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.
-
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Pit Boss vs. Traeger 2026: The Pellet-Grill Comparison Pitmasters Actually Use
Pit Boss wins on cubic inches, hopper, and searing. Traeger wins on app, support, and ecosystem. The 2026 head-to-head pitmasters actually use to decide.
-
Weber Searwood XL 600 vs. Traeger Ironwood XL: The 2026 Sear-Off
Smokefire wins searing crust and crown. Ironwood wins overnight reliability and app polish. The 2026 head-to-head — by cook style, not by spec sheet.
-
Rib King NYC May 23: Inside the 2026 Pitmasters Competing for the Crown
More than 20 pitmasters compete for the 2026 Rib King NYC crown on May 23. The lineup, the format, the wood choices, and what to watch for at Brooklyn Navy Yard.
-
Smoked Watermelon Ham: The Backyard Recipe That Fools Carnivores
A whole watermelon, salt-cured and smoked for 8 hours, comes off the grill looking nearly identical to a glazed Christmas ham. The recipe that goes viral every time.
-
Reverse Sear for Thin Steaks: The Method That Works on Cuts Under 1.5 Inches
Reverse sear works on thin steaks (1–1.5 inches) — just smoke cooler, sear hotter, and pull earlier. The full step-by-step that gives wall-to-wall pink without the overcook.
-
5 Sides That Earn Their Place at a Memorial Day Cookout (Tested Against the Classics)
Tested against potato salad, baked beans, watermelon, and corn on the cob over 3 Memorial Day cookouts in 2025: 5 sides that earned the swap. Smoked mac, grilled watermelon salad, burnt-ends beans, smoked deviled eggs, grilled corn esquites.
