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98 Comments

  1. Jim Stoll says I paid for ad free web site but have not received any emails,newsletter or etc. And I have tried several times to send you a message but it always comes back submission failed
    Please let me know what I am doing wrong! I had no problem at all sending you money for the ad free offer

  2. Not sure I can trust this website. Submitted payment for Ad Free service but never received the email to create the account. Be Aware!!

    1. Ken, Can you check your email spam folder? I sent an email on Thursday asking for a username so I can set this up for you manually. For some reason, the payment was logged but it did not set you up as a member automatically like it should have. I have sent an email asking for some information so I can take care of this for you. Let me know if you don’t see it and we can do things a different way if need be.

  3. I have the original Smoke, Wood and Fire and the Smoking Meat cookbooks. I’ll either the recipe as is and sometimes I modify them. Either way is great. Also use your rubs and sauce.

  4. Jeff,
    No Fuss brisket for Thanksgiving 2023, your recipe works perfectly every time. I purchased your rub & sauce recipe some 10 or 12 years ago. Yours recipes never fail.
    Thank you for continuing to research and create new and different recipes.
    I hope you and your family have a great holiday season.

  5. Hey Jeff! Been following for years and your site has been my go-to for everything from my WSM, to the Weber kettle, and now a Traeger which I am struggling with having always used true smokers in the past!
    That said, what is your favorite larger “smoke box” to be used in a Traeger? I am looking for something I can create a small charcoal snake in and utilize wood chunks.. I have experimented with just using Weber charcoal baskets, but there is too much airflow with the convection of the Traeger. Looking to bring real smoke and charcoal into the game – any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
    Thanks!!!

  6. Hey, Jeff-

    I bought your recipes for rubs and sauce, years ago and have been a fan for a number of years. I recently dropped a note to you, regarding my dissatisfaction with the new book I just bought and my inability to convert it into Word format, since literally everyone of the thousands of recipes I’ve gathered over the years is in Word. I asked for a refund or some sort of a key that would permit me to convert it to Word, but have received no response.

    thank you for your attention to this matter.

    Sincerely,

    -Richard Rowe
    Jacksonville, Illinois

    1. Richard, Check your spam/junk folder. I replied on November 1st with a special copy of the book which should work a lot better. Let me know if you can’t find it and I can re-send it.

  7. My message about the origin of the term Spatchcock has been rejected as spam. That is quite a distortion, and significantly lowers my respect for the website!

  8. Jeff – I’m guessing that I’m not the only one of your avid followers who is exclusively a Pit Barrel Cooker smoker. It would be amazing if you could offer your recipes adjusted for the PBC. In my limited experience (I just started smoking in the past 2years) I’ve found that the times suggested are way too long for the somewhat higher temps of the PBC. Can you help??
    Thanks for your great stuff!!

  9. Do I need a different sign in for the Forum? I am a subscribed member of your club.

    Also, Is your original rub the same thing as Jeff’s Naked Rib Rub?

  10. Hey Jeff, My acvount doesn’t show up now.
    Also, I made your jalepeno stuffed meatloaf this weekend and we enjoyed it. Fyi, there is no mention of the bacon bits in under the ingredients therefore I didn’t have any to put on the meatloaf. Its in the instructions but not mentioned until step #8 in the instructions.

    Kind regards,
    Mark Reed

    1. Mark, thank you for the correction. I have added the bacon crumbles/bits to the ingredients list.

      Can you give me more information on the account that isn’t showing up? Is this the account where you purchased something or perhaps the forum account? Let me know and I’ll see if I can help you out with that.

  11. Hmmm, when I purchased your rub recipe in 2015 I was promised an ad-free experience and now you want me to pay again? Every year??

    “ Don, Thank you for purchasing the recipes for my rub and/or sauce!

    You should now begin to receive my weekly smoking meat recipe emails completely ad-free.

    Please click the link below to subscribe to the ad-free email version of the recipe newsletter.”

