Where the
Smoke Meets
the World
From Texas brisket pits to Tokyo yakitori alleys — we chase fire, flavor, and the stories that only live-fire cooking can tell.
BBQ Recipes
Worth the Wait
Every recipe tested over real fire. No shortcuts, no gas grills — just smoke, time, and the patience to do it right.
The Perfect Pulled Pork
Twelve hours over apple and hickory wood. A dry rub of brown sugar, smoked paprika, and black pepper. The moment you pull it apart and see that pink smoke ring — that's when you know you've done something right.
Texas Low & Slow Brisket
Salt-and-pepper bark, 14-hour smoke over post oak. The definitive Texas brisket.
Korean Galbi Short Ribs
Soy, pear, and sesame marinade. Grilled over charcoal to caramelized perfection.
Argentinian Asado Ribs
Slow-grilled over wood embers with chimichurri. The soul of the pampas.
Thai Satay Skewers
Lemongrass-turmeric marinated chicken, grilled on bamboo skewers with peanut sauce.
Memphis Dry Rub Ribs
Paprika-heavy dry rub, no sauce needed. Smoked over hickory until fall-off-the-bone.
Moroccan Lamb Kofta
Spiced ground lamb on skewers, grilled over charcoal with harissa yogurt.
BBQ Techniques
From Pit to Plate
Low & Slow
True BBQ is not grilling. It's the art of cooking large cuts at 225–250°F for hours, allowing collagen to break down into gelatin, fat to render, and smoke to penetrate deep into the meat. Patience is the only ingredient you can't buy.
"Target 203°F internal for brisket — that's when the probe slides in like butter."
Smoke Management
The wood you choose defines the flavor profile. Post oak for Texas brisket, hickory for Memphis ribs, apple or cherry for pork and poultry. Thin blue smoke is your goal — thick white smoke means incomplete combustion and bitter flavors.
"Soak wood chunks 30 minutes before adding. Never use softwoods like pine."
The Stall
Around 150–165°F, your brisket will stop rising in temperature for hours. This is evaporative cooling — moisture leaving the meat surface. You can push through it, wrap in butcher paper (the Texas Crutch), or embrace the wait.
"Wrapping in pink butcher paper retains bark texture while pushing through the stall."
The Bark
Bark is the dark, flavorful crust that forms on the exterior of smoked meats through the Maillard reaction and smoke adhesion. A good bark requires a dry rub, proper airflow, and time. It's the most coveted part of any smoked brisket.
"Equal parts kosher salt and coarse black pepper is all you need for Texas bark."
Yakitori & Robatayaki
Charcoal-grilled skewers of every imaginable chicken part, from thigh to cartilage. The smoke from binchōtan charcoal is unlike anything else.
Korean BBQ (KBBQ)
Tabletop charcoal grills, marinated galbi, samgyeopsal, and an endless parade of banchan. The most social eating experience on earth.
Asado
A cultural institution, not just a meal. Whole animals slow-cooked over wood embers for hours. The asador is both chef and storyteller.
Churrasco
Massive skewers of picanha, linguiça, and chicken hearts, carved tableside at the rodízio. Meat as theater.
Mechoui & Kofta
Whole lamb slow-roasted in underground clay ovens, or spiced kofta grilled over charcoal in the Djemaa el-Fna. Smoke and spice in equal measure.
Moo Ping & Satay
Street-side charcoal grills at 6am, serving pork skewers glazed with coconut milk and fish sauce. The best breakfast you'll ever have.
Destinations &
Travel Diaries
Latest Travel Diaries
The Holy Trinity: Franklin, La Barbecue & Micklethwait
Three days, three legendary pits. We lined up at 7am for Franklin's brisket, ate standing at La Barbecue's picnic tables, and found the most underrated ribs in Texas at Micklethwait. The smoke ring on Franklin's brisket is not a myth.
48 Hours of Korean BBQ in Mapo-gu
Samgyeopsal at midnight, galbi for lunch, and a discovery: the best KBBQ in Seoul is not in the tourist areas. We found a 40-year-old charcoal grill restaurant in a basement that changed everything we thought we knew about pork belly.
Asado in the Pampas: A Sunday Ritual
An Argentine family invited us to their estancia for a Sunday asado. The asador started the fire at 10am. We didn't eat until 3pm. In between: wine, conversation, and the slow education of watching a master work with fire and iron.
Djemaa el-Fna After Dark
When the sun sets over the medina, the square transforms into the world's greatest open-air restaurant. Hundreds of charcoal grills, merguez sausages, kofta, and mechoui — all competing for your attention through smoke and shouting vendors.
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