If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to spend a few days cooking over live fire with Steven Raichlen, this is your chance. Barbecue University^® returns September 7–10, 2026. It promises to be another extraordinary union of grilling, learning, and eating very well.

Barbecue University^® takes place at Alisal Ranch, a classic California guest ranch just outside historic Solvang. It’s the kind of place that feels made for outdoor cooking—wide-open spaces, fresh air, and plenty of room to gather around the grills. Mornings are spent cooking alongside Steven and the Barbecue Bible team, absorbing techniques, recipes, and the kind of practical details that only come up when you’re actually standing at the fire.

This isn’t a demo-and-watch setup. Everyone cooks. Everyone tastes. There’s time to ask questions, compare notes, and figure out what works (and why). Some people come to strengthen their fundamentals or fine-tune techniques they’ve been using for years. Either way, the focus stays on real cooking you’ll want to repeat—and show off!—once you’re back home.

Afternoons are wide open. You can stay on the ranch and relax, take a walk, ride horses, book a spa appointment, or head into town for a wine tasting and dinner. Evenings tend to bring everyone back together—good food, good conversation, and plenty of barbecue talk.

Over the years, Barbecue University® has built a reputation as one of the most enjoyable ways to learn live-fire cooking. Space is limited, and the sessions do fill up quickly.

For pricing and registration details click here.

Barbecue University® — where the only marks you get are grill marks.

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Pork belly is best known as the cut that becomes bacon, but in its fresh form it has earned its rightful place in barbecue. You can slice, cube, or cure it—smoke it or grill it. You’ll be rewarded with killer barbecue that—unlike brisket or ribs—won’t break the bank.

What Is Pork Belly — and Why It Loves Fire

Pork belly comes from the underside of the pig and is cut as a flat slab with distinct layers of meat and fat. It’s a high-fat cut, and that fat is what gives pork belly its richness.

Fresh pork belly isn’t the same as bacon. Bacon is pork belly that’s been cured (usually with salt and sugar) and often smoked. Fresh, uncured pork belly can be cooked directly—grilled, smoked, or braised—or it can be cured first if you want to make bacon at home.

On the grill or in the smoker, pork belly performs so well because its fat renders slowly. As it cooks, that fat bastes the meat, keeping it moist while it absorbs smoke and seasoning. The result is a cut that builds deep flavor and resists drying out, which is why pork belly has become a staple on grills and smokers around the world.

Best Ways to Cook Pork Belly

Pork belly can be cooked in several distinct ways, depending on how it’s cut and how you plan to use it.

Grilled Pork Belly
Sliced pork belly cooks well over direct heat, where the fat can render and the edges can crisp without drying out the meat. Thin or medium slices work best. This approach is especially common in Korean barbecue, where pork belly is grilled simply and served with sauces or wraps that balance its richness. The key here is to slice it thin.

Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Cubed pork belly is a popular alternative to brisket burnt ends. The cubes are smoked until tender, then finished with sauce to create a sticky exterior and a rich, soft interior. Pork belly’s fat content allows it to stay moist while building deep flavor over the course of the cook.

Smoked Pork Belly
Whole slabs or larger pieces of pork belly can be smoked slowly to develop a deep, smoky flavor and a tender, sliceable texture. Smoked pork belly can be served on its own, sliced for sandwiches, or used in dishes like tacos, steamed buns, or grain bowls.

Steamed or Braised, Then Finished Over Fire
In some preparations, pork belly is gently steamed or braised before being finished over fire. This approach softens the meat and renders some of the fat first, while the final cook adds color and texture. Japanese chashu uses this same cut but relies entirely on braising; finishing pork belly over fire adds browning and smoke while preserving that tenderness.

Making Bacon at Home
Pork belly is the starting point for homemade bacon. After curing with salt and seasonings, the belly is smoked and sliced. Making bacon at home offers full control over flavor, smoke level, and thickness, and it begins with understanding pork belly in its fresh, uncured form.

Pork Belly Around the World

Pork belly appears in traditional dishes across many cuisines, each using the cut a little differently but relying on the same balance of meat and fat.

In Korea, pork belly is best known as samgyeopsal, where thick slices are grilled over high heat and eaten with ssamjang, garlic, and leafy wraps. The goal is crisp edges, rendered fat, and contrast from fresh accompaniments.

In Japan, pork belly is commonly prepared as chashu, a braised cut served with ramen. Rolled or slab-style pork belly is simmered in a seasoned liquid until tender, producing soft slices with distinct layers of meat and fat.

Chinese cuisines make frequent use of pork belly in dishes like hong shao rou (red-braised pork belly), where slow cooking turns the fat silky and rich rather than crisp. Try braising the pork belly in your smoker.

Must try pork belly recipes

With these traditions and techniques in mind, here are some of our favorite pork belly recipes—especially satisfying in the winter!

Pork Belly Tips Before You Start

• Skin on or skin off:
  Skin-on pork belly works best for roasting or crisping the skin; skin-off is usually easier for grilling, burnt ends, and smoking.
• Portion size matters:
  Pork belly is rich. Plan smaller portions than you would for lean cuts.
• Seasoning goes a long way:
  Pork belly doesn’t need heavy rubs. Salt, pepper, and a balanced sauce are often enough.
• Sauce late, not early:
  Sugary sauces can burn. Apply them toward the end of cooking.
• Rest before serving:
  Let pork belly rest briefly so the fat settles and the texture improves.

Pork Belly: Frequently Asked Questions

Pork belly earns its place in barbecue because it’s both forgiving and rewarding. It works across techniques, shows up in traditions around the world, and delivers flavor that few cuts can match. Once you start cooking pork belly over fire, it’s a cut that’s hard to stop coming back to.

Related Blogs

• Add This Technique to Your Repertoire: Smoke-Braising
• Seoul Food: Pork Belly Breaks Out of the Bacon Mold
• Create Maple Pork Belly Burnt Ends

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I was recently thumbing through cooking magazines that piled up during a particularly busy stretch of time and was flabbergasted by the number of ingredients many recipes required. Fifty? Twenty-seven? They were exhausting to read, let alone deliver to the table.

Barbecue doesn’t need to be complicated to be good. In fact, some of the best barbecued meals we’ve loved come from doing less—fewer ingredients and fewer steps.

