Summer Like a Pro
Cocktail Secret
Elevate your Bloody Mary to another level of flavor by adding a touch of SRF BBQ Brisket Rub to your mix. Or change things up with my favorite, the Bloody Caesar.
INGREDIENTS
2 ounces gin
6 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes of scotch bonnet pepper sauce (more if you like it spicy)
1 teaspoon SRF BBQ Brisket Rub
Clamato
Ice
DIRECTIONS
Stir the first four ingredients together in a shaker. Add ice, shake briefly, and pour into a glass. Enjoy!
- Darren Warth
Think Like a Butcher
Don’t automatically reach for filets, strips, and ribeyes. SRF offers some incredible butcher’s cuts that you might not see in your local market. My favorite is the richly marbled Zabuton, or Denver steak. Cook it hot and fast in a cast iron pan to medium rare for a show-stopping main course.
- Mandy Tanner
Just Ducky
For the perfect pan sear, duck fat will never lead you wrong. It creates a beautiful sear, and its high smoke point means its flavor will taste great - even when searing at very high temperatures.
- Kelly Cahoon
Turn Up the Heat
When cooking a Snake River Farms Wagyu brisket, you'll need to cook it to a hotter temperature than conventional wisdom dictates. To really render that delicious SRF marbling, you'll have to go to 205°F or more.
- Luke Darnell
Take a Note
New to grilling or smoking? Write down the facts after every cook, including time, grill or smoker temperature, and the internal temperature of the finished product. You'll zero in on best practices and avoid repeat mistakes.
- Steph Franklin
Butter It Up
Compound butters are an easy way to add a little something extra to a high-quality steak. Using a fork, combine herbs or spices with a stick of room-temperature butter. Then roll the butter into a cylinder, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. My favorite combination is thyme and roasted garlic, but you can run wild with any combination of flavors.
- Jeremy Brand
Finish Strong
To cook like a pro, finish everything. Season your meat at the beginning of the cook with your favorite flavor/rub combinations. I mix up a shaker with the same rub and sprinkle it on the meat right before it goes out to my family.
- Brad Leighninger
Wrap It Up
For a beautiful SRF rack of pork, wrap the bones with aluminum foil before cooking. Remove the foil 30 minutes prior to finish to achieve a great golden presentation without the burn. This also works great for tomahawk steaks and Kurobuta pork chops.
- Jeff Vanderlinde
Go Big
Enjoy steaks just the way you want and save money by purchasing a large cut like an SRF striploin or prime rib roast. Slice to your choice of thickness, and then vacuum seal, freeze, and cook at a later date.
- Sylvie Curry
The Kindest Cut
Slicing a tri-tip against the grain is the difference between a tender or chewy bite. Properly slicing a tri-tip is a bit of an art form. Study the grain while your tri-tip is raw; you'll see the grain changes in the middle. This means you will need to slice it in two different directions to get those perfect bites.
- Chris Schemm
It's OK to Be Flaky
Flake salt is worth the price for the flavor and aesthetic benefits. The large crystals look appetizing on your steak, adding a surprising crunch and a burst of flavor.
- Kelly Cahoon
Temp > Time
Cook to temperature, not time, for restaurant-quality steaks at home. Use a quality instant-read thermometer, and take your steaks off the grill when they reach your target temperature.
- Chris Schemm
THE PROS
Read about the experts behind our summer tips.
Steph Franklin
SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ
Award-winning chef and caterer Steph Franklin is internationally renowned for his barbecue skills. He's been inducted into the California BBQ Association's Hall of Fame. He has frequently finished in the top 25 of the Kansas City Barbeque Society Team of the Year race and created our signature SRF rubs.
Kelly Cahoon
@CHEFKELLYCAHOON
Kelly went to culinary school while simultaneously studying for her undergrad- luckily for all of us, she chose a career in food rather than public relations. After working in restaurants and for a catering company, she found her niche as a home cook. Now, in between taking care of four young children, she shares her creations on Instagram.
Brad Leighninger
GETTIN' BASTED, DOWNING STREET POUR HOUSE, KNOTTY CATERING CO.
After entering the competitive barbecue world in 2021, Brad has enjoyed a string of successes, including three stints on the Kansas City Barbeque Society's Team of the Year. His three popular brick-and-mortar restaurants feature BBQ and Ozark-style cooking, a hot-and-fast method for regional dishes like grilled pork butt steaks.
Jeff Vanderlinde
NORTHERN FIRE BBQ SUPPLY
Jeff is the head pitmaster of the world champion barbecue team Shiggin'& Grinnin'. He competes throughout the United States and Puerto Rico and has won over 50 grand and reserve grand championships and has appeared on Destination America and the Discovery Channel. He's also co-owner of Northern Fire BBQ Supply, a barbecue and grilling supply store in Minnesota.
Darren Warth
SMOKEY D'S BBQ
Darren is the head pitmaster of Smokey D's BBQ in Des Moines, Iowa, which has been featured on the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives."He and his wife, Sherry, form one of the most successful teams in competition barbecue, with 15 world championships under their belts (so far).
Mandy Tanner
@CHEFMANDYTANNER
This classically trained chef and pastry chef studied at the French Culinary Institute in New York City and worked in restaurants in California and Tennessee. After marrying, settling in Nashville, and giving birth to a daughter, Audrey, she decided to leave the long hours behind and focus on sharing her passions via social media.
Jeremy Brand
@BBQANDBACKSQUATS
Jeremy started grilling on Weber and Traeger grills in his early 20s, but never thought his passion for cooking would turn him into a social media influencer. Now he inspires Instagram fans and loves perfecting his cooking and photography skills.
Sylvie Curry
THE LADY OF Q
After catching the competitive barbecue bug in 2000s, Sylvie went solo in 2012. She now competes as the Lady of Q and has won awards across the country. She's a member of the Kansas City Barbeque Society's 700+ Club; appeared on 'BBQ Pitmasters," "BBQ Crawl," and "The American Barbecue Showdown"; and was inducted into the California BBQ Association's Hall of Fame in 2020.
Luke Darnell
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE
Luke started Old Virginia Smoke in 2013 and has been racking up awards ever since: 13 grand championships, 23 reserve grand championships, the 2016 World BBQ Championship title at the World Food Championships, and more. You might recognize Luke from the Food Network "BBQ USA"episode where he won with a Snake River Farms brisket.
Chris Schemm
@TITLETOWNGRILLER
Chris has a busy life as a father of three and as an orthopedic trauma nurse. He turned to grilling to relieve stress and hone his skills. After posting his food on Instagram, he developed an online following and quickly became a local TV favorite. He now cooks with team members from the Green Bay Packers and teaches grilling classes.