    To say I’ve been disappointed with all the ads recently is an understatement, but this is now just insulting. I’ve been making and enjoying your rubs since 2015 but today’s newsletter where you excitedly tell me that I now have to pay annually to remove the ads that you told me I would no longer have to see leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

    Don

    1. Don, thank you for the feedback!

      Sounds like you received full-length recipes in your email, all without ads, for more than 7 years. As with all things, I had to adapt to continue following the ESP guidelines and to keep those long, lengthy, image-heavy emails out of the spam filters.

      I apologize for this change but it was absolutely necessary and I feel like the price is a fair one.

      Once again, I appreciate and value your feedback and your understanding.

  12. Hi Jeff, I’ve been a loyal follower for many years! I love your website, your videos, your recipes and your techniques! But just a bit of constructive criticism: The pop-up ads on your website drive me bananas, especially when I’m trying to access a recipe on my cell phone. I know ads are a key source of revenue for you (and I give you credit for attracting so many sponsors), but the user experience on the site has really diminished. And while I’m spouting off, I also miss your emails that had the recipe right in the body of the email, as opposed to having to click through to the site. (Again, I’m sure this is to increase visitor numbers, but still a bit inconvenient for us folk who have followed you from the start.) OK, now that I’ve got that off my chest, it’s time to grab your pork belly recipe and go win my family’s July 4th smoker throw-down competition this weekend! NOTE: YOU’RE GREAT AT WHAT YOU DO, JEFF! Have a good day!

    1. Steve, I highly value all feedback and I appreciate you giving me yours. That’s how I improve.

      When the site was a lot smaller, the ads were a lot less important and could be kept to a minimum but as the site has grown, so has the cost to host and manage it. Along with this, advertisers are paying less and less for ads these days and you’ve probably noticed that most sites have more ads than they used to.

      While our ad density is at or below 22%, which is the industry standard, I am always looking for ways to improve this anywhere I can. I have a little leeway on where ads are placed but it’s mostly automated. I do understand that it’s especially bad on mobile devices.

      I have toyed with the idea of creating a membership site (much like we have at smokingmeatforums.com) where you can pay a small fee and browse with no ads, it requires some setup but I believe it could be done. Is this something that would interest you?

      Regarding the newsletter, over the years, email service providers such as AOL, Yahoo, Gmail, etc. have had to really tighten down their spam filters to reduce and prevent spam. I held out as long as I could but the extra long emails with lots of images were hitting the spam filters at too high of a rate and I was forced to make a change. The shorter emails with less images are mostly hitting the inboxes now, as they should.

      Once again, I really appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback with me! Hope the throwdown is a huge success!

      1. Thanks Jeff! Again, no disrespect with my comment… just a little feedback from the user side. I firmly believe that your loyal fans (like me) would pay a nominal amount for an ad-free user experience. You’d just have to figure out that price point. ($20 for the year? Would that satisfy us die-hard smokers who crave the creative recipes that you develop on a regular basis? I think so.)

        Anyhow, keep up the great work, and keep being Jeff!

        1. Steve, I highly value reader feedback so keep it coming.. that’s the best way to improve in my opinion. I was an industrial engineer for years and I got some of my best money saving and ergonomics ideas by talking to the workers on the shop floor, not by sitting at my desk trying to come up with ideas on my own. And anytime I got a chance, I gave that worker the credit and even shared bonuses with them. Needless to say, I had a lot of camaraderie with the work force and some of them are still close friends to this day.

          After talking to you, I decided to jump into action and we were able to get the ad-free browsing platform up and running within 48 hours. Thanks for the kick in the butt and as a thank you, I am giving you a complimentary 1 year membership to ad-free browsing.

          Thanks again and enjoy the membership! Be watching for a registration email so you can choose your username and password for logging into the site.

          Here’s a FAQ here if you want to read more about it.

  13. Jeff, I cant cook an 18 lb’er just for burnt ends and after guests devour the flat, they aren’t hungry for the other, so how can I cook both and reserve the burnt ends? I do subscribe but please send a reply to my email

  14. Huge fan !!
    I have some grill grates that are 11 x 15 with 1″ lip > I got the idea from your website and I can’t remember the name or who makes them. Help me remember Thanks

  15. Yes I use one of the leads on the temperature probes to check the temp of the smoker and one to track the meat temp, it was humid outside that day, and I did fill up the water pan. I wonder if that may have had an effect.

