Southern Pride of Texas
BBQ Tips & Techniques
136 articles on smoker care, BBQ tips, industry news, and more.
What I Actually Saw at the National Restaurant Show (And What It Means for Your Smoker Operation)
Five trends from the 2024 National Restaurant Show that commercial BBQ operators need to understand—and how they affe...
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Why I Stopped Arguing About Low and Slow vs Hot and Fast Years Ago
The real science behind BBQ temperature methods and why commercial operators need to understand both to run profitabl...
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What I Actually Saw at the Restaurant Show: Back-of-House Is Getting Smaller, Not Simpler
Ray's observations from the 2024 Restaurant Show floor on how operators are rethinking kitchen layouts, equipment fle...
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What KFC, Taco Bell, and Panera's New Menu Items Tell Us About Where Commercial BBQ Is Headed
Fast-casual chains are chasing smoke and slow-cooked flavors. Here's what that means for operators running real smoke...
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What That Pink Ring Actually Tells You (And Why It's Worth $2 More Per Plate)
The science behind smoke rings, why customers pay more for visible smoke, and the equipment factors that actually con...
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Dry Heat vs. Moist Heat Smoke Environments — And Why the Cut Decides Everything
How moisture levels in your smoke chamber affect brisket, ribs, and poultry differently. Real operational guidance fr...
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What I Actually Drank at the National Restaurant Show This Year
Ray's take on nine drinks from the NRA Show floor that caught his attention—and what they mean for BBQ operators runn...
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The Yield Equation: Why Your Brisket Math Probably Costs You More Than You Think
Trimming philosophy, injection strategy, and real yield calculations that separate profitable brisket programs from b...
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Why I Stopped Telling Operators Which Method Is Better
Breaking down the real science behind low-and-slow vs hot-and-fast cooking methods — and why commercial operators nee...
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Running Brisket, Ribs, and Chicken at the Same Time Without Wrecking Any of Them
How to sequence multiple proteins in a commercial rotisserie smoker — timing, rack placement, and the temp management...
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What Taco Bell's Shredded Beef Tells Us About Where Commercial Protein Production Is Heading
Taco Bell's new Shredded Beef Nacho Fries signal growing QSR demand for slow-cooked proteins. Here's what that means ...
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The Missing Metric: Why Nobody Tracks Smoke Time Per Labor Dollar
Commercial BBQ operators track food cost and labor separately. Here's why combining them into smoke time efficiency c...
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