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How to cook a whole packer brisket on a pellet grill — plus the two questions no other guide asks: what is actually inside a…
Read More →Four quick-reference tools every cook bookmarks — target temps, pull temps, and how long leftovers keep, plus the full BBQ glossary.
| Cut | Pull | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Brisket | 203°F | 12–16h |
| Spare ribs | 195–203°F | ~6h |
| Pork butt | 203°F | 12–14h |
Target temps & times for 17 cuts, sortable by meat, weight and doneness.
View full chart →| Doneness | Target |
|---|---|
| Rare | 125–130°F |
| Medium-rare | 130–135°F |
| Well-done | 160°F+ |
Rare to well-done, burger safety (160°F) and resting times.
View full chart →| Food | Fridge | Freezer |
|---|---|---|
| Brisket, ribs | 3–4 days | 2–3 mo |
| Smoked sausage | 1 week | 1–2 mo |
| Potato salad | 3–4 days | no freeze |
How long smoked meats & sides keep — fridge and freezer, USDA-based.
View full chart →Every pit term decoded — cooking methods, gear, cuts, wood, and technique, A to Z.
Open the glossary →Reader Favorites
A rib rub recipe written in teaspoons is at least three different recipes, because kosher salts differ by more than 2x in density. Here is the rub in grams, the conversion math derived from each brand’s own nutrition panel, and what the top-ranking recipes actually deliver.
Pork loin and pork tenderloin both cook to 145°F with a three-minute rest. What differs is the oven: 350°F for a loin, 425–450°F for a tenderloin. Every temperature here is cited to USDA, FSIS, the CFR or a land-grant Extension service, with dates.
Twenty-seven kamado grills compared on published specs, same-day prices and the warranty fine print — including which brands cover the gasket, which void coverage if you skip registration, and why none of them transfer to a second owner.
How long to marinate every cut, with an evidence grade on each recommendation, plus why marinade barely penetrates and what sugar does on a hot grill.
Dry brining, done by weight. Salt density by brand, the 71 percent error nobody flags, USDA own two-day protocol, how far salt actually travels, and how to spot a pre-brined bird.
Two-zone setup, vent control, and the 150-degree disagreement over what medium-high heat means, plus the charcoal safety data every other guide skips.
Where to put the probe on every cut, the USDA safe-temperature chart, and the altitude-corrected boiling-point table FSIS tells you to go find somewhere else. In Denver, calibrating to 212F builds in a permanent 9.6-degree undercook.
Barbecue is meat cooked slowly by wood or charcoal heat and smoke – but no US authority defines it by temperature. The one federal rule, 9 CFR 319.80, regulates fuel and yield. Plus the primary-source attestations showing the word originally named a rack, not a recipe.
Smoking times and temperatures for most barbecue cuts land in the same place: 225 to 250F, roughly an hour to an hour and a half per pound for brisket, about an hour and a half for pork butt. Quick answer: Most barbecue cuts smoke at 225–250°F. Plan on roughly 1–1.5 hours per pound for brisket,…
Four independent measurements say the beer never boils, and the same standard of evidence says the safety scare is wrong too. What to do instead.
Cubed, sauced and re-smoked chuck roast. Plus the meat-science case that chuck is not a downgrade from brisket: by measured shear force the main chuck muscles are more tender than either brisket muscle, and the eight-muscle structure of a chuck roll explains uneven cubes.
Sun-dried tomato recipes for the grill: rubs, compound butter, a smoky sun-dried tomato BBQ sauce, and how to rehydrate and make your own.
