Backyard Chickens

🦌🔥 First smoked venison roast… and WOW! 🤤

I’d say this one turned out pretty close to perfection! 👌🥩

Now comes the real challenge… figuring out how to repeat it every single time! 😂

Smoky, tender, juicy, and absolutely delicious. 🔥🦌

I may have just found another favorite way to cook venison! 😎

🦌🔥 Smoked venison backstrap! 🔥🥩

Tender, juicy, smoky, and cooked just right. 🤤👌

Nothing fancy—just some good venison, a little smoke, and a whole lot of flavor!

Cheers to good food and great cooks! 🥃🔥🦌

🦌🔥 I think I’ve developed a serious addiction to smoking venison! 😂

I find myself throwing a chunk of meat on the smoker at least twice a week… and at this rate, it’s not going to last long! 😅🥩

Tonight’s star of the show: smoked whitetail backstrap. 🤤🔥

Tender, juicy, smoky, and absolutely packed with flavor.

Hands down, some of the best meat out there! 🦌🔥🥩

I might have a problem… but I’m definitely not looking for a cure! 😂

🔥🥩 First brisket on the new Pit Boss! 🥩🔥

New pit, first brisket, and I was ready to see what this thing could do! 😎💨

Nothing like breaking in a new smoker with a beautiful brisket. Low, slow, and hopefully plenty of bark! 🤤🔥

New pit. New brisket. Same love for BBQ. 🐂🥩🔥

🔥 First attempt at prime rib… and I’d call it a success! 👌😎

Smoked at 250°F until it hit 125°F internal, then let it rest for 30 minutes.

Juicy, tender, and packed with flavor. 🤤🔥

Not bad for the first one! I’m definitely doing this again. 🥩💨

🐷🥓 Little country store in coastal N.C.

I call this masterpiece “The Wall O’ Swine.” 😂

Now I just have to figure out which pink curing salt to use, because I’m pretty sure I need this wall in my life. 🤣🥓🔥

Nothing but porky perfection from floor to ceiling! 🐖❤️

🥓🔥 Little Vacation Bacon! 🔥🥓

Just pulled this beauty off the smoker and I’m already wishing I had made more! 😍

I brined this 3-lb skinless, boneless pork belly for 8 days, then soaked it for 30 minutes, gave it a good rinse, and dried it off. After that, it went onto a wire rack in the fridge for 24 hours to air dry.

Then onto the smoker with hickory wood at 250°F until it reached an internal temp of 155–160°F. 🌳💨

🧂 Brine/Rub:
• 3 lb skinless, boneless pork belly
• 3 tbsp kosher salt
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 tbsp black pepper
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp pink curing salt (Prague Powder #1)

🥓 Smoked low, cured right, and packed with flavor!

Now the hard part… letting it cool before slicing! 😂🔥

Finally Got My Wife on Board With Venison! 🦌🔥

My wife has never been a big venison eater. Yesterday, I cooked a backstrap as an experiment, and I basically had to force her to try a bite. 😂

She took one bite and said it was the best venison she’d ever tasted… then immediately asked me to cook it again tonight—but this time, she wanted her own! 😂🥩

After about 100 backstraps, I finally got her converted! 🙌🦌

Figured I’d share the process:

🥩 Let the backstrap come up to room temperature
🫒 Coat it with olive oil
🔥 Apply Hardcore Carnivore Black rub
🌡️ Smoke at 225°F until it reaches 135°F internal
⏱️ Pull it and let it rest for about 20 minutes
🔥 Sear at 400°F for 1 minute per side
⏱️ Rest for another 15 minutes
🔪 Slice and enjoy!

I also put a pan of water in the smoker. Not sure if it actually makes much difference, but I’ve been doing it anyway. 🤷🏼‍♂️😂

The best part? She asked for her own backstrap tonight. I’ll call that a win! 🦌🔥❤️

Two Years Ago We Bought a Whole Cow… We’re Still Eating It! 🐄🥩😂

Hey everyone! I figured I’d share our experience buying a whole cow because it’s definitely been an adventure.

First off, I completely understand that buying a whole cow isn’t possible for everyone because of the cost or freezer space. But if you have the means and the room, I’d absolutely consider doing it. 👍

The cow itself cost $1,800, plus $250 for processing at the butcher. In the end, we brought home 1,016 pounds of beef! 😳🥩

The butcher gave us tons of options for how we wanted everything cut, and we ended up having about 400 pounds ground into hamburger.

The Good 👍🔥

You really can’t beat roughly $2/lb for steaks and beef in general. The quality was unbelievable, and we even got to choose how we wanted the beef raised and finished, including grain vs. grass. 🥩👌

The Bad 😂

1,000 pounds of beef is A LOT of beef.

I was completely unprepared when I went to pick it up. I showed up with four coolers thinking I had plenty. Nope. 😂 I ended up needing about 10 more coolers!

It was roughly 30 milk crates packed completely full. 🥩📦

And remember, a cow only gives you two briskets, a limited number of steaks, and only so many of those highly desirable cuts. That means you end up with A LOT of roasts and ground beef.

There were definitely times when I found myself thinking, “You know what sounds really good right now? A ham and cheese sandwich.” 😂🥪

Two Years Later… 🥩❄️

We’re still eating it!

The beef has been stored in a deep freezer at around -20°F the entire time, and honestly, I haven’t noticed any significant degradation in the meat.

Even the ground beef, which wasn't vacuum-sealed, tastes just as good as it did when we first got it. 👍

We probably still have around 200 pounds left, which we’re hoping to work through before summer.

After that, we’ll probably order another whole one… but only after a six-month detox involving mostly fish and chicken. 😂🐟🐔

TL;DR 📝

If you can afford it and have the freezer space, buying a whole cow can be an incredible experience.

We’ve also been able to give a ton of beef to friends and family, which honestly feels pretty damn good. ❤️

$2/lb steaks sounds amazing… until you’ve been eating them for two years straight. 😂🥩

Sometimes even the most delicious steak can make you crave a sandwich. 😜

First Brisket! 🥩🔥

I’m officially smoking my first brisket and I’m pretty damn excited! 🤩🔥

So… is it time to wrap, or should I let this bark develop a little longer? 👀🥩

What would you guys do? Wrap it now or let it ride? 🔥👇