Newsletter Archive
![]()
For what seems like a friendly pursuit—cooking hefty hunks of meat over live fire to be eaten mostly by other people—barbecue has long been besieged by controversies. Among them: Is it sacrilege to sauce brisket? Are fall-off-the-bone-tender ribs the mark of an amateur? Is brining for the birds?
Add to the list: Should you wrap meats like brisket, beef shoulder clod, pork shoulder, ribs, etc., in aluminum foil or unlined butcher paper hours into the smoke, or leave the meat “naked”?
![]()
There are several BBQ controller configurations out there, but the Smartfire 5.0 eschews extensive piping and bulky external hardware in favor of a compact and durable unit that slides into the appropriate adaptor for your smoker. When you order your Smartfire adaptor, you select the adaptor for your preferred cooker. The company has purpose-built adaptors for most popular brands like the Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe or Primo Grills kamado-styles, your Weber Smokey Mountain bullet-style cookers and even barrel cookers like the Pit Barrel Cooker and Gateway Drums. The adaptor simply slides into your smoker’s intake vent, and then the controller fits snuggly.
![]()
It’s official! Steven Raichlen’s Barbecue University™ returns to luxurious Montage Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina’s Lowcountry over the Father’s Day weekend, June 17 through 20.
![]()
Weather folklore predicts, “If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb.” But as anyone who’s lived in northern climes knows, it’s impossible to predict what face March will show us on any given day. Shirt-sleeve, spring-like temperatures one day can be followed by a foot of snow the next.
As a consequence, adaptability is key when planning menus for this volatile month. That’s why we’ve juxtaposed warming shrimp chowder with a beautiful salad featuring tender stalks of fresh asparagus.
![]()
The best way to cook “yard birds,” as they’re called on the competition barbecue circuit, is rotisseried on the grill over a wood fire or a fire that’s enhanced with wood chunks or smoking chips. The slow, gentle rotation promotes even cooking and bastes the bird with its own juices, both inside and out. Plus, roasting chickens at higher heat ensures crisp—not rubbery—skin.
![]()
What do the words arrachera, fleica, or ahnchangsal have in common? Respectively, they are Spanish, Romanian, and Korean terms for one of the beefiest-tasting cuts of meat on Planet Barbecue—skirt steak. We’ve put together can’t-miss tips for the best skirt steak on your grill.
![]()
Of course, you don’t need an excuse to clear a path to your grill or smoker and make something wonderful to lift spirits and nurture the soul. Check out these seven recipes for some of our favorite February dishes to give you the perfect excuse to do some winter grilling.
This February we’re helping you conquer those mid-winter blues with a sweepstakes! With the right tools and a brand new grill, you can power through the last days of winter. Enter our sweepstakes for a chance to win!
The current situation just affirms what we’ve always said, and that is, the best place to enjoy Super Bowl Sunday is in your own home where there is comfortable seating (and convivial seatmates), fewer distractions, cheaper parking, shorter lines to the bathroom, and above all—better food, preferably hot off the grill. Here’s what we’re grilling for Super Bowl Sunday in honor of the Chiefs and Buccaneers.
Most of us think of beef brisket when “burnt ends” are mentioned. So, why the interest in pork belly burnt ends? My first thought was that they would be delicious since it is bacon. Second, it would not take as long to make as brisket burnt ends. Third, I like to try new recipes.
One of our favorite New Year’s rituals here at Steven Raichlen, Inc., is to look back on the past year and identify the most searched barbecue topics, trends, and recipes on our website. This roundup, which includes the two blogs we publish weekly as well as nearly 1000 of Steven’s recipes, helps us understand how to be an even better resource for you in the future.
Covid vaccines have arrived. The election year is behind us. I’m beginning to allow myself to think that 2021 will be not only better than 2020—but awesome. With the new year come new trends to help us grill and eat better. As I look into my barbecue crystal ball, here’s what I see for 2021.