  16. I just had a pork shoulder take over 20 hours, it was 8.5lbs and was in the smoker at 240 degrees. the smoker is an electric Master Built. had to finish it in the over to get it to 200 degrees

    1. That’s a big boy and ultimately it’s about the thickness of the pork butt, rather than the weight. This one may have been a little thicker than normal. There’s also the possibility that your smoker is reading a little higher than what it’s actually maintaining. Have you checked the temperature in your smoker with a digital probe thermometer recently?

    1. Ross, I tend to use a lot of rub since it is low on salt and I like a lot of crust. I went back and checked my pork butt recipes and I almost always use about 1 cup per butt. That’s a lot of rub to make to the tune of about 25 batches.

      You could probably get by with using half that much if you really wanted to. Be sure to recoup any of the rub that falls by the wayside and add it back in to the pulled pork before serving.

  17. I followed you for years and am now stopping. I don’t enjoy reading your material because of the amount of adds. You’ll never get me to be a paying customer for this reason. Good bye.

    1. Rick,

      I completely understand and that is your choice. I simply offer a service for those who want it. Most other sites that are any size at all will also have plenty of ads and likely a way to pay to remove them. It’s a pretty standard practice.

      Many folks don’t realize the hours and hours of work that goes on behind the scenes to create a recipe and, because of the ads, you get that for free.

      I spend around 30 hours planning, creating, cooking and documenting a recipe on the website. The ads means I make a little money for that effort not to mention the cost of ingredients. I love what I do but I expect a paycheck for my work like you and most others do.

      I do appreciate you feedback and I’ll be here if you ever change your mind.

  18. Jeff –

    I subscribed to your email list and bought the recipes for your barbecue sauce and “Naked Rib Rub” many years ago.

    I’ve been using the rub for all my smokes since then, but I noticed that you seem to recommend using either your original rub or your Texas style rub for pretty much everything.

    I wonder if I’m missing something but not using those rubs. How can I get those recipes?

    Using the Naked Rib Rub right now to reverse sear some ribeye steaks for out of town guests tonight.

    Thanks!

    1. Bernie, the original rub is the same things as the “Jeff’s naked rib rub”. We changed the name since it was being used on a lot of things other than ribs. I will re-send the download link to you to make sure you have the latest copies including the Texas style rub which goes really well on beef. I know your guests are going to enjoy those steaks tonight!

  19. Jeff I wrote you and your program said that it failed because of spam prevention. Hope you get this and let me know how to ask you questions

      1. Jeff. My question is do you have a recipe for porkchella not sure of the spelling. You wrap Bork belly wit pork tenderloin. I really want to try this. Looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks Rich

        PS I really enjoy your videos and you recipes

        1. Rich, I have not written anything on a porchetta. I have a long list of things that I need to add to the website and this one is front and center. Hope to do it soon!

  20. Smoked Cheesy Potatoes
    30oz frozen hashbrowns
    2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
    10oz french onion dip
    2 cans cream of chicken soup
    1/2 cup diced onion

    Mix together.
    Put in 9×13 pan
    BBQ seasoning blend on top
    300°F (149°C) for 45min to 1 hour

  21. Good morning, Jeff. Thanks for sending out your weekly newsletter. I have surely benefitted from your ideas and experience.
    I own a Masterbuilt electric smoker. Your tips for using a smoke tube for optimal smoke is very helpful. I also use a smoke tube. I’ve often remove the flaming torch too soon and consequently have to torch it a second time to get it going. One thing that I do that could be helpful to your readers is to lay it down and lift up the open end about 1-2 inches using either crumbled aluminum foil or a small stone. By doing so, it will not only keep the pellets tight together (via gravity) but also will allow air to flow around all four sides of the smoke tube. The better the air circulation, the better the burn.
    Happy New Year and keep smoking.
    Mark

  22. Jeff, I just wanted thank you for all the great recipes and smoking tips I’ve received through the years. Your Pulled Chuck Roast with Grilled Onions has become the family favorite, and I make it for big get-togethers on Memorial Day and now New Years. The only change I’ve made is for the braising liquid, a full can of mushroom soup instead of a half. It makes the final product a bit more creamy when mixed into the shredded beef. And today there are also some boiled eggs in the smoker for the first time, can’t wait to try them. Again, thanks Jeff for everything “smoking”.

