If you’ve been cooking through the cold, the wind, or whatever else shows up, we want to see it. Share it in the Dead Meat Society Facebook group or tag us on Instagram… and make sure to see the details of the Frozen Flame Challenge below.

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

First up, we’ve got proof that you don’t need to get fancy to cook something great. And turns out the meat industry isn’t always peaceful behind the scenes. Plus, some must-try recipes for dry-brined Texas beef ribs, cowboy steak, and baked cherry bourbon pie.

The Frozen Flame Challenge is starting to heat up. And it’s not too late to enter. We’re live through February 28 (11:59pm ET).

We'll pick one winner who shares the best pic/video of grilling in the snow or cold (shoveling out the grill counts). The winner will get an OG DMS Toolkit.

Here's how to enter:

What are you waiting for?! Go get your grill and chill on.

Check out all the details and official rules here.

PS, for everyone telling me it’s warming up, allow me to remind you what we’re currently experiencing…

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?

This week’s Smoke Show Champ is Jon Mannix for braving the cold and repping the best gear. Shared via the Dead Meat Society Facebook Group.

Honorable mention to Ron O’Shields for filets we are all dying to taste. Shared via the Dead Meat Society Facebook Group.

Honorable mention to Stephen McWhorter for his strong work all around on the salmon. 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?

In a world full of apps, controllers, pellet augers, and endless adjustments, the Pit Barrel Cooker is almost offensive in its simplicity. It’s just a steel drum, charcoal, and gravity. It doesn’t have a single screen or dial.

And somehow, it still produces some of the best barbecue you’ll ever cook.

Let’s break down why smoking meat in a big barrel is so much fun…

Instead of placing meat on grates, in a barrel, you hang it vertically over live coals. This allows heat to circulate evenly while fat and juices drip down, vaporize, and rise back into the meat. The result is uniform cooking, faster cook times, and a flavor profile that’s difficult to replicate with traditional offset or bullet smokers.

Vertical hanging reduces direct radiant heat and helps meat cook evenly from top to bottom. Drippings fall directly onto the coals, creating a secondary layer of flavor that rises back into the meat. It’s similar to a rotisserie effect, without moving parts.

This method also dramatically increases capacity. You can easily hang eight racks of ribs at once, feeding a crowd without expanding your grill square footage.

One of the most surprising outcomes of a barrel cook is speed. Briskets and pork butts reach temperature significantly faster than expected, sometimes finishing in nearly half the time compared to traditional drum smokers.

That efficiency comes down to physics. The 30-gallon barrel creates stable airflow and consistent heat distribution.

Once dialed in, the cooker stabilizes around ideal smoking temperatures and can maintain them for hours with minimal intervention.

Many inexpensive smokers require modifications just to function properly. The Pit Barrel doesn’t.

It arrives ready to cook, without the need for aftermarket modifications. Throw in charcoal, season the meat, smoke, and eat.

So, what do we think about a barrel smoker, Dead Meat Society?

Ugly: yes. Tasty: also yes.

Anyone a fan of cooking in the big metal barrel?

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.

🥩 MEAT DRAMA: The meat business is serious business. And sometimes a very litigious business.

🥩 PROFESSIONAL FIRE: There’s now a million dollars on the line for barbecue. Suddenly, your weekend hobby looks underpaid.

🥩 MODERN FLAME: We’ve had time to cook on it, complain about it, and forget about it. Now the Ninja is heading to the UK.

🥩 CHARACTER BUILDING: Lesson learned 👇

🥩 PROPER PLANNING: Five racks at once. This is what commitment looks like 👇

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

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

🥓 AIRFLOW MATTERS: Getting prime rib off the pan makes the difference between steamed beef and properly roasted beef. Use the rack.

🥓 CHEAP WINS: Expensive doesn’t always mean better. These affordable chef’s knives hold their edge and handle real prep work just fine.

🥓 KNIFE DISCIPLINE: Proper onion technique makes everything easier. Ignore it, and you’ll look like a kitchen novice forever.

🥓 REMOVE DOUBT: Crossing your fingers is not a cooking method. Use this instead to guarantee the right temperature.

🥓 PEPPER UPGRADE: Regular pepper wasn’t enough. Sichuan fixes that 👇

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.

Good ribs don’t rush.

Steak that you could share with John Wayne.

Dessert that you won’t want to share with others.

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.

Tools so good even your kids will love them.

You can grill like a champion with the first edition Dead Meat Society OG Toolkit, complete with…

You can only get the exclusive Dead Roll Tool Carrier with the full kit. What are you waiting for?

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