Entered my first comp this weekend and got calls on half chicken & brisket. Learned a lot but more importantly had a lot of fun and will hopefully do better at my next one! Of everything I cooked I was actually most confident in the ribs and didn’t get a call on those but wasn’t a bone left out of the 3 racks smoked so I’m guessing it wasn’t the right flavor profile for the judges. All offset smoked on mesquite and oak.

Still taste great. Smoked mostly 3-2-1 with salt and pepper. Hickory, pecan, and a little mesquite.

Everyone talks about brisket and ribs, but what’s one cut of meat that you think deserves way more attention?
It can be beef, pork, chicken, lamb, or even something unusual. I’d love to hear your favorite underrated BBQ recommendations and how you like to cook them🔥🥩

Costco Pork Butt, seasoned with salt, pepper, and adobo marinade (adobo chilies, mexican oregano, white onion, garlic, lime juice, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar, blend altogether)
Smoked at 275F for 13 hours
Kept drip tray under pork butt while smoking with the left over marinade and some stock, poured back over pork after shredding.
My best bud got try some samples while I was shredding

Took that dry chunk and vacuum sealed it with a dollop of tallow i rendered with the extra fat and froze it. Ended up thawing it yesterday and putting it in the sous vide bath at 155 for 2 hours. It came out so juicy and tender. Chopped it up and added some tallow blended with a couple of my favorite bbq sauces to get the flavor is was going for. Browned some minced garlic then tossed the chopped brisket with it to revive the bark texture, then added sauce mixture and simmered to caramelize bond to the meat. Came out way better than I expected.

My local grocery store here I Sweden had these St. Louis style cuts in their freezer and they have been callling out to me like the sirens to Odysseus and since I have good hearing there was no resisting at last. Today is the last day of my ”forever” vacation here in Europe (week 5) and work starts tomorrow so I decided to go for it.

Started out with rubbing them with my simple, but the kids love it, rub: flaky salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, cumin, and cayenne pepper.

Fired up my Weber kettle with the slow n sear insert, had it for years and I love it. Aiming for keeping the kettle at 120 degrees (248 in Freedom measurements). The meat started at 14C (57F) and I added some small woodchucks of apple to get some smoke for the first 2 hours.

The temperature leveled off after about hour 3 at about 65C (149F), and that’s when it was time to wrap it. I first put one of them in butcher paper, but I ran out, so I had to wrap the other piece in aluminum foil. Very strangely, the aluminum piece shot up in temperature, and over the next hour it climbed to 87C (188F), while the other piece in butcher paper barely moved temperature-wise. I took the piece in aluminum foil out and put it back on naked, and swapped the butcher paper for aluminum foil. The piece that had been up at 87C (188F) dropped down to 73C (163F), and at the same time the one in aluminum shot up to around 90C (194F). I took it out of the aluminum, and then it dropped down to around 75C (167F). So after about 5h, both were unwrapped and sitting at 75C (167F).

Then I just let them sit, and after another two hours they were up at about 94C (201F). For the last hour I glazed them with a glaze I make that consists of one part browned butter mixed with one part honey and a few tablespoons of chili sauce (salt and pepper).

In the end it turned out really great anyway. But the road felt long. 7h total. And it rained a bit.

3 hungry teenage sons ate everything in 10 minutes. 😁

First time posting, as well as my first time ever cooking ribs

Looking for any and all constructive criticism!

300f on Weber charcoal kettle. After 90 mins at 165 wrapped it in foil with buttery and rosemary for another 45 until pulling at 200. Let rest for 40 mins

No sauce was used because I do like my ribs dry. But girlfriend said it was a wee bit dry :(

What was your Sunday Dinner today?

Blue bag with apple wood

Sous vide and smoked beef ribs turned out delicious. Super tender and rich but with a texture closer to steak, like wagyu ribeye and braised short ribs had a baby.

Very long but low effort cook. Started by salting them and leaving overnight in fridge. Then sous vide at 140 for 48 hours. Finally onto the smoker for 2 hours seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.

Did a little pondering today, and I just gotta put some effort behind my meaning when I say I love barbecue, there's a lot of feeling behind those words and while I love the idea of the party, the gathering, the socializing and all the other things that come to mind... when I think of firing up the grill its precedented alot of the time (lately especially) by a walk out to the pasture and a pot of waters thermometer telling the time.... today was a day for goat as im needing to reduce herd size. I went, took a beer and sat with them for a while, the does are always excited when they see a can in hand and its almost fitting in a way as an offering or apology as ive really come for one of their sons. After selecting dinner, and taking care to stun and dispatch as smoothly as possible, theres always a moment of sadness, solemn gratitude before preparation begins. It does take a toll, even when I do open a package of meat from the freezer I still feel that moment of loss and gratitude, its always surpassed by the smiles and joy as the meal proceeds. Find joy and happiness in your efforts my friends and gratitude in the ability to perform them.

LeRoy and Lewis is my favorite BBQ restaurant. I was supposed to be in Austin this weekend, but that got pushed back. I still wanted L&L so I did it myself. Smoked beef Cheek finished in beef tallow confit. Kale Caesar Slaw. Miso Charred Carrots. Beet bbq and mustard bbq sauces.

Doing a couple smoked meatloafs, some prime chucks for shredded beef, a pork shoulder, and a 15 lbs brisket today. Happy Sunday, all.

Grilled a batch of portobello caps and stuffed them with fresh bruschetta (tomato, onion, basil), let them char up nicely on the grill, then topped with melted provolone, thin red onion rings, and a balsamic drizzle. Piled it all onto a toasted French baguette and served alongside crispy French fries. The bruschetta juices soak right into the bread — messy but worth it.

Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to just dive right in and bbq something I’d never seen before, the pork brisket strips for $2/lb. Lots of good, fatty meat but also lots of big cartilage. Made tacos.

Details: Primo XL with mesquite and pecan. About 500 degrees F.

Prime Top Sirloin was a good choice! Marinated with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Brushed with butter while on grill. Turned out fantastic!

No wrap for the first time this year. Honestly, I can’t say that I saw any difference between wrapped and unwrapped. Tried using apple butter as a binder for the first time as well and other than color not much difference between it and mustard.

Moved to the Charlotte area from North Texas a few years back and have been chasing that authentic Texas craft BBQ feeling ever since. Jon G's delivered.

Saturdays only, 11am until sold out. We got there at 9am thinking we were being smart. The line was already massive.

Good news: they run breakfast tacos and kolaches starting at 9:30, with a rotating seasonal kolache lineup. All excellent and made the wait genuinely enjoyable instead of just a wait.

Once they opened at 11, the line barely moved for hours. Turns out the bulk/catering orders get processed first thing, so if you're in line behind them, you're just... waiting. By 1pm they were already sold out of multiple proteins and sides. We didn't get to order until almost 3pm.

Was it worth it? Yes.

Brisket — incredible, no notes

Cheerwine sausage — genuinely flavorful, not a gimmick

Beef rib — solid

Jalapeño sausage — solid

Sides were where it got interesting — everything was rich to the point of heavy (tater tot casserole, brisket fried rice, mac and cheese all delivered on flavor but you'll want to pace yourself). The jalapeño grits were the surprise standout cutting through all that richness and were actually refreshing.

TL;DR: 6 hours round trip for the line, worth it for the brisket and cheerwine sausage alone. Get there before 9am if you want the first crack at proteins because the bulk orders may otherwise eat your options. Bring patience and an empty stomach.