Below are nine simple recipes we’ve culled from our favorites. They’re about familiar flavors, forgiving methods, and food that looks and tastes like it belongs at a table with family and friends—not stalling dinner under ring lights.

Think of these recipes as tools, not rules. Use them as written, tweak them to fit what’s in your fridge, or let them remind you that cooking can still be easy, satisfying, and fun—without turning your kitchen into a science lab or your evening into homework.

4-ingredient grilling recipes

Grilling doesn’t have to be complicated to be satisfying. These recipes are reminders that a short ingredient list can still deliver real flavor, especially when you let the fire do the work. Use them as written, adjust them to what you’ve got on hand, or let them nudge you back toward cooking that feels relaxed instead of fussy. When dinner comes together this easily, it’s easier to enjoy the time around the grill, too.

Check out our 1000+ Recipes section here on Barbecue Bible.Com

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A BarbecueBible.com Master Class

Barbecuebible.com is thrilled to announce a new series of masterclasses—each devoted to a dish that everyone should know how to grill or barbecue.

And up first, what’s considered by many to be the ultimate barbecue: the pork rib.

Actually, there are four kinds of pork ribs and at least three recommended ways to cook them. Everyone should know how to barbecue ribs, so read on:

The various types of pork ribs:

The most popular is the baby back rib, aka top loin rib. Cut from high on the hog (next to the backbone), it’s tender, well-marbled, and relatively quick cooking. Everybody loves baby back ribs.

Below the baby back (anatomically speaking) comes the spare rib—a meaty rack that’s larger, slightly tougher, and intensely flavorful. It should be cooked “low and slow” (at a low temperature for a long time) to achieve the requisite tenderness.

Trim the cartilaginous bottom (called rib tips), the last two ribs on the narrow end of the rack, and some of the fat off a rack of spareribs and you get a St. Louis cut—a spare rib that looks and cooks like a baby back. Pro tip: Use the rib tips and any meaty trim to flavor baked beans, soup, or pork stock.

The fourth kind of rib—the country-style rib—isn’t really a rib at all. It’s an odd cut from the hog’s neck that looks and cooks like a thick elongated pork chop. It may or may not have a bone. It should be direct grilled, exactly as you’d do with a pork steak or chop. Pro tip: Boneless country-style ribs can easily be turned into kebabs by slicing the meat into 1-inch cubes. Marinate, if desired, then skewer and grill with your favorite accompaniments. (We love pineapple. Tacos al pastor, anyone?)

The various ways to cook ribs:

Ribs are highly versatile in that they can be cooked a variety of ways. Baby backs can be indirect grilled at a higher temperature (300 to 325 degrees)—a process that will take around 2 hours, or smoked like true barbecue at 225 to 250 degrees (closer to 3-1/2 to 4 hours). Hawaiians cook them on the rotisserie. St. Louis-cut ribs can be cooked either way, too.

Spareribs should be cooked low and slow in a smoker: figure on 4 to 5 hours. Hickory is the traditional wood for smoking spareribs, but any hardwood works great.

Country-style ribs should be direct grilled—3 to 5 minutes per side over a medium-high flame should do it.

How to trim ribs:

A papery membrane covers the inside (the concave part) of your rib. Many pit masters remove it. (It’s said to interfere with the absorption of the spice and smoke flavors.). To do so, pry it up at the end of a couple of the rib bones with the end of a spoon handle. Grab it with a paper towel (it’s slippery and pull it off. At the same time, you can cut off any gross gobs of fat or dangly parts.

How to flavor ribs:

Take a page from the competition barbecuer’s playbook. Layer the flavors on your ribs. Start with a rub sprinkled over the ribs and rubbed into the meat. During the cook, you can spray your ribs apple cider, beer, or wine. Right at the end, brush on your favorite barbecue sauce, then sizzle the ribs directly over the fire for a minute or two—just long enough to sear the sauce into the meat. Do not apply the sauce too early, or the sugar in it will burn. Pro tip: Before applying a rub, slather the rack of ribs with yellow mustard.

The three-two-one method:

This one was all the rage on social media a few years ago. In a nutshell, you smoke the ribs uncovered for 3 hours, then wrapped in foil with butter and apple juice for 2 hours, then finish uncovered for 1 additional hour. Those numbers work for spareribs, but for baby backs, I recommend 3-1-1 timing.

How do you know when the ribs are cooked:

Ribs should be tender, but still have a little chew to them. In my opinion, the meat should not fall off the bone. (Such ribs were probably boiled or braised before grilling.)

Ribs should be cooked until the meat shrinks back from the ends of the bones by 1/4 to 1/2 inch.

Another test for doneness is to lift the rack in the middle with tongs. The meat should start to tear at the top.

Yet another test is to pull a rib off the rack. You should be able to tear it apart with your fingers.

So what else should you know?

Where your pork comes from matters as much as how you cook it. I’m partial to heritage breeds like Duroc or Berkshire.

invest in a rib rack, which holds the racks upright so you can fit four racks instead of two on your grill. A must for a small cooker, like a Weber Kettle or Smokey Mountain.

Beef ribs are a whole different animal which we’ll cover in a new masterclass.

And now, the recipes to put your master class to use:

I’ve been cooking ribs for decades, and I’m still learning new things every time I fire up the grill or smoker. If you want to go deeper, I devoted an entire book to the subject—Best Ribs Ever: A Barbecue Bible Cookbook—because ribs reward curiosity, patience, and practice. Use this masterclass as your foundation, then keep experimenting. The best ribs you’ll ever cook are the ones that teach you something along the way.

Pork Ribs: Frequently Asked Questions

Related Posts

• The 3-1-1 Method: Revolutionizing BBQ Rib
• Ribs in a Hurry: 5 Great Techniques
• 10 Best Ribs Recipes for the Grill and Smoker from Across America

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The price of beef has rocketed into the stratosphere, making one of America’s favorite proteins nearly unaffordable—or at very least—a rare treat for many families. We’re not quite ready to give up the occasional steak, however. Since the holidays, we’ve been on the hunt for steaks that aren’t eye wateringly-expensive. Your local butcher should be your first stop, followed by a locally-owned market and a reputable online source. (For the latter, be sure to factor shipping charges into the per pound cost of the meat.) Below are our top picks.