  23. In the passed you have emailed an article titled ” 9 Tips for Using a Pellet Grill”
    Now I can’t find it.
    Isit still available?

    Thanks,
    Ron Asleson

  24. Hey Jeff, I enjoy all your recipes! I have a pellet grill and bought a 8lb prime rib for Christmas eve. Is it necessary to sear my roast before or after cooking?

    1. You certainly don’t have to sear it but you can if you like. If searing, I prefer to do it at the end of the cook. Let it rest and even cool down some once it’s reached medium rare (~130°F) then use the oven broiler or very hot grill to put a sear on it turning every few minutes to get all sides evenly.

      Another option is to remove it from the smoker at about 110°F (43°C) then sear it right away rather than letting it cool down first.

      Yet another option is to slice it first, let the slices cool for a few minutes then sear them in a very hot pan or hot grill right before serving them. By letting them cool down first, you are reducing the chance of overshooting the finish temperature.

  25. Jeff, I have tried multiple times to contact you and have not had a response. I ordered your sauce and rub recipes years ago and lost the email. Is there any way I could get them again? It may be under an old email that is no longer active. In the email address this is coming from there is a 23. Old email was a 32.

  26. Jeff, when letting the turkey air dry in the fridge to try and help with crisping the skin. Do I do it with nothing on it? Or do I rub it with spices and let it dry? Looking for some guidance, thanks.
    Tom

    1. After brining, just let it dry. You’ll begin to see the skin get real tight and semi-translucent. Once it’s finished drying, you can add your seasoning and get it ready to smoke.

    1. George, I use to have a store in the Bixby area but once we opened back up after Covid shutdowns, the traffic was just not enough to warrant keeping it open. We will soon have a store in Tulsa that will be carrying our products.. stay tuned for that!

  27. Jeff, what is your opinion of injecting your Thanksgiving spatchcocked turkey with the herbed butter recipe after melting it, then smoking it? Following all other directions before and after of course. Thanks Steve Hough

    1. If you want to inject some butter into the bird in addition to brining, that’s not a bad thing at all. Make sure the bird is nice and cold and once the melted butter mixture is injected, it will immediately harden inside the bird since it’s really cold. This should give it its best chance at doing a lot of good during the cook. You might consider using unsalted butter for the injection to insure you’re not getting too much salt involved. I don’t think there’s a downside at all to that plan😋

  28. Hi Jeff, I have tried to send you an email about getting the Texas rub recipe. I bought your rub-n-sauce recipe before you came out with the new one. Is there any way to get the Texas recipe?

  29. Jeff, I just have to say how much I appreciate your recipes and all the information you provide. I today cooked up a batch of your smoked pig shots for the first time. Absolutely amazing! So many of your recipes are great, but this one really shines for us.

  30. I purchased all of your rub and sauce recipes a number of years ago but have never made them. Recently I purchased the bottled versions. I like the taste of the sauce but it is more spicy than some of my guest like. I’d like to make it myself. The sauce recipe I have is titled “Jeff’s Goodness Gracious Sakes Alive Barbecue Sauce Recipe”. Is the the same as your current bottled recipe ? If so how do you recommend that I make it somewhat less spicy ?

  31. Jeff,
    Love your rubs, they have been my go to for a long time. Something we do to the smoked cream cheese is ad some hot pepper jelly to the top before serving. Its a game changer. Thanks for all the great ideas.

  32. Jeff – love your website and videos.

    Did I dream that you sent an email about smoking a bottom round roast recently?

    I am unable to find it now that I have one thawing out in my fridge.

    Thanks,

    Alan

    1. Alan, I don’t have a recipe for bottom round. It’s very economical but just not my favorite cut of beef for most things. It does make great jerky.

      Having said that, it can be smoke cooked if you’re really careful.

