Southern Pride of Texas
BBQ Tips & Techniques
71 articles on smoker care, BBQ tips, industry news, and more.
What McDonald's 900-Unit Expansion Means for Independent Operators Running Real Smokers
McDonald's massive 2025 growth signals chain restaurant strategy shifts. Here's what independent BBQ operators should...
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Running 400 Pounds of Brisket to a Wedding Venue: What I Learned About Large-Event Catering the Hard Way
Production timelines, transport protocols, and hold strategies for smoking meat at scale—from someone who's made the ...
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What Fast Food Menu Moves Mean for Commercial BBQ Operations
Ray breaks down what Wendy's, Chipotle, and IHOP's latest menu pushes reveal about where commercial foodservice is he...
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Stick Burners vs Gas-Assist: What Fire Management Actually Looks Like When You're Running a Commercial Kitchen
How fire management differs between offset stick burners and gas-assist rotisserie smokers in commercial operations, ...
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What McDonald's Protein Push Actually Tells Us About Menu Engineering in 2026
McDonald's is marketing protein hard. Here's what commercial operators can learn from their menu math—and what it mea...
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What the Top 500 Chain Numbers Tell You About Running Real Smoke
Big chain restaurants are hurting. Here's what independent pitmasters and regional BBQ operators can learn from their...
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Running Overnight: What Actually Matters During a 12-Hour Unattended Cook
Practical guidance for commercial operators running rotisserie smokers through overnight cooks — from prep to recover...
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Brisket Yield Math: What Your Trim Strategy Is Actually Costing You
Commercial brisket trimming and injection techniques that affect your margins. Real yield calculations from restauran...
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Running Three Proteins at Once Without Wrecking Any of Them
Sequencing brisket, ribs, and chicken in a single cook window. Real timing strategies from 30 years of competition an...
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The Stall Isn't Fighting You — It's Doing Exactly What Physics Says It Should
Why large proteins stall around 150–170°F, what's actually happening inside the meat, and how to work with it instead...
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Running 15-Pound Butts on a Commercial Timeline Without Wrecking Your Service Window
How to plan cook times, manage stalls, and hold large pork butts so they're ready when you need them—not three hours ...
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What Restaurant Chain 4/20 Promotions Tell Us About Menu Engineering (And What They're Getting Wrong)
Chain restaurant 4/20 deals reveal margin mistakes smart operators avoid. Here's the math behind promotional pricing ...
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