Happy Halloween. The thing is… nobody really grills on Halloween. Which is exactly why we are going to. We are the Dead Meat Society, so this is basically our holiday. Show us what you are smoking in the Dead Meat Society Facebook group or tag us on Instagram.

Now, here’s what we’ve been cooking up all week…

First up, is regional barbecue dead, and who killed it. Plus, F1 stars Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon attempting Texas BBQ.

And down in the recipes, our own smoked pumpkin cheesecake for the spooky season.

Every week, we crown the DMS champion of BBQ. And there are only two ways to enter: 1) Submit a pic to the Dead Meat Society Facebook Group 2) Tag us on Instagram. If you aren’t sharing (and competing), what the hell are you waiting for?

And remember, the stakes have never been higher!

This week’s Smoke Show Champ is James Whitworth for the textbook pork ribs. Shared via the Dead Meat Society Facebook Group.

Honorable mention to Mike Wagner for the KC Masterpiece BBQ chicken. Shared via the Dead Meat Society Facebook Group.

Honorable mention to Joe Falotico for the final hog of 2026. Shared via the Dead Meat Society Facebook Group.

Have a Smoke Show submission? Stop wasting your time posting on all those other sites and share it with the Facebook group that gives a damn: Dead Meat Society. Or just tag us on Instagram.

That one story that will make you infinitely more interesting than your know-it-all brother-in-law. Seriously, wtf is that guy’s deal?

It’s Halloween, so gather round and get the spooky vibes going because... We’re visiting the BBQ graveyard.

The dearly departed: regional barbecue.

And the man delivering the eulogy: Steven Raichlen. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, we need to fix that.

Raichlen is a Barbecue Hall of Famer and the best-selling barbecue author who ever lived. You may have even read his work without knowing it. We’re talking about the legend who wrote The Barbecue Bible and chased live fire across 75 countries.

When this man talks smoke, you shut up and take notes.

And in his brand-new memoir, Man on Fire, he delivers a chilling verdict just in time for Halloween: the regional barbecue we grew up with is dying.

Here’s his case.

When Raichlen wrote BBQ USA, regional really did mean regional. You simply could not find brisket outside of Texas if you tried.

Now? World-class barbecue is everywhere. Miami, Portland, San Diego. Steven says he “mourns the loss of regionality.”

Two killers are still at large…

The first: Texas brisket. Murder weapon? Conquering the country through mass popularity. Aaron Franklin and John Lewis “raised brisket to the level of art,” and wood-fire joints now pull Michelin stars.

The second one stings for the East-coasters… Carolina pitmasters are trading wood pits for gas and electric. Steven declared: “Those are cookers, but for me they’re not barbecue.”

Regional barbecue isn’t the only thing with a toe tag this Halloween.

We all know it, but Steven has said it: AI is murdering the cookbook.

Steven’s thoughts: A cookbook’s whole value is the human behind it and recipes that have been tested, sometimes dozens of times. A chatbot will never come close to the heart that goes into those recipes.

One version of regional BBQ may have died, but a new version has risen from its grave…

The styles are moving and mixing all over the nation.

Need proof? Every week, we’re sharing stories of pitmasters merging styles and blending cultures. Social media has our recipes in a giant blender with new winners emerging.

So while it may be spooky that the old ways are dying, a new moon is rising over the field of BBQ glory.

As Steven says, BBQ is “1,000% better than 40 years ago.”

So burn wood. Back up your cookbooks. And eat your local style while it’s still local, before it belongs to everyone.

And once it changes, enjoy that too. Happy Halloween.

Like the memes you send back and forth in your group chat, except these won’t get you canceled. Oh, and lots more grill marks.

🥩 STAR GIVETH: The star giveth and maybe taketh away... Michelin’s Texas deal is up with no renewal in sight, and Daniel Vaughn asks whether the guide ever really “got” barbecue.

🥩 WELD DONE: A welder showed up to build the smoker enclosure for the health department and never left, now he runs San Antonio’s best new BBQ.

🥩 MOB FEED: How much mac and cheese does it take to feed 250 people? One backyard cook ran the catering math.

🥩 PIT STOP: Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon cook Texas BBQ for the first time at Michelin-starred la Barbecue 👇

Did we miss something? Share it in the Dead Meat Society Facebook group or tag us on Instagram for a chance to be featured.

DMS’ CMO (Chief Meat Officer… because did you really expect DMS to have a Chief Marketing Officer?) is giving you the Smash Week pork option…

Tips, tech & gear that’ll help you beat your friend’s meat. Wait, that came out wrong…

🥓 LID LIES: Your kettle’s lid thermometer can read 25 to 50 degrees off the grate, so trust it for trends, but never for truth.

🥓 RIB HACK: Reverse-sear cheap country-style ribs, smoke, char, then glaze them into crowd food.

🥓 TALLOW WRAP: Wrap your brisket in tallow rendered from its own trimmings, salt and pepper, overnight on charcoal.

🥓 HEAT MAP: One temp reading will not cut it, since the fire, the dome, and the oven floor all hold heat differently.

🥓 TRUCK BUILD: Texas Metal turns a 1940 water truck into a rolling BBQ beast 👇

Did we miss something? Share it in the Dead Meat Society Facebook group or tag us on Instagram for a chance to be featured.

Like a Paula Deen cookbook, but with less butter and more BBQ sauce.

Straight from the Pit, our own pumpkin cheesecake with a kiss of smoke, the only acceptable reason to fire up the smoker on Halloween.

Have a recipe you want to share? Share it in the Dead Meat Society Facebook group or tag us on Instagram for a chance to be featured.

A happy ending just for you.

That’s it for this week. If you make any of the recipes above, you’re legally obligated to share pics on the DMS Facebook Group or tag us on Instagram so we can feature them next week (sorry, we don’t make the rules).

And since the only thing that is better than grill marks and ice-cold beer is grill marks and ice-cold beer with a side of dad jokes, we’ll leave this right here…

Dead Meat Society Merch in the wild.

DMS steel in the wild. Thanks for the share, @grumpyfuckersbbq

If you love everything smashed, we’ve got something for you…

The Smash Society Bundle is built for the grillers who dominate the flat top. This is your full smash setup: precision lift, cast iron pressure, drip control, cleanup muscle, and the uniform to match.

From smashing burgers to staging your station and repping the Society head to toe, this bundle delivers heat, control, and identity in one loadout.

You’re not just flipping burgers. You’re flying the flag.

As part of our commitment to community, we will donate 10% of net profits to charities that matter.