The Butchers Block | Bearded Butchers Blog

  • How to Grill the Best Burgers

    A perfectly grilled burger is a thing of art. There are several tricks you can use at home to get restaurant-quality results every time you grill a burger. We'll walk through some of the ways you can step up your burger game easily at home.

  • The Best Grilling Basket for Vegetables, Fish, and Small Items

    Grill baskets come in a lot of different shapes and sizes to serve different purposes. The grill basket also opens up the opportunity to grill some things in creative new ways using ingredients you normally wouldn't put on the grill. So today we're going over what you can grill with each type of grill basket. 
  • Why Medium Rare is Always the Perfect Steak Temperature

    Some strong opinions can come out when you're at a restaurant and someone at the table orders a well-done steak. You might see the look of disgust on another person's face, the shocked puzzlement of why anyone would ever order an overcooked steak. It might seem funny or even over the top, but there are actual reasons that medium-rare is considered to be the optimal temperature for steak. We'll explain why medium-rare steak temp is ideal and also give you some tips to help hit the perfect internal temperature each time you cook so that you get consistent results.
  • Charcoal vs Gas Grills

    Ultimately, despite considerable differences in appearance and cost, charcoal and gas grills differ in only one meaningful way: the fuel. While that may not seem like a big deal, it's actually a significant factor to consider for the flavor of your food and the type of grilling you plan to do most often. Learn which one is best for you!
  • Burnt Ends vs Rib Tips

    Burnt ends and rib tips are very different from one another. Burnt ends are made from the point of a well-smoked brisket while rib tips are a byproduct trimmed from St. Louis Style ribs. Today, we're talking specifically about rib tips – culinary curiosities that started out as a cheap way to survive and have now become a defining element of regional barbecue.
  • The Best Lump Charcoal | Rockwood vs Blues Hog vs B&B

    Whether you're smoking, grilling, or barbecuing, using natural hardwood lump charