Survivors

Recipes

Viral cooks, YouTuber recreations, and backyard standards. If it wastes your Saturday, I'll say so. If it belongs on the table, you'll get the method.

Game day

Worth it

Game-day chicken nachos

The cook that put the pit on the map. Smoked chicken, a loaded sheet pan, and a recipe people actually make again.

About 90 minutes · A full sheet pan / 8–10 hungry people

Poultry

Worth it

Lincoln County smoked half chickens

Direct-heat smoked half chickens. Skin that actually snaps, meat that stays juicy. A 24-minute cook with no shortcuts.

About 90 minutes on the fire · 2–4 halves

Beef

Worth it

Bone-in ribeye over live fire

No marinade theater. Fire, salt, a serious steak, and the raw results.

30 minutes plus a rest · 2 steaks

Pork

Worth it

Patio candied bacon

Sweet, sticky, dangerous bacon cooked on the patio. A recipe that will disappear before it cools.

45 minutes · 1 lb, which is not enough

Pork

Worth it

Duroc chops on whiskey wood

Thick Duroc chops, whiskey barrel wood, and a sear that actually respects the hog.

About 1 hour · 4 chops

Sides

Worth it

Street-food corn

Blistered corn, a sauce that clings, and a side that steals the plate.

25 minutes · 6 ears

Beef

It depends

Beer and charcoal BBQ

An internet idea with a beer can and a pile of charcoal. I ran it so you can decide if it belongs on your pit.

A Saturday · Depends on what you put over the fire

Sides

It depends

Fresno chili, mango, and lime pickles

A pickle experiment with heat, fruit, and acid. The question is whether it beats a straight dill spear next to fatty pork.

20 minutes plus a rest in the fridge · 1 quart

Game day

Worth it

Crispy smoked chicken wings

Super Bowl food that actually snaps. Smoked, then crisped. The wing test.

About 2 hours · A pile / game-day crowd

Beef

Worth it

Dino beef ribs

Plate ribs, low and slow, the money-shot bark. A tutorial, not a flex.

A long cook · 1–2 plates

Pork

Watch the call

The #1 Texas BBQ rib recipe

The glaze people keep asking about. I ran the recipe and showed the rack.

About 5 hours · 2–3 racks

Sides

It depends

Smoked cream cheese

Viral party dip. I smoked it so you know if it's a gimmick or a keeper.

About 2 hours · 1 block / a bag of chips

Pork

Worth it

Smoked pulled ham

The pulled ham that's been eating the comments. I smoked it and shredded it.

A Saturday · A crowd