Hello Dead Meat Society,

Welcome back, meatheads. Thanks for all your support and feedback. Keep it coming.

Now, let’s see what’s on the menu today…

First up, a trip down BBQ memory lane. Also, does it count as BBQ if you grill up a pizza? Plus, some prime recipes for smoked mac & cheese, cowboy bison burgers, and a complex mole negro sauce. Let’s get cooking.

Every week, we crown the champion of BBQ from the Dead Meat Society Facebook Group. If you aren’t sharing (and competing), what the hell are you waiting for? Join now!

πŸ‘‘ This Week’s Champ

This week’s Smoke Show Champ is Kyle Walker via the Dead Meat Society Facebook Group

πŸ₯ˆ Honorable Mention #1

Honorable mention to Jordan Samet via the Dead Meat Society Facebook Group

πŸ₯‰ Honorable Mention #2

Honorable mention to Tim Vaughan 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 group that gives a damn: Dead Meat Society.

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?

Put it in the history books

After our long Memorial Day weekend of perfect work on the grill, it’s time to kick back and reflect on our roots.

Of course, BBQ in America goes back centuries, even beyond the birth of our nation. But believe it or not, according to The Daily Record, there are still some places keeping it old school and grilling up meats that’ll take you back in time.

Let’s start at the beginning…

BBQ in the Americas goes back to Indigenous communities. In the Caribbean, the TaΓ­no-Arawak were rocking a wooden grate called a β€œbarbacoa” to roast meats.

As early as 1540, BBQ pigs were a staple of the colonial diet. Roast up a whole pig sometime to remember the homies… and to see how difficult that sh*t is.

By the Civil War, huge community BBQ cookouts smoked up by African American pitmasters were THE party to be at. (So, not much has changed.) And those same pitmasters brought smoked meats north during the Great Migration until BBQ was everywhere…

Tasting history

Some places still smoke and grill up food that lets you damn near taste a moment out of history:

1) Kansas City, MO

DUH. Arthur Bryant’s is one we’re all familiar with. Their roots go back to the 1930s, and they popularized burnt ends and the sauce that we’d call KC-style BBQ sauce.

2) Lexington, TX

Of course, when it comes to history, we’ve gotta talk about Pitmaster Tootsie Tomanetz at Snow’s BBQ. Tootsie’s been cranking out TX brisket for decades. She’s a part of TX BBQ history.

3) Decatur, AL

That’s right, Alabama, where the sauce is white and the chicken is smoked. Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q takes credit for the white sauce since 1925.

4) Rural Mississippi

Ribs, ribs, and more ribs. If you find a BBQ trailer in the woods, don’t be alarmed. Just grab some Tums and settle in for the best ribs of your life, straight out of the history books.

It’s all about legacy.

So what’s the point of the history lesson? The party never changed. And that’s pretty cool. Low and slow over a fire is the American way for all people, from way, way, way back.

The passion we all share for cooking up dead meat isn’t random. It’s in our DNA, passed down through history, and now it’s in our hands. Sure, maybe now we do it with β€œWiFire” tech (because it’s awesome), but the goal is still the same: nourishment, community, connection.

It’s the kind of thing you want to pass down to your kids and grandkids. And you should.

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.

πŸ₯© OVERKILL: When the stakes are high and you gotta make sure you nail it this time πŸ‘‡

πŸ₯© CASH-STRAPPED: If your pockets are feeling light, go to Bock Burger Takeaway in West Texas. Turns out you can barter for a burger instead of paying cash…

πŸ₯© BUILD-A-SMOKE: We don’t talk about smoker builds enough. This 132-gallon Moller build is a work of art. Anyone out there ever built their own smoker? πŸ‘‡

πŸ₯© AMERICAN BURGER: May is National Burger Month, so no one can argue if you eat a different burger every day in May. (Or any day after May. You’re an American, after all. Freedom.) Check out these burger ideas so you can finish the month strong.

πŸ₯© BURGER PARTY: Speaking of burgers… shut up and take my money. This setup is a whole party in itself πŸ‘‡

πŸ₯© EVERYTHING’S BIGGER IN NASHVILLE: Terry Black’s BBQ is checking out the vibe in Nashville, and considering an expansion plan?!

πŸ₯© THAT’S AMORE: As long as there’s a meat topping on it, it still counts as grilling πŸ‘‡Meat

Did we miss something? Submit a link for next week’s Feed.

Meat & Greet

Dead Meat Society is all about community. We’re here to support and uplift the pursuit of delicious meats and the people and brands who are doing it right.

Today, let’s Meat and Greet…

Diablo Huma BBQ Sauce combines Ecuadorian taste with the vibes of Austin, TX. It’s a vinegar-based, tangy sauce that everyone should try out once (or a dozen times).

The sauce is a decades-old family recipe that came onto the scene in 2022 as a total underdog in a big pond. Now, their sauce is spreading through the BBQ world. And that’s a good thing.

Dead Meat Society, let’s tease the taste buds with some fresh sauce from Diablo Huma: diablohumabbq.com

Know someone who deserves to be featured? Send us their info for next week’s Meat & Greet.

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

πŸ₯“ DRIPPAGE DEBATE: This pic started a big debate for the BBQ boys. Will pork drippings ruin a brisket? πŸ‘‡ Also, what do you do with your rib drippage? There are some great ideas in the comments on this post.

πŸ₯“ CHEF MATH: If you’ve ever felt the pressure of standing in front of the butcher counter trying to do the math on how much ground meat you’re going to need for the party, you need this info.

πŸ₯“ SHACKED UP: We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, king. You. Deserve. A. Backyard. Smoke. Shack. πŸ‘‡

πŸ₯“ GOOD, BAD, & UGLY: The BBQ sauce aisle can be a little overwhelming. This β€œultimate” guide to BBQ sauces should help. Also, if those are a β€œbuy,” apparently Whole Foods’ steak sauce is a β€œpass.”

πŸ₯“ CHILL MARKS: Are you a grill mark purist? If not, you should try to be. Here’s why grill marks = better meat.

πŸ₯“ QUESO QUALITY: Steak! No, cheese! No, steak! No… BOTH πŸ‘‡

Did we miss something? Submit a link for next week’s Bar-b-IQ.

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

It’s like normal mac and cheese, except it’s better. And it knows it.

With a cowboy spice rub that’ll make you feel like John Wayne.

🀀 Mole Negro Sauce

Complex? Yes. Delicious? Also yes. Mole is worth the work.

Have a recipe you want to share? Submit it for next week’s Butcher’s Block.

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 send us a picture and give feedback so we can feature it 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…

The Butcher Shop

No meat for sale. But definitely not vegan.

You asked for merch. So we cooked some up. SO much more to come.

As part of our commitment to community, 10% of net profits are donated to charities that matter.