Pitmaster's Corner
Cook it like you mean it
The exact temps to pull your meat, a smoked jerky recipe, and a few tricks from our pit. Then grab the gear to put them to work.
Pitmaster Facts
Tap a coal. Learn a trick.
The Stall
Around 150–170°F your meat starts to sweat, and evaporative cooling stalls the temperature for hours. Don't panic — wrap it in foil (the “Texas crutch”) to push through.
Doneness Guide
Pull it at the right number
Plus a 3-minute rest. Juicy and safe — no more shoe-leather pork.
USDA-safe minimums (with rest where noted). A good instant-read thermometer is the cheapest upgrade you’ll ever make.
From our pit
Pitmaster's Smoked Beef Jerky
What you need
- 2 lb lean beef (top or bottom round), trimmed of all fat
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder · 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional heat)
How it’s done
- Freeze the beef 1–2 hours until firm, then slice 1/8–1/4" thick. With the grain = classic chew; against the grain = more tender.
- Whisk the marinade and toss the slices to coat. Bag it and refrigerate 6–24 hours.
- Pat every slice bone-dry — wet meat steams instead of drying.
- Lay the strips flat across your Bull Rack so air moves on every side.
- Smoke or dry at 160–165°F for 4–6 hours until a strip bends and cracks but does not snap in two.
- Cool completely, then store airtight. It won’t last long anyway.
Dry it on a Bull Rack and do the whole batch at once.