Affordable Steaks

Teres Major/aka Shoulder Tender:

You’d be forgiven for mistaking this delectable cut (from the chuck) for a diminutive filet mignon, the steak it most resembles. Weighing in at about 1 pound, you can grill it whole or slice it crosswise into small medallions—perfect for cheffy-looking individual servings or shish kebabs. Like most of the cuts profiled here, this steak can be marinated, rubbed, sauced, or seasoned simply with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.

• Recipe: The Real Turkish Shish Kebab

Merlot Steak: Unlike most lesser-known cuts of steak, this one comes from the top and back of the hind leg—not the shoulder. Consequently, there are only two per animal. The Merlot Steak is dense and lean (the leg is a well-exercised muscle, after all) and should be grilled quickly over a hot fire. Deftly seasoned and medium-rare, please. Serve with Chimicurri.

• Recipe: Chimicurri

Denver Steak:

The Japanese call this pillowy cut from the under blade of the chuck zabuton after a cushion used in Zen meditation. But focus groups in the U.S. liked the sound and easy memorability of Denver cut. (It is a marketing term only and has no relationship with the Colorado city.) Found deep in the shoulder, this tender, well-marbled steak with a rich, beefy taste is very grill-able. Cook to medium-rare.

• Recipe: Zabuton Steak “Denver Steak”

Tri-Tip Steak (aka Newport Steak):

“Tri-tip? That’s old news,” you say. Well, yes and no. Like sriracha, it’s hard to remember when tri-tip wasn’t a thing, especially if you’re from Santa Maria, California. Just recently that some supermarkets began selling tri-tip steaks. (In New York, they’re sometimes labeled Newport steaks, the name given to them by the former owner of a hole-in-the-wall Greenwich Village butcher shop, Florence Prime Meat Market. He thought the steak resembled the reddish-orange “swoosh” in the Newport cigarette logo.) Tri-tip steaks can be bought individually, or you can cut them yourself, making them great for smaller appetites and/or households. Buy the ones with the most marbling; they’ll be juicier and more flavorful when grilled. Dust liberally with your favorite rub, cook to medium-rare, slice against the grain, and serve, if desired, with traditional Santa Maria sides: pinquito or pink beans; garlic bread; fresh salsa; and a green salad.

• Recipe: Reverse Seared Tri-Tip

Ranch Steak: The beef industry dubbed this steak from the chuck the “ranch cut” to make it easy for consumers to ask for it by name. But like many of the lesser-known steaks, it has aliases, including boneless shoulder center steak and arm steak. Designated one of 29 lean steaks by the USDA (meaning less than 10 grams of total fat per 3.5 ounce serving), it’s marketed as a good choice for anyone who has a cardiologist on speed dial. Portion sizes are usually bigger than 3.5 ounces, though—a serving is commonly 6 to 8 ounces.

Flavor-wise, it’s often compared to top sirloin. I personally like to soak these steaks in a Korean-inspired marinade (the kind you’d use for bulgogi), sear them over a hot fire, then thinly slice on a sharp diagonal and wrap in Bibb lettuce leaves with sliced garlic cloves and jalapeños, scallions, and fiery gochujang—Korean chili paste.

Picanha:

If you’ve dined at a Brazilian steakhouse like Fogo de Chão, you’ll remember seeing C-shaped pieces of sirloin threaded on long spits and sizzling over the fire. Called picanha in Brazil (coulotte in France), this delectable cut with a generous cap of fat comes from the top of the sirloin primal. Seasoned simply with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, the meat can also be direct grilled. We love it served with a Latin American-inspired salsa.

• Recipe: Picanha

Flat-Iron Steak (aka Top Blade Steak):

Unheard of a few years ago, this succulent steak from the chuck has become exceedingly popular among budget-conscious carnivores., a fact that has unfortunately made it pricier. In a study conducted by scientists at the University of Nebraska, this steak was ranked second only to filet mignon in tenderness. But with more flavor! It’s a great candidate for marinades, rubs, or sauces. Be sure to trim out the thin medial line of gristle before slicing against the grain.

• Recipe: Tex-Mex Flatiron Steaks Con Mucha Cerveza

Chuck Tail Flap:

Hanger Steak with Mustard and Caramelized Onions

From the bottom sirloin butt, this bistro-style cut could easily be confused for skirt steak or hanger steak. (Sometimes, it’s labeled “faux hanger steak.”) It’s a meat lover’s meat, intensely beefy. Its coarse texture embraces flavor-enhancing marinades as well as dry or wet rubs. Less expensive than flank steak and a terrific choice for tacos or fajitas. Flap meat takes just minutes to cook to medium-rare, so have your side dishes and/or condiments ready before you commit to grilling. For maximum tenderness, slice each steak with the grain (its fibers run crosswise) into 2-inch pieces, then slice each piece into thin strips against the grain. It’s available in many supermarkets or can be special ordered from Whole Foods. Substitute it for skirt steak in these recipes:

• Recipe: Grilled Skirt Steak with Poblano Peppers and Onions
• Recipe: Hanger Steak with Marchand de Vin (Wine Merchant) Sauce

Affordable steaks prove that great grilling doesn’t require premium price tags. Cuts like teres major, Denver steak, picanha, and flat-iron offer tenderness, flavor, and versatility when handled with care and cooked properly. With a good butcher, smart seasoning, and a hot fire, these lesser-known steaks can easily become weeknight favorites—and still feel like a special occasion.

Affordable Steaks: Frequently Asked Questions

Affordable Steaks: Frequently Asked Questions

Related Posts

• The New Cuts of Steak: Big Flavor, Merciful Price
• In Praise of Pork Chops
• Versatile and Affordable: Country-Style Pork Ribs for the Win

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In Praise of Burnt Ends

Burnt ends began as the crispy brisket trimmings served by legendary Arthur Bryant at his eponymous Kansas City restaurant. They didn’t cost a penny, and you got to sample them if you were at the head of the invariably long line that formed while waiting for the restaurant to open. Today, burnt ends have morphed into a specialty (and revenue source) in their own right, as many Kansas City restaurateurs now separate the point from the flat, serving the latter as barbecued brisket and the former as burnt ends. The modern burnt end might be described as brisket candy: you slather it with sweet barbecue sauce and roast it to caramelize the sugar. The following burnt ends start with cooked brisket.

