Blog
Stories from the smoke house and curing chamber, honest opinions, and practical tips from 30 years of mastering meat.
5 min readJanuary 20, 2026
Why I'll Never Use a Gas Assist on My Offset
Some offset smokers come with gas-assist burners to help start fires and maintain temperature. Here's why I'll never use one and what I think it costs you.
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6 min readJanuary 14, 2026
The Brisket That Changed Everything
In 1999, I cooked the worst brisket of my life at a competition in Taylor, Texas. It was also the most important brisket I ever cooked.
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5 min readJanuary 7, 2026
3 Mistakes Every New Smoker Makes
I've taught hundreds of people to smoke meat. These three mistakes show up almost every single time, and they're all easy to fix once you know what to look for.
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