Food
What to cook, and the number to cook it to.
Doneness is a temperature.
A steak is medium-rare at 130 F whether it took six minutes or nine, and the same logic runs through every cut on this page (poultry at 165 F is a safety line rather than a preference).
These guides handle the food itself. What to buy, how to prep it, and exactly when to pull it off.
12 food guides
Brisket Burnt Ends, From the Point
Separate the point, smoke it to 205 F, cube it, and set the glaze. The trim, the pan stage, and why burnt ends come from the point and never the flat.
Crispy Grilled Wings
A dredge of 4 parts starch to 1 part rub, 40 minutes air-drying on a rack, then 30 to 35 minutes over a vortex fire. Fryer-grade crust, no fryer.
How to Smoke a Whole Packer Brisket
A 15-pound packer at 275 F, where probe feel beats the number, the flat and the point finish at different temperatures, and the wrap is a real choice.
How to Smoke Pulled Pork (Boston Butt)
An 8-pound pork butt at 225 F takes about 10 hours: 1 hour 15 minutes per pound, a stall at 150 F, and a 203 F finish confirmed by the blade bone.
How to Smoke Spare Ribs, St. Louis Cut
St. Louis spare ribs at 275 F in about four hours, with the two doneness endpoints that decide whether you get a clean competition bite or fall-off-the-bone.
Smoked BBQ Chicken
Run the pit at 275 to 300 F, mop every 30 minutes, pull breasts at 165 F and take thighs to 195 F. The white-to-dark-meat gap is the whole trick.
Texas Smoked Beef Ribs
Salt and coarse pepper, a 225 F pit, no wrap at any point, and a pull between 203 F and 205 F. This is the one barbecue cook that foil ruins.
Dry Rub vs. Marinade: When to Use Each
The real difference between a dry rub and a marinade, and a simple rule for which one to reach for on any cut.
How to Grill Vegetables That People Actually Want
Stop grilling sad, mushy veg. The oil, salt, heat, and cook times that turn vegetables into the best thing on the plate.
How to Make Fall-Off-the-Bone Ribs
The 3-2-1 rib method, step by step, with the temps, times, and the one test that tells you when they are done.
Meat Doneness Temperatures: A Simple Chart
The internal temperatures for perfectly cooked beef, chicken, pork, and fish, plus when to pull for carryover cooking.
The Best Cuts for the Grill on a Budget
Nine cheap cuts of beef, pork, and chicken that grill up great, with prices per pound and how to cook each one.
Get the free Grill Temps guide.
One page, every cut, with the pull temperature and the final temperature side by side. Enter your email and we will send it over (plus one plain grilling guide a week).
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.