Smoked Tri-Tip Is the 2-Hour Brisket Move: A Pitmaster’s Reverse-Sear Guide for 2026
Smoked tri-tip delivers brisket-level flavor in two hours, not twelve. Here’s the reverse-sear method, USDA cost data, and the doneness chart that never lies.
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The Camp Wild-Game Rifle for the Pitmaster Who Hunts
Wild game BBQ starts with the rifle. The Day 43 prize stack — host firearm, suppressor, and NFA service — for the pitmaster who hunts squirrel, rabbit, and groundhog.
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Big Green Egg Pork Butt: How to Prep, Smoke, and Pull It
A step-by-step guide to prepping and smoking a pork butt on a Big Green Egg.
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Why M390 Steel Matters to a Pitmaster — and the WeKnife Corwyn in This Month’s Prize Stack
A pitmaster who knows kitchen-knife steel will recognize Bohler M390 as the premium-tier knife steel one tier up. The Corwyn at $380 explains why.
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How to Read a Memorial Day Grill Sale: What’s Actually a Discount in 2026
A Memorial Day grill sale is not the year’s best grill pricing. Labor Day is. October is. Here’s how to read the four kinds of Memorial Day grill sale running this weekend.
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May Is One of the Worst Months for Backyard Grill Fires – Here’s What to Check Before Memorial Day
Grill fire safety: NFPA tracks 6,500 home grill fires and $27.6 million in property loss every year. Here are seven five-minute checks before the first cook.
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What a Brisket Actually Costs This Memorial Day Weekend (USDA Data, May 2026)
The brisket cost Memorial Day weekend will run is $5.17/lb wholesale per USDA — $8-$10 retail. A 12-lb packer runs $100-$125 this weekend.
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Weber Just Showed a Santa Maria Grill at Memphis in May – But You Can’t Buy It Until 2027
The Weber Santa Maria grill: two sizes, $899 and $1,299, 750+ sq in over a firebrick cookbox. Unveiled at Memphis in May 2026, ships 2027.
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Smoked Party Ribs: The Technique Pitmasters Are Using to Cut Cook Time in Half (2026)
Smoked party ribs cook in 2 hours, not 6 — pitmasters cut each rib off the rack before smoking. Here’s the smoked party ribs method, the timing, and the rub-and-glaze plan.
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National BBQ Day May 16, 2026: 7 Ways Pitmasters Actually Mark the Day
National BBQ Day 2026 falls on Friday, May 16. The seven ways pitmasters actually observe the day — plus the deal-and-event calendar through Memorial Day.
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Smoking Woods by Cut: The Pitmaster’s Wood-Meat Pairing Guide (2026)
Match the wood to the cut, not the brand. The pitmaster’s wood-meat pairing matrix — hickory, post oak, apple, cherry, pecan, mesquite, maple, alder — by cut.
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Smoking Pellet Brand Showdown: LumberJack vs. Knotty Wood vs. CookinPellets (2026)
Lumber Jack wins price. Knotty Wood wins regional flavor. CookinPellets wins consistency. Tested side-by-side on a 14-hour brisket — which brand wins for your cook style.