Burnt ends may have started with brisket, but they don’t have to end there. The same smoky-sweet treatment works beautifully on other cuts—and even unexpected ingredients. Pork belly burnt ends deliver rich, bite-sized indulgence, while hot dog burnt ends turn a cookout staple into pure barbecue fun. Once you understand the method, burnt ends become less about tradition and more about creativity at the grill.

Burnt Ends: Frequently Asked Questions

Related Blogs

• How to Master Brisket on Your Smoker
• How to Make Pork Belly Burnt Ends
• What Are Burnt Ends? And 11 Other Key Terms You Should Know

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The post In Praise of Burnt Ends: Kansas City–Style Brisket Candy appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

Happy New Year from Steven and the team at Barbecuebible.com!

Whew… The holidays are finally in the rear view mirror, giving us a chance to relax and reboot.

Once you’re rested, we hope you’ll feel inspired to shovel a path to your grill (if needed) and try the tantalizing recipes we’ve culled from our voluminous files. Most are not only heathy-ish (Candied Bacon Sundaes excepted) but relatively cost-conscious. Enjoy!

January Grilling Recipes

Cold weather doesn’t mean the grill goes into hibernation. A little planning, the right recipes, and a willingness to cook through the chill can turn January into one of the most satisfying months to barbecue. Whether you’re leaning into lighter, healthier meals or just looking for something comforting that still tastes like fire and smoke, there’s plenty here to keep things interesting.

Related Posts

• New Year, New Flavors: Exciting Recipes for January 2024
• Embrace the Cold-Weather Griller in You
• 13 Tips for Winter Grilling

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Could it really be 2026 already?! It seems like I just wrote my 2025 barbecue trends blog. But time marches on, and how we grill continues to evolve. So I hauled out my metaphorical crystal ball (for once more articulate than ChatGPT) and asked what to expect in the coming year.

Here’s what I predict will move the barbecue world in 2026:

Barbecue Trends 2026

Move over beef tomahawks. Make way for flank steak (and other less expensive steaks).

Declarations from Washington to the contrary, inflation is still wreaking havoc with our wallets. My grocery bills are way higher now than they were last year—especially when it comes to beef. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, prices go up, but they rarely come down. So in 2026, we’ll be looking for value, not bling, and affordable steaks like flank, sirloin, and flatiron will find a welcome place on our grills. For that matter, so will beef alternatives like pork shoulder steaks and tenderloins—a fraction of the price of their bovine counterparts.

Move over kettle grills. Make way for Santa Marias.

These charcoal and wood burners with raisable and lowerable grates are taking the grill world by storm. Mega-influencer Derek Wolf introduced his new Fyr grill earlier this year, and he can’t keep it in stock. Kalamazoo does a lively trade with its magisterial Gaucho grill, and Yoder has come out with some awesome Santa Marias too. Named for Santa Maria, California—the birthplace of the tri-tip—the Santa Maria grill boasts an ingenious pulley system that lets you raise and lower the grate with the turn of a crank or flywheel. That means greater heat control when grilling steaks, chops, seafood, and vegetables. Is it possible to indirect-grill on a Santa Maria? Raise the grate to its highest position and cook tougher cuts wrapped in foil.

Move over brisket. Make way for “trisket.”

No, it’s not a cracker. The trisket is the latest way barbecue folks are fighting the high price of what used to be a budget cut: brisket. Instead, get yourself a tri-tip—that flavorful triangle of beef cut from the bottom sirloin. Season it with salt and pepper (or your favorite barbecue rub) and smoke it low and slow as you would brisket. Rich, smoky, beefy flavor at a fraction of the price.

Move over griddles. Make way for braseros.

Picture a giant stand-up round or square griddle with a large hole in the center. In that aperture, you build a wood fire over which you position a grill grate. You’re grilling over a smoke-scented wood fire in minutes. But the real genius of a brasero is that it doubles as a griddle where you can cook eggs, pancakes, fragile fish fillets, and fried rice—foods you simply can’t cook on a conventional grill. One popular brand is Arteflame. Look for more brasero imports from Europe in the coming year.

Move over fresh meat. Make way for frozen.

There will never be a substitute for great fresh meat from your local butcher. But frozen meat has lost the stigma it had when I came of age in barbecue. Today, some of the world’s most prestigious meats come frozen, from A5 wagyu from Japan to prime brisket points from boutique ranches in Colorado. The secret is to thaw frozen meat slowly in the refrigerator—overnight for steaks; several days for larger cuts like brisket—rather than the flash-thawing impatient guys like me used to do in a bowl of warm water.

Move over grill brushes. Make way for chain-mail grill cleaners.

It doesn’t happen often, but on very rare occasions a wire bristle strays from your grill brush and winds up in your food—or worse, your innards. For a while, we turned to wooden scrapers, but they never cleaned as well as grill brushes. Enter the chain-mail grill cleaner, which scours your grate without leaving deadly bristles behind. Our go-to is the GrillFighter. It makes quick work of the grease and crud that accumulates on your grate. Just rinse it off with a hose or run through the dishwasher after each use.

Move over soy sauce. Make way for nuoc mam.

Soy sauce has long been a barbecue mainstay—used in all manner of marinades, wet rubs, barbecue sauces, butters, and bastes. But more and more grillers are discovering fish sauce, a Southeast Asian condiment made from salt and fermented anchovies. Think soy sauce on steroids, with rich umami undertones. It sounds strange until you think of Caesar salad (made with anchovy dressing) or bagna cauda (the Italian vegetable dip made with anchovies, garlic, and cream). When mixed with other ingredients, fish sauce doesn’t taste fishy. My favorite brand is Red Boat—I use it all the time.

Move over dining out. Make way for elevated entertaining at home.

A bright side to inflation? More and more of us are entertaining at home on high-tech grills like the Weber Summit FSX38, which has a built-in broiler—great for finishing shellfish and steaks. When you consider the cost of sitting in traffic, valet parking, and gratuities you’d pay at a restaurant, you can spend more time and money entertaining at home and still wind up ahead. Like Mrs. Raichlen says, “I always prefer a home-cooked meal to going out.”

Move over fried rice. Make way for fried noodles.