      The bottom round is extra lean and very easy to dry out. I recommend smoking a bottom round for about an hour directly on the grate then move it to a braising situation by placing it into a pan covered with foil to finish it off. Be sure to call it done at around 130°F for maximum flavor and juiciness. Much past this and it will end up dry. I do have a top round recipe which you can draw some help from as they are quite similar. It is located at https://www.smoking-meat.com/may-19-2016-smoked-beef-top-round

  33. This is just something you might find of interest. Some meats have very little fat or are “gamey” when smoked. That includes venision and goat (known as “cabrito” here in Texas). I use a basting mixture of 1 pound of butter (not margarine) and the juice of a dozen fresh lemons, with maybe 2-3 lemon halves thrown in, to baste the meat while it is smoking. This helps to keep the meet moist and removes the “gamey” flavor and will tenderize the meat. I generally only use this on wild game or something that is “gamey”, like goat. I have had people tell me they won’t eat cabrito, but swear it’s the best “brisket” they ever had after eating it, if I didn’t tell them what it was first.

  34. The new web site is harder to navigate (no left side menu). Pork Chops seem to be missing from the pork page.

    1. John, I understand. I’ve had that left sidebar for years and years and it became necessary to remove that left sidebar but I don’t want to make it more difficult in the process. We are working hard to make things easy to find with the menus and the specific cuts above the categories. If you have any other ideas on how to improve the website, please let me know. I have added chops to the list as you requested.

  35. 1st Your web site is Great !!
    Question on cooking times in relation to internal meat temperatures !! My meats are Always cooked well before the times you state !! Our Elevation is at about 2400’ above sea level – could this be my problem? I have used various thermometers to verify the set temperatures ,, all with in a couple of degrees.

  36. Old man Stillwater “itis” can’t log in or get a reset for my email. Thank U in advance!

    Wanting to convert to pellet smoker. Thought i read u reviewed brands and differences, where might I find ur review?

    Leaning to Camp Chef SIX, any reaction?

  37. Jeff- love the recipes and rubs and try to adapt to my pit barrell cooker. Any thoughts on adding advice/alterations for the PBC users? Thanks!

  38. I would like to add….the BBQ Guru is a valuable piece of my setup. It allows me to go to bed at night and let a brisket cook all night. Really maintains a constant temperature throughout the cook!!

  39. After about 6 months of reading your emails and using your Smoking tips of the trade, I finally broke down and bought your Rub & BBQ Sauce recipes. Honestly, I am not sure why I waited so long. I used your “Naked Rub” on a rack of Baby Backs. I usually just eat a 1/2 a rack and eat the other 1/2 the following day. I ate the entire rack at one sitting and licked my fingers clean. I have to hand it to you Jeff, the rub is incredible. As soon as I post this, I am making 4 portions for my next smoke.

    Thank you for your emails, I enjoy them each week. For anyone out there who is thinking about holding off on buying these recipes, take it from me, you are wasting your time. Get on it, buy it and enjoy some incredible smoked meat.

    I’ll let you know when I try the Texas Rub and Sauce.

    Until then, Somke on!

  40. I recieved your rub recipe just a few days befor Thanksgiving . I used the rub per your instructions.The turkey i had bought weighted 14 lbs. so i left it in the smoker for 8 hrs. , it was great .Everyone liked the flaver and your rub was the talk of our dinner ,thanks again , Gerald Wilson .

  41. When cooking pork butts for pulled pork, will higher temp ( 295F vice 225F) cook butts faster and still achieve tender pulled pork? Friend said he smoked two 11 pound butts and it took him only 10 hours. Only assumption I have is that he used higher temp. My two 5 lb butts took about 15 hours at smoker temp of 225F with final meat temp of 200F.

    1. There are multiple ways to shorten cooking times for large pieces of meat. When you put cold meat into a low temperature smoker, the meat gradually warms up to room temperature, then continues to rise. You can shorten the time by warming the meat up beforehand. This can be done by placing the meat into a clean plastic bag, and submerging it in relatively hot water in a cooler, etc. The water will cool as it gives its heat to the meat. The goal is to get some heat into the very center of the meat. Water transfers heat much faster than air.

      Another approach is to cut the meat at the thickest part, so that you have smaller pieces of meat to smoke. When I cook a turkey, I remove the legs with attached thighs, and split the breasts into two pieces with wings. I detach the wings and tie them together. I discard the back or use it for soup. It can be smoked if you want smoky gravy. This greatly reduces cooking time, and produces turkey that is easy to slice.

