the South Jersey teacher who turned his passion for barbecue into a teaching mission

After more than two decades as a health and physical education instructor, Matt Groark jumped at the chance to bring barbecuing to the classroom — eventually becoming at his South Jersey school the so-called Meat Teacher.

“It was really a no-brainer,” said Groark, 46. “I really couldn’t say no.”

Groark had begun teaching in the Washington Township school system in 2003. He taught physical education and health at the elementary and middle schools before moving to the high school, where he also coached basketball.

Outside of school, Groark had already turned his love for food and cooking into a successful barbecue catering business, Groark Boys Barbecue, that exploded on social media. And then his notoriety landed him on the second season of Gordon Ramsay’s Next Level Chef in 2023 — the same year he was asked by his principal, Raymond Anderson, to fill an unexpected opening for a culinary arts teacher.

With his background and experience, Groark easily obtained an emergency teaching certificate for culinary arts and made the switch last school year. Now he’s in his second year teaching students basic skills such as food preparation, sanitation, and safety.

“He’s awesome,” said fellow culinary arts teacher Jackie Bradford. “He’s just been a delight.”

During his first two-period Introduction to Culinary Arts classes last week, Groark guided underclassmen in making Red Lobster’s popular Cheddar Bay Biscuits from scratch. He moved around the room, watching closely as small groups of students worked together to prepare the mixture and drop globs of batter on baking sheets.

“Are we having lobster?” a student cheekily asked Groark.

A few minutes later, students removed the biscuits, lathered with garlic butter, from ovens around the room. Groark gave them small bags to pack them up and take with them.

“These are looking good,” he told them.

Students get a hands-on culinary lesson about once a week in Groark’s class. So far, they have learned how to prepare German pancakes, pumpkin bread, and French toast. Next up: soups and Thanksgiving side dishes. Students sample their concoctions, and Groark urges them to try the recipes at home.

“I love this class. I’m happy I took it,” said Christian Curcio, 16, a sophomore. “Cooking and eating — that’s all you do.”

Groark, who has an easygoing personality, has a celebrity-like status at the South Jersey school. Many of his students are among his 5 million followers on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube and enjoy his videos preparing his specialty barbecue dishes, from cheesesteaks to pulled pork.

“I think he’s really cool,” said sophomore Antonio Antonelli, 16. “He’s super chill, and he’s a good teacher.”

Groark began grilling several years ago, preparing barbecue for family and friends. It took off after he was tasked with preparing the barbecue for a family tailgate party at an Eagles game. His popularity escalated after he started posting videos on social media of him grilling in his backyard, and he started Groark Boys BBQ in 2018.

Married and the father of two sons, Aidric and Nash, Groark has made his barbecue business a family affair — although his wife, Kristin, is a vegetarian. (”Isn’t that crazy?” he says with a smile.) His soon-to-be-released cookbook will include a chapter of vegetarian grill recipes as a tribute to her.

“It’s been a crazy ride,” said Groark. “Right now, I’m loving doing this.”

Groark openly shares his life outside of school with his students, good and bad. When he disclosed the devastating news in 2018 that his wife had suffered a fifth miscarriage in six years, juniors in a health and physical education class rallied around the couple. As difficult as it was to talk about it, Groark said, it was a teachable moment.

Groark was moved to tears when the students surprised him with tickets to a Sixers game. A big-time Sixers and Eagles fan, Groark helped arrange for the students to attend the game, too, with free tickets for the entire class.

The outing went viral after news accounts about it appeared in outlets across the country. A sponsor offered to pay for a barbecue for the high school. Groark raised $3,000 for charity at a fundraiser.

“It’s great to have a teacher like him,” said Meike Kirk, who supervises the school’s Family and Consumer Science program. “It brings a lot of motivation.”

Groark volunteers in the community and taps into his grillmaster skills to raise money for charities. Earlier this month, he spent a week as a culinary instructor at a camp for Operation BBQ Relief, helping young adults cope with loss.

About 25 people attended the camp, held at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. All had suffered the loss of a sibling who was serving in the military, many who died by suicide. The camp provides culinary therapy, as well as recreational and bonding activities.

Groark, who grew up in a military family, met Operation BBQ Relief founder Stan Hayes through his barbecue business and was invited to participate in the camp. He said the experience combined his three passions: teaching, barbecuing, and supporting servicemen and women.

“Any time I can use food to help is what I hope. I’ll do my best to make it happen,” he said.