Hattem Mattar

The Path

Early in his career, Hattem Mattar worked as engineer at Fortune 500 companies, then as engineer at oil and gas field in Texas, and later as owner at Mattar Farm in Dubai. Today, Hattem is a pitmaster (since 2013), bringing that unusually broad path to a single, sharpened craft. It is a résumé that reads like a map of moving parts and hard-won discipline: boardroom logic, industrial rigor, and the practical demands of a farm, all eventually distilled into the measured language of barbecue. In his hands, the work stays methodical rather than flashy, and the craft carries the weight of each stage that came before it.

The Work Today

At Mattar.ae, he works as founder and pitmaster. Brisket is the centre of the menu and the clearest read on his method: a cut that rewards control, patience, and consistency. For Mattar, barbecue is also a social tool. He links the craft to contact with other people, describing how food altered the terms of his solitude: “I was very secluded, I wasn’t speaking to anybody, I wasn’t going out of my way to be in public, but by making food and barbecuing I got one of three things; money, a high five or a hug. Or a combination of all three.” The work is technical, but it also runs on exchange.

Career - Pitmaster, Dubai (2013–present) - Engineer, Fortune 500 companies - Engineer, oil and gas field, Texas - Owner, Mattar Farm, Dubai

Signature

Hattem's signature dishes include Prime Brisket and pastrami. These are the dishes that best reflect his focus: generous, unshowy in intent, and rooted in the confidence of long hours and exact timing. They sit comfortably inside a barbecue practice that keeps brisket at the centre and lets the craft speak through restraint.

In Their Words “I was very secluded, I wasn’t speaking to anybody, I wasn’t going out of my way to be in public, but by making food and barbecuing I got one of three things; money, a high five or a hug. Or a combination of all three.” “That hospitality is part of my upbringing and I want to show that kind of hospitality to others through barbecue.”

Acclaim

The through-line is hospitality expressed through barbecue. Mattar puts it plainly: “That hospitality is part of my upbringing and I want to show that kind of hospitality to others through barbecue.”

FAQ What is Hattem Mattar's current role? Hattem Mattar is Founder and pitmaster. Where did Hattem Mattar work before? Hattem Mattar's earlier career included Fortune 500 companies, oil and gas field, and Mattar Farm. What is Hattem Mattar known for? Brisket.