One of last year’s barbecue trends was the arrival—make that the explosion—of the stand-up griddle, which we used to cook foods you simply can’t do on a grill: pancakes, eggs, and fried rice, to name a few. Armed with some leftover spaghetti and a hot griddle, I made fried noodles recently. The thin strands of egg pasta—now crunchy and crisp—came as a revelation. Incidentally, griddle-fried noodles are a longstanding delicacy in Japan, where they go by the name of yakisoba.

Move over cauliflower. Make way for cabbage.

Yes, according to the blogosphere, the new it vegetable is… cabbage—replacing the cauliflower and Brussels sprouts of yesterday. Roast it whole in the embers. Cut it into wedges and grill it. (Insert a bamboo skewer to keep the wedges from falling apart.) Grill it or smoke it before you shred it to make the best coleslaw on the planet.

Move over Austin. Make way for Atlanta.

Atlanta’s barbecue scene got a huge boost with the arrival of John Lewis—the one-time Aaron Franklin acolyte who wowed Austin barbecue buffs with the peerless smoked meats at his La Barbecue in Austin and current Lewis Barbecue in Charleston. Now he brings his personally built smokers, his infinite patience (his brisket cooks for 18 hours), and a pedigree that includes stints at Franklin Barbecue and a recent Bibb award from Michelin to a city that’s no slouch when it comes to food. “We believe barbecue is all about patience,” Lewis said recently. “Atlanta, you’ve waited long enough to indulge—it’s salvation time.” Amen!

And in case you’re wondering, here’s how John Lewis makes his signature hatch chili corn pudding!

Move over nightclubs. Make way for restaurants.

One new trend I absolutely hate is loud music and DJs in restaurants (be they barbecue restaurants or not). Part of the joy of dining out is conversing with your family and friends at the table. A restaurant should be a place to relax, restore, and discover, not a damn discotheque. (Ava, Aviv, and other new restaurants in Miami: I’m talking to you.) I encourage you to complain as loudly as I do.

The scrooge has now left the room. Happy New Year!

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Updated for 2025

Prime rib is one of my favorite meats to grill or smoke for a special occasion. I have fond memories of my father preparing prime rib for our Christmas dinner. It has become a tradition for my family, too. He set the bar high, and the meat was always wonderful. Years later I watched Steven Raichlen cook a prime rib on a rotisserie and I knew I needed to try his method.

Of course, its expense makes prime rib an intimidating cut of meat to prepare. Naturally, you don’t want to ruin it! But Steven’s method ensures it will “wow” your guests. And it’s relatively easy, too.

Simply set up the rotisserie attachment on your kettle or gas grill and add a few wood chunks to create smoke. Roast the prime rib at 400 degrees. The high heat of the fire creates a crispy exterior and the wood imparts a smoky aroma, one you just can’t get when cooking the meat in the oven. The inside of the roast comes out perfectly cooked, tender, and juicy.

Start with the best meat you can afford. I got a 4-bone 12-pound upper prime Black Angus prime rib roast. Most prime ribs are not graded “prime” by the USDA. (In fact, despite their name, many are graded “choice.” Prime is an outdated term referring to a standing rib roast and has nothing to do with the grade or the marbling of the beef. This “Prime” rib was a cut above the ones I have cooked in the past. In other words, it was prime prime rib!

When cooking this indulgent cut of meat, I discovered two things are key: 1) controlling the temperature of the grill; and 2) using a reliable wireless meat thermometer to monitor the temperature of the meat itself.

Winter holidays in New England are usually chilly. When it is cold and windy, it can be difficult to keep the temperature of the grill or smoker consistent. A windy day can cause charcoal to burn faster and create temperature spikes. A trusty wireless thermometer allows you to monitor both the grill and meat temperature without having to open the lid of the grill repeatedly. Opening the lid will create fluctuations in the grill temperature and can lead to uneven cooking.

Rotisserie Prime Rib

I began my prime rib project by trimming off a little bit of fat. I also scored the outside of the prime rib to create a crosshatch pattern. Scoring helps to release fat and helps create a crispy exterior. I then brushed the prime rib with olive oil and generously seasoned it with coarsely and freshly ground black peppercorns and kosher salt.

I removed the prime rib from the refrigerator and let it sit for about 45 minutes before cooking. (I left it on a sheet pan covered with plastic wrap). Putting a cold prime rib on a hot rotisserie would probably burn on the outside before the inside finished cooking. Bringing the temperature of a large cut of meat up before cooking promotes even cooking.

I set up my kettle grill for indirect grilling. I placed a foil drip pan between the coal baskets, then attached the rotisserie ring and the rotisserie motor. If you do not have a rotisserie, set up your grill for indirect grilling.

Once the grill reached 400 degrees, I added wood chunks to the coals and positioned the rotisserie spit with the prime rib over the rotisserie ring. I started basting the meat with red wine after 30 minutes of cooking. I continued to baste the meat every 30 to. 40 minutes until the prime rib reached an internal temperature of 135 degrees. Total cooking time for the prime rib was 2 hours and 30 minutes for medium-rare.

I took the meat off the grill and removed the prongs and the spit. I then lightly covered the meat with foil to rest for 25 minutes. Don’t skip the resting step or you’ll leave precious meat juices on the cutting board. Once the meat rested, I sliced off the bones to serve as ribs. I then sliced the prime rib into 1/4 inch slices. I even saw a subtle smoke ring.

The combination of high heat from the rotisserie and the salt and pepper rub created a crusty and flavorful exterior. The inside was tender and juicy due to the marbling of the prime rib. The whole kitchen had a smoky aroma as the meat rested. The perfect bite was the mix of crispy exterior and tender meat. I served the prime rib with chive-mashed potatoes, smoke-roasted carrots topped with a sage brown butter, and caramelized onion beef gravy.

If you are looking to create a front row moment (and a new holiday tradition) for your family for the holidays, try a prime rib.

Key Tips & Technique Highlights

• Bring the roast closer to room temp before cooking. Taking the chill off helps the exterior sear beautifully without overcooking the center.
• High heat for a crispy exterior. A rotisserie at around 400°F gives you a caramelized crust and rich, beefy flavor.
• Use a reliable wireless or instant-read thermometer. Monitoring both grill and meat temps avoids guesswork and ensures even cooking.
• Rest before slicing. Letting the roast rest under foil redistributes juices — don’t skip this.
• Baste for flavor. Red wine or seasoned baste every 30–40 minutes during the rotisserie cook for additional depth.

