BBQ/Smoking Tips from RRR Meat Mix

1. Always grill or smoke your protein to temperature, don't worry about time. Get a good instant read thermometer to check doneness of your meats.

2. For slow cooking large muscle meats and tough cuts like beef brisket, pork butt, ribs, larger beef or pork roasts, run a grill/smoker temperature of between 225-275 degrees and cook low and slow until desired doneness.

3. For burgers, chicken, steaks you want to grill "hot & fast" at temperatures between 325-400 degrees to attain a sear and a nice crust on the outer edge of the meat.

4. Cook these cuts to an internal temperature of 200-205 degrees: brisket, pork butt, ribs as these cuts are tough and full of inter-connective tissue that needs to be broken down by a low and slow roast to make them tender.

5. Beef internal cooked temperatures: rare-125-130, medium rare 130-135, medium 140-145, medium well 150-155

6. Chicken temperatures: 160 degrees

7. Remember the concept of "carryover cooking" in regard to finished cooking temperatures. If you cook a steak to 130 wanting rare, and pull it off the grill and let it rest under a foil tent on your cutting board for 5 minutes, it will continue to rise in temp from 3-5 degrees making medium rare. So consider pulling your meat a few degrees before your destination temp to accommodate the "carryover cooking" temp increase after the meat is pulled from your grill.

8. DON'T, NEVER, NOT, STOP squishing your burgers while grilling them, it removes all the fatty moisture which makes them moist, gooey and flavorful!! Just cook to desired doneness as per above guide and let rest for 5 minutes before assembling your burger. You'll thank me later.