The clock just struck Fall, which means shorter days and longer overnight briskets. Exactly how we like it. Stoke the fire, serve your crew, and show off your skills 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, Southern Living just crowned its 2025 Top 50 BBQ Joints, and Texas is puffing its chest after the rankings. Fair. Also, you should know NEVER to saw with the fibers. Plus, some must-try recipes for classic grilled chicken breast, cider-brined double-cut pork chops, and buttermilk-brined grilled chicken wings that will make the neighbors “accidentally” drop by.

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 Michael Farrell for this pristine meat done on a classic smoker. Shared via the Dead Meat Society Facebook Group.

Honorable mention to Shelly Vanpelt for this tasty-looking plate that includes all the fixin’s. Shared via the Dead Meat Society Facebook Group.

Honorable mention to Jonathan Dyke for being our first delicious-looking cheeseburger on National Cheeseburger Day. 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?

Every two years, Southern Living drops its Top 50 BBQ Joints in the South list. The 2025 edition just landed, and naturally, Texas (as always) had to strut a little.

The Lone Star State didn’t just dominate... It owned the podium. Of the top 10 spots, Texas joints claimed 7. Still, TX lost the #1 spot to City Limits Barbeque, which was crowned #1 BBQ Joint in the South.

Texas Monthly wasted no time claiming bragging rights. Their headline was basically “Southern Living just confirmed what we already knew.” But they did more than gloat. They highlighted just how wide the Texas net is.

Not only did Texas rack up the lion’s share of top 10 spots, but the state stacked the list with 16 joints overall. From legendary institutions like Snow’s and Franklin to rising stars tucked in smaller towns, the message was clear: If you’re chasing the greatest flavors, Texas has more than one stop worth the trip.

They also framed the win as a kind of cultural moment. Texas BBQ isn’t just dominating in Texas anymore. The Lone Star State is setting the tone for the South at large. Southern Living is essentially putting the state’s pitmasters on a pedestal for the rest of the country to measure against.

Lists like this are basically fuel for road trips, group chat arguments, and bucket lists. Southern Living does the work of eating their way through smokehouses so we don’t have to (even though we still want to).

And if you’re anywhere near a top 10 spot, consider this your permission slip to “swing by,” even if it’s three or four hours out of the way. Or 10. Or 20.

Texas flexing doesn’t mean other states didn’t represent. The Carolinas, Georgia, and Tennessee put plenty of spots on the map. And a few up-and-comers outside the usual suspects make the list more interesting than a brisket-vs-pork debate.

The point is…

If you want to eat the best BBQ in America right now, the Southern Living Top 50 is the road map.

Just don’t blame us when your weekend trip suddenly turns into a 700-mile “research project.”

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.

🥩 BURGER EAT-IQUETTE: Did anyone order a burger with a side of class? Thanks, Rus, for sharing with the Dead Meat Society class and helping us maintain the facade of sophistication 👇

🥩 PATIO PROOF: AmazingRibs just gave the Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 a Gold Medal for its genuinely low-smoke, double-wall burn and the 2.0 upgrade (a removable ash pan that finally makes cleanup painless). It’s stainless, simple, and turns the backyard into a no-tears campfire as long as you feed it dry wood and let the secondary combustion work. Read their review and decide for yourself if it earns a spot on your patio.

🥩 BURGER BOARD: If you’re late celebrating National Cheeseburger Day, no worries. The New York Post has lined up the best cheeseburgers in America. And they put Culver’s at #1…

🥩 EXOTIC FUEL: Not all black rocks are created equal 👇

🥩 ZONE CONTROL: Two burners, two temperatures, one tidy surface. Traeger’s Flatstone 2-Zone griddle is up for debate. Read the review and see if you would choose this as your flat-top upgrade.

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

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…

Gore’s Meats is a traditional style butcher shop that has been in business for 50+ years in Shenandoah Valley, with plants in Stephens City and Edinburg, and a retail butcher shop you can walk into and talk cuts.

They have mastered the art of dry aging and expertly cutting meat the way your grandparents did. Straight from the butcher you trust.

Remember: Always shop local, stock the freezer, and keep real butchers in business: goresmeats.com 👇

Know someone who deserves to be featured in Meat & Greet? Email us their info or send a message via the Dead Meat Society Facebook group or Instagram.

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

🥓 BEAUTIFUL BUTTS: Boston butt is the marbled top for a juicy pull, while picnic shoulder is the lower cut with skin and sinew for carving and crackling. Read the breakdown and buy the right booty for the weekend.

🥓 TROPICAL TANGS: Your rib sauce doesn’t need more ketchup. It needs a peach. Try this fruity hack the next time you need some fire sauce to accompany your smoke.

🥓 PRIME TIME: October’s Prime Big Deal Days sale is locked in, and the pregame deals are already rolling for kitchen brands you actually use. Skim Food & Wine’s shortlist, and be ready to click before sellouts hit.

🥓 AGAINST, ALWAYS: Muscle fibers are like tiny ropes. Cut across them and every bite gets shorter, softer, better. If your steak chews like gum, blame your angle, not the cow. Read the explainer and practice on some flank, skirt, or brisket tonight.

🥓 SMASHADILLA: If a smash burger and a quesadilla had a kid, you’d eat it like this. Roll the clip and copy the crunch 👇

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.

Juicy, tangy, and exactly the kind of Fall flavor nobody saw coming.

Gone before you find a plate.

Sometimes, whipping up a classic is the best move.

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…

No meat for sale. But definitely not vegan.

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

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