Internal Temperatures (Doneness Guide)

• Rare: 120–125°F
• Medium-Rare (classic choice): 130–135°F
• Medium: 140–145°F

The meat will continue to rise several degrees once off the grill, so factor that into your pull-off temperature.

Prime Rib Recipes

• Rotisserie Prime Rib with Horseradish Cream
• Grilled Prime Rib with Garlic & Rosemary
• Reverse-Seared Prime Rib

Also Read:

• The Ultimate Holiday Centerpiece—Prime Rib
• Grill the Best Prime Rib Every Time: 5 Things You Need to Know.

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As I write this, it’s 85 degrees in Miami. Not the sort of Christmas weather I was used to when I lived in New England. Yes, everything is different here in Miami, include the barbecue. Which brings us to a dish that will be served in countless households here in South Florida. Lechon Asado—Cuban style roast pig.

Miami’s Lechon Asado – Cuban Pig Roast

The day before Christmas, Miami’s sky is filed with smoke from a thousand backyard barbecues. Not just any smoke: I’s the fragrant aroma of lechon asado, pork marinated in a garlicky adobo, wrapped in banana leaves, and slow roasted over an ember-filled pit. It’s the quintessential smell of Miami this time of year, and everywhere you turn preparations are underway for la Noche Buena, the traditional Cuban Christmas Eve feast

In South Florida, the Cuban Americans Jokingly refer to Miami as the fifteenth province of Cuba. And at Christmas, Miami’s Cuban roots are at their most visible— and most festive. Butcher shops advertise young pigs, while supermarket produce sections bulge with yucea, sour oranges, and ripe plantains. Bakeries are crowded with customers buying buñuelos(syrup-soaked fritters) and a nougat like candy called turron.

Catholics around the world honor Christmas Eve, but Latin Americans—particularly Cubans— have made it one of the most festive days (or more accurately nights) of the year. The holiday begins with a late-night feast, followed by dancing and socializing. At midnight, people attend a misa del gallo, literally a rooster mass, so called because it’s said to end around the time the first rooster crows. A Cuban Noche Buena celebration in Miami combines the belt loosening largesse of American Thanksgiving with the conviviality of a Fourth of July barbecue.

My own Initiation into the Noche Buena festivities came from a man who knows a thing or two about pig roasts, Octogenarian Efrain Veiga Sr. whom my wife and I call Papi, was a butcher in Havana and continued to work in the meat industry after immigrating to the United States in 1959. (His son, also named Elrain, opened the nation’s first Nuevo Latino restaurant, YUCA,) The family invited me to participate in a traditional Noche Buena—and help with everything from buying the pig to eating it

Picking A Pig

My alarm clock went off at 6am. After fortifying ourselves with steaming cups of café con leche Papi and I drove to Cabrera’s in Hialeah Gardens, a blue cinder block building on the outskirts of Miami. Even at this very early hour, we found a line at the rough-and-tumble slaughterhouse. We waited our turn to get our pig, a forty-nine-pound macho (male) that Papi had selected on account of its plumpness. On a normal day, Cabrera’s will process three hundred pigs: right before Christmas, they process twelve hundred in a single day! It’s customary for the whole family to come along to Cabrera’s when the pig Is selected for a Noche Buena dinner.

Building the pit with cinder blocks, chicken wire, and rebar.

The honor of making the choice is given to the grandfather. Thanks to our early arrival, we left forty-five minutes later with el macho safely stowed in the trunk.

Preparing The Pig

Once back home, our first task was to soak the pig in a tangy marinade called adobo. Adobo turns up throughout the Spanish speaking world, varying widely from country to country. Mexico’s adobo, for example, is a spicy paste of ancho chiles and orange juice. Cuban adobo pits the breath-wilting pungency of fresh garlic (lots of it) against the fragrance of cumin and oregano with a greenish fruit called rraranja agria (sour orange) providing a snappy acidity.

Papi supervised the digging of the pit, a rectangular hole, about one foot deep, three feet wide, and four feet long, dug at the end of the driveway. When the dimensions of the hole were just right, Papi lined the pit with a sheet of galvanized steel, then built a fire with a couple of bags of charcoal.

Banana leaves are placed over the pig to hold in the smoke and moisture.

As the coals blazed down to embers, Papi raked them into an area roughly the size of el macho, with extra coals at either end to cook the shoulders and hams more quickly. We placed the pig, skin side down, on a grate fashioned from rebars and chicken wire. We splashed on more adobo and covered the pig with banana leaves. The leaves will hold in the moisture and smoke while imparting a distinctive flavor, Papi explained

Meanwhile, Esther “Mami” Velga worked on the accompaniments, for no Noche Buena would be complete without a trio of classic Cuban side dishes: moros y christianos, yuca con mojo, and fried plantains. The first, literally Moors and Christians, is a Cuban staple consisting of soupy black beans ladled over white rice. Yucea is Cuban comfort food, starchy white tuber that tastes vaguely buttery but mostly bland. It’s enjoyed the way Anglos eat boiled or mashed potatoes, but instead of adding a mere pat of butter, Cubans use an explosively flavorful sauce called mojo, made with fried garlic, cumin, and sour orange juice. The same sauce will be slathered over the grilled pork. As for plantains, these jumbo cooking bananas are another mainstay of the Cuban table and Mami took great pains to procure the softest blackest, ripest plantains she could find, for these will be delectably sweet

Like all great barbecue, lechon asado requires bursts of intense activity, followed by lots of sitting around watching the pig roast. As we sipped beer, Papi recalled his last Noche Buena in Cuba. He and his friends cooked an enormous pig, which they strung between two palm trees like a hammock. They swung it back and fourth over the fire until the skin was as crisp as a potato chip, “But Castro changed all that,” Papi said and sighed.

After two hours, we tuned the pig over, its skin now brown. and crackling, We added enough fresh coals for an additional hour and a half of roasting. Our talk turned to another artifact of a Cuban Noche Buena: the caja china, or Chinese box. This is a metal crate a bit larger than a steamer trunk, which many Cubans use in place of a barbecue pit. You place the pig in the box, close it, and shovel coals on the top. The box acts like a giant oven and produces pork of extraordinary succulence. You can buy cajas chinas at hard- ware stores in Miami, But Papi and I agreed that we’d miss the live fire flavor that comes from roasting the pig over a pit.

