Hello Dead Meat Society,
The countdown to Turkey Day is on, and the pit is calling. This is your annual reminder that the best Thanksgiving meals don’t start in the oven, they start in the backyard. Grateful for good smoke, good food, and the folks who show up hungry. Share the smoke with the crew 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, some people cram a turkey into the oven and hope for the best. The rest of us plan ahead and fire up the smoker. Also, turns out the biggest misstep you’re probably making is buying steak where you buy paper towels. Plus, some must-try recipes for spatchcock turkey, maple bourbon pellet smoked turkey, and turkey leg Rice Krispies treats.
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 Champ
This week’s Smoke Show Champ is Dan Peimer for one hell of a practice run. Shared via the Dead Meat Society Facebook Group.
🥈 Honorable Mention #1
Honorable mention to Justin Brown for knowing how to throw a birthday bash via the Dead Meat Society Facebook Group.
🥉 Honorable Mention #2
Honorable mention to Dexter Ryan for bringing the fall feels with this maple smoked pork butt. 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?
TURKEY DAY, THE PITMASTER EDITION
Thanksgiving is almost here, and somewhere a turkey is already drying out in an oven it didn’t ask for. But not in this group. We know the secret: the best Thanksgiving dinners happen outside, where smoke beats stove heat every time.
This is our last chance to get you prepared for your Thanksgiving menu, which is why we’re using this post to give you everything you need to get geared up and ready to win next week.
We’re talking smoked birds, deep-fried drama, and carving tips that you’re going to need to study up on.
Deep-Frying vs. Smoking
If you’re torn between deep-frying or smoking your turkey this year, the truth is simple: both methods are worth it. Just for different reasons. AmazingRibs has the breakdown.
Deep-Frying: The Fast, Loud, Glory Move
Speed: A whole turkey fries in about 3–4 minutes per pound, which means you’re carving before the oven folks even preheat.
Skin: No contest. Deep-frying gives you shatter-crisp, glassy skin that every other method wishes it had.
Juiciness: Because it cooks so fast, the meat stays moist… assuming you don’t drop a frozen bird into hot oil and make the evening news.
Flavor: Mild, clean, and all about the seasoning you put on the bird beforehand.
Smoking: The Low-and-Slow Flavor Show
Taste: You’re building layers of smoke, bark, and aromatics. Deep-frying can’t touch the flavor depth.
Flexibility: You can season heavily, inject, brine, baste, and spritz. Smoking plays well with every technique.
Presentation: A smoked turkey with bronzed skin and a visible smoke ring looks like effort.
Safety: No vat of boiling oil in the driveway. Less chance the fire department joins Thanksgiving.
Carving & Presentation
This is where the rubber meets the road at Thanksgiving. Imagine cooking a perfect bird and then blowing it when it comes time to carve. Get your carving skills up to scratch.
1. Use the right knife. A sharp carving knife (not a serrated steak knife) is non-negotiable. A clean slice looks pro and keeps the meat juicy.
2. Carve in the kitchen, not the table. Do the big reveal, then take it to a cutting board with room to work. It saves the linens and your sanity.
3. Legs and thighs first. Pop the joints, remove the thigh in one piece, and slice it across the grain if you’re serving it carved.
4. Remove the wings cleanly. Find the joint, cut through the tendons, and lift off. Simple and tidy.
5. Take the breast off whole. Cut along the breastbone so the whole breast comes off in one solid piece. Then slice it across the grain for tenderness and better texture.
6. Don’t forget the oysters. Flip the bird and snag the two little “oyster” nuggets near the backbone, the juiciest bites most people miss.
Recipes Worth Serving
Traeger Smoked Thanksgiving Turkey: The classic bird, but upgraded. Wood-fired, bronzed skin, and juicy all the way through. This is the turkey that finally makes the oven feel useless.
Grilled & Smoked Thanksgiving Sides: Sweet potatoes, creamed corn, stuffing, all kissed by smoke and built to outshine half the main dishes on the table.
Smoked Bourbon Pumpkin Pie: Pumpkin pie leveled up with smoke and bourbon. The kind of dessert that makes the adults quietly fight for the last slice.
Hosting with Purpose
This year, let the planning, the cooking, and the gathering all point to the same thing: connection.
Make the meal about fellowship and gratitude, because that’s the real reason the grill gets fired up.
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.
🥩 BUTCHER BETTER: Supermarket steaks look fine… until you taste the real thing. This is why the butcher shop wins every time.
🥩 PELLET PICKS: Over a dozen grills went through the Good Housekeeping gauntlet, and only seven survived. See which ones brought the smoke and the flavor.
🥩 TURKEY UPGRADE: Your turkey doesn’t have to taste like annual disappointment. According to Men’s Journal, this brand delivers.
🥩 GRILL ENFORCEMENT: If you miss family dinner, you become family dinner. Seems fair. Check out what this grandpa does when you miss dinner.
🥩 SPEED BRISKET: The ultimate test: can ‘low and slow’ survive a tight schedule?👇
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…
🥓 BEEF BANKING 101: Inflation who? Bulk beef is finally affordable again, and the deals are juicy. Here’s how to buy big without getting butcher-counter bamboozled.
🥓 FAT = FLAVOR: Your steak wants butter the way America wants a day off after Thanksgiving. Desperately. Here’s the easiest flavor move you can make.
🥓 TURKEY TAKEOVER: Thanksgiving tip: you can butcher your own turkey… and it’s surprisingly empowering. Like therapy, but with a carcass. Read this to learn how to prepare a bird like a boss.
🥓 FORGE IT, DON’T TOSS IT: These spatulas made from cast iron skillets look like they are ready for battle, and we are here for it.
🥓 BRINE TIME: One simple brine trick and your turkey goes from “meh” to legend👇
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.
Thanksgiving efficiency with zero flavor shortcuts.
Sweet, smoky, and slightly tipsy. Just like the holidays.
Dessert dressed like poultry… because why not.
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…
The Butcher Shop
Dead Meat Society Merch in the wild.
uriahisworldwide unboxing a sweet set of merch from Dead Meat Society. You can get the hat and hoodie at the DMS store right now.
As part of our commitment to community, 10% of net profits are donated to charities that matter.
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