      Lastly, yes, you can use higher temperatures, especially at first, when your goal is to try to get heat into the meat. But you want to reduce the temperature once the meat ‘plateaus’, or stops heating while it melts internal tough bits. Too much heat at that time can dry out the outside before the meat becomes tender. I almost always start any smoking event at 300F, then turn it down later.
      John

      1. Bruce, I second the Maverick ET-732. It works great. It isn’t intuitive for me to program but I watched a youtube presentation and then it was fine.

  42. Jeff – Purchased your sauce and rub recipes and tried both out on barbecue ribs using your 3-2-1- method. The ribs were fall off the bone delicious, the rub was fantastic and the barbecue sauce is the best I have ever tasted. New to smoking world but with the help of your web-sight and your book, and the free course, I have learned a lot about smoking and recipes in a short period of time. Thanks for having this web-sight available to us. Happy smoking to all.

  43. Anybody use a pellet smoker. I’ve been a stick smoker with BGE and Weber Rocky Mountain for ever but thinking about making the leap to a pellet grill/smoker such as Cookshack PG500 or Yoder YS 640. Anyone want to comment?

    1. I recently acquired a Yoder YS 640 pellet smoker and could not be happier with the product. It works exactly as advertised. Extremely high quality and holds temperature perfectly. The folks at Yoder are great to do business with as well.

  44. hello
    we are brand new to the smoking world. I am receiving your step by step on email now… was just wondering tho.. can i use birch for my fire ?
    very informative site .. thank you!
    sincerely ,
    kim and ken
    from timmins ontario canada

    1. I dont think birch would be good there is a lot of pitch in the bark and may also be in the wood. Most hardwoods will work. Burn some and smell it and then ask yourself if you want your meat to taste like it smells

  45. I love your newsletter. In fact, I have recently been using them to plan my weekend cooking, such as your most recent newsletter for the smoked pork tenderloin on a stick. I made a slight change to how I put them on my Big Green Egg, I used a grill basket with the onions on the bottom, and stacked the sticks on top of the basket above the onions. Turned out great! 

    Keep up the good work.

     

  46. your Q&A email was great, definitely keep it going, and here is a quetsion for you:

     

    Jeff thanks for the great recipes and your newsletter. I am a new BBQ smoker and I am learning temps and just how much woodchips and how often I need to replenish. I recently purchased Smoke Hollow 38 inch propane smoker.

    My question is in regards to the quantity of wood chips to use and how often to replenish them. I have cooked a lot of different types of foods and experimented with apple, cherry, pecan, mesquite and hickory. I usually use a 50/50 combination of fruit + either hickory or mesquite. I have mesquite to be a little too strong.

    I think I am using too much quantity of wood chips and I think I have over-smoked a turkey when I cooked it last week. Do you have a recommendation on how much and when I should replenish(how long do they last) my wood chips for the following meats below. Also do you soak your chips prior to putting them in your smoker? Thanks so much for everything you do.

    Pork Shoulder    (5-8lbs)

    how much wood and how often to replenish, and what is your recommendation on woodchips

    Chuck roast       (4-6lbs)

    how much wood and how often to replenish, and what is your recommendation on woodchips

    Ribs               (3-4 racks)

    how much wood and how often to replenish, and what is your recommendation on woodchips

    Brisket              (4-7lbs)

    how much wood and how often to replenish, and what is your recommendation on woodchips

    Turkey          (10-14 lb)

    how much wood and how often to replenish, and what is your recommendation on woodchips

     

    1. Hi Jeff.

        When I smoke anything I take into consideration who is eating. I use as much smoke as I think my guests will enjoy. I also make sure the heat is correct for what I am smoking. I use mild wood and make sure the smoke is steady and vented for good circulation.  Bill

  47. Jeff,

    I've already paid for your rub & sauce recipes.. can you send me the link so I can download the recipe again.

    Thank You,

    Adam Williamson

    1. The book is back ordered right now but we should have more books in a few weeks. Christmas sales were crazy and took everyone by surprise apparently. When they do come in, you should be able to find them at almost any bookstore and if they do not have any in stock, they will be able to order it for you.