Feliz Navidad

By nightfall, el macho was as shiny and dark as mahogany and tender enough to pull apart with your fingers, precisely what Papi invited me to do. The table sagged under the weight of lechon asado and its various accompaniments. We splashed garlicky mojo over the pork and licked our fingers. At the end, Mami brought out a shimmering flan delicately flavored with lemon and cinnamon for dessert.

Cooking a whole pig can be challenging if you’re an apartment dweller—or even if you’re an accomplished griller. Click here, you’ll find a recipe for making lechon asado with a more manageable cut, pork shoulder. Like the pig, the roast marinates in garlicky adobo, and for additional flavor you can poke holes in the meat, so it absorbs even more marinade. But if you’re ever in Miami on Christmas Eve, try to get yourself invited to a Noche Buena dinner. You won’t regret it.

Excerpted from Barbecue USA.

Lechón Asado: Frequently Asked Questions

Related Posts

• BarbecueBible’s Best Ever Holiday Grilling Menu
• How to Cook a Holiday Goose
• Texas Meets Tradition: Smoked-Braised Brisket

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What were the most memorable dishes you grilled in 2025? I know my favorites. And we also know what you liked. Every year, a handful of recipes stand out from the rest. They’re the recipes that our readers—you—request again and again. As the year wraps up, we scanned the data to see which Barbecuebible.com recipes you actually cooked the most. From sizzling steaks to comfort classics. From low and slow smoking to spectacular side dishes, these are the ten recipes that defined grilling this year.

What will you grill next year? Stay tuned for Steven Raichlen’s end of the year Grilling Trends for 2026!

Top Barbecue Bible Recipes of the Year

Looking back, what stands out isn’t just what we cooked—it’s what we kept coming back to. These recipes earned their place by delivering every time, whether it was a weeknight dinner or a long weekend cook. If you’re planning your next round of grilling, this list is a solid place to start—and you’ll find plenty more inspiration waiting across the site and in the Up in Smoke newsletter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Blogs

• 5 of Our Best Barbecue and Grilling Recipes
• 5 Dishes Everyone Should Know How to Grill
• 9 Grilling Recipes for December

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The cocktail party is alive and well—especially around the holidays. And as you’d expect, we don’t keep our drinks far from the grill. At BarbecueBible.com, cocktails get the same live-fire treatment as dinner: grilled citrus, smoldering spices, and a little smoke where it counts. Think grilled citrus sangria, smoked eggnog, a Smoky Mary, mezcalinis, and more. These are holiday drinks built for people who’d rather light a fire than shake up something ordinary.

Holiday Cocktails

Good cocktails don’t need to be complicated—but they should have character. A little smoke, a little heat, and a live fire nearby go a long way. These holiday drinks are made for cold nights, warm gatherings, and anyone who believes the grill never really goes out.

Holiday Cocktails: Frequently Asked Questions

Related Posts

• Smoked Cocktails: Simple Tips for the Perfect Party Drink
• Cocktails for Smoke Lovers
• Barbecue Flavor You Can Drink

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Christmas already?! It seems like we were just smoking the Thanksgiving turkey. No matter which holiday you celebrate—Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa—the season has a familiar starting point: you fire up the grill.

It’s only December 12, but the holidays are coming fast. To stay ahead of the rush, we’re getting our planning underway early. In the coming weeks, keep an eye out for new posts on:

• Holiday Cocktails
• The Ultimate Ham Glaze
• How Miami Celebrates the Holidays: Cuban Roast Pig
• Seven Fishes for Christmas Eve (You Don’t Need to Be Italian to Enjoy Them)

But today, we’re sharing a menu featuring some of our favorite holiday dishes. Some grilled. Some smoked.

Because unlike most folks, we don’t mind finding coal in our stockings—charcoal, that is.

Happy Holidays from all of us at BarbecueBible.com!
—Steven, Nancy, Daniel, John, and Jared

Best Ever Holiday Grilling Menu

Holiday cooking should be fun, a little bold, and filled with the kind of flavor only live fire can deliver. If you make any of these dishes, we’d love to see how your feast turns out—tag us on social or share on social media. Here’s to a season filled with great food, warm fires, and time spent with the people who make the table worth gathering around.

Related Blogs

• Holiday Grilling: December’s Best Recipes
• Your Guide To Roasting Or Smoking Holiday Meats
• Side Dish Spotlight: Grilled and Smoked Thanksgiving Classics

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It was the best of times, it was the worst of times….

The best of times if you happen to be an AI billionaire.

The worst of times if you look at how much your grocery bills have increased since 2024.

Which brings us to holiday roasts, and in particular, one of the most prized roasts of all: tenderloin. This is the little-used muscle that runs near the spine of pigs and cattle. In both animals, it’s lean, tender, and versatile with the potential to be the meaty star of your holiday table.

But the current difference in price is stupefying: A price check at a local supermarket revealed pork tenderloin was $2.99 per pound while beef tenderloin was $26.99!

Once trimmed of fat and silverskin, beef tenderloin can be cut into individual steaks (filets mignon) or grilled whole, then sliced. Pork tenderloin can be treated the same way, though when sliced crosswise, the cuts are known as medallions. Grilling tenderloins whole is our preferred method of cooking to ensure the meat remains juicy and tender.

Feeling indulgent this holiday season? Here is one of our favorite recipes for beef tenderloin. It uses the reverse-sear method of cooking—a very effective way to treat this exceptionally lean cut of meat. Serve as a main course with Three Hots Horseradish Sauce, or slice thinly and serve on cocktail breads as an appetizer.

Alternatively, take a financially conservative approach with Coffee-Crusted Pork Tenderloins with Redeye Barbecue Sauce. A new holiday tradition is born!

Related Blogs

• The Only Recipe You Need for Whole Beef Tenderloin
• Versatile, Affordable Pork Tenderloin
• Battle of the Rotisserie Chicken—Which Method is Best?

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The post A Tale of Two Tenderloins: Beef Vs. Pork appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

The clock is ticking, but great gifts are still within reach. This year’s Last-Minute Gift Guide rounds up smart tools, flavor essentials, Steven’s newest gear picks, and even the ultimate experience gift: Barbecue University. If you need something useful, memorable, and ready to go, you’ll find it here.

It’s been immortalized in song as “the most wonderful time of the year.” It’s also one of the busiest. We love the hustle and bustle of the season, but wish we could just slow…things…down. Sometimes, a bit of quiet time spent with your grill or smoker is just the respite you need from the craziness. We find fresh air with a whiff of smoke is a great restorative. Which is why we urge you to get outside in the next few weeks and make one or more of our most popular holiday-worthy recipes.

December grilling recipes

As the holidays gather speed, it helps to slow down around the grill, take in the cold air, and cook something that feels a little special. These December recipes bring comfort, smoke, and a welcome break from the rush. Fire up your favorite cooker, savor the moment, and let great food carry you through the season.

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Holiday shopping doesn’t have to be complicated—especially when you’re buying for someone who lives for smoke and fire. This year’s BarbecueBible Holiday Gift Guide brings together gear, tools, cookbooks, and flavor boosters we trust and use ourselves. From budget-friendly stocking stuffers to big-ticket gifts that make a real impact, every item earns its spot. And with Black Friday kicking off the season, there’s no better time to grab something great for the griller on your list.

Hope a few of these ideas help you cross some names off your list—and maybe upgrade your own setup along the way. From all of us at BarbecueBible.com, here’s to a flavorful holiday season.

2025 Gift Guides

• Grill Gifts Dad Will Actually Want This Father’s Day
• Tailgating Essentials: Gear Up for Game Day with BBQ-Ready Favorites

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Hate turkey? You’re not alone: A survey by The Vacationer found 34.84 percent of American adults said turkey is their least-favorite item on the Thanksgiving table. In Part Three of The Barbecue Bible Complete Thanksgiving Guide, we’re looking at the centerpiece options that stand proudly on the Thanksgiving table—without being turkey.

Yes, it appears this sentimental holiday favorite is simply tolerated by over a third of Thanksgiving celebrants.

But is this bland and often dry bird a “must have” on the holiday table? No. Not even the most Rockwell-esque guests at your table will be disappointed by these turkey alternatives. (Note: They’re perfect for a smaller gathering, too.)

Thanksgiving Turkey Alternatives

Whether you’re skipping turkey entirely or just adding a second centerpiece to the meal, these alternatives bring color, character, and a little drama to the table. Any one of them can anchor a memorable holiday feast, and most pair beautifully with classic sides. If you try one this year, let us know what you chose—we love seeing the different traditions readers create in their own homes.

The Barbecue Bible Complete Thanksgiving Guide

• The Thanksgiving Turkey Steven Raichlen will be Making This Year – With a Twist!!
• Grill Your Thanksgiving Feast Outdoors

Turkey Alternatives: Frequently Asked Questions

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In Part Two of The Barbecue Bible Complete Thanksgiving Guide, we’re taking Thanksgiving where it belongs—outside. This installment is all about the side dishes and supporting players that thrive over live fire. Since this chapter focuses on grilling your Thanksgiving feast outdoors, we’re highlighting recipes that spring to life on the grill, griddle, or smoker, adding depth and color to the holiday spread.

With Wildfire Grills inspiring this outdoor approach, we dug into our 1000-plus recipe archive to pull together sides that feel both familiar and fresh. These dishes bring the warmth, smoke, and seasonal flavor that make an open-air Thanksgiving not just possible, but memorable.

Have your Rockwellian Thanksgiving traditions become a little predictable, a little stodgy? Here’s the antidote: Move the cooking and the celebration outdoors and revamp your menu! Turkey, if you wish, and new impressive side dishes—all cooked on your grill, griddle, or smoker.

Wildfire Grills, a high-end grill company we’ve recently become acquainted with, has opened our eyes to fresh T-day possibilities. They’ve inspired us to take the party outdoors, and delve deep into our 1000-plus archive of recipes to find several that will leave no doubt—you are a resilient and forward-thinking grillmaster.

See our picks below, as well as our tips for hosting this beloved American holiday—the biggest food holiday of the year—in your “outdoor kitchen.”

Outdoor Thanksgiving Setup Tips

• Back yards can be totally transformed with a few patio heaters, string lights, and seasonal decorations. Set up your tables with small-ish pumpkins, gourds and tree branches liked cedar and pine. Position colorful fall flowers (like mums) around the periphery of the party. Provide inexpensive fleece blankets in case the temperature drops.
• As weather can be very variable this time of year, consider renting tents for your guests.
• Consider where guests will park and notify neighbors and local authorities that you are planning a party.
• Many Thanksgiving dishes can be made a day or two ahead. Take advantage when you can.
• Stock up on party supplies—and don’t forget fuel for your grill!
• Offer your guests a cocktail, hot apple cider, or a soft drink when they arrive. For the former, we recommend this Santa Fe-inspired beverage: Cider-pressed Chimayó Cocktail. Warmed sangria is also an option.
• A warm grilled appetizer will endear you to your guests. Keep it on the light side as Thanksgiving is a hearty meal. Skewer large shrimp (three to a skewer) and keep on ice. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until the shrimp is opaque. Serve with your favorite cocktail sauce. Here’s one of our favorite recipes: Smoked Shrimp Cocktail with Chipotle Orange Sauce.

  

• Set up a modest buffet with appetizers such as smoked nuts.

Side Dishes Recipes

Your grill—not your oven—could be the spectacular centerpiece not only of this year’s Thanksgiving feast, but for years to come! Here is a suggested menu my staff and I created for Wildfire Grills, champions of outdoor cooking. The side dishes really shine, and will invigorate (maybe reinvent!) your Thanksgiving traditions.

Again, don’t forget to check out Wildfire’s website.

The Barbecue Bible Complete Thanksgiving Guide

• The Thanksgiving Turkey Steven Raichlen will be Making This Year – With a Twist!!

Playoff season means the stakes—and the grills—are heating up. Cold weather and big games call for the kind of setup that keeps the party going no matter the score. From sturdy coolers and prep stations to the small touches that make game day easier, these tailgating essentials are built for the long haul of playoff season.

The playoffs bring out the best in every fan—and every grill master. So fire up early, bundle up, and make it a day to remember. Hopefully one of these essentials helps make your next tailgate smoother, warmer, and a whole lot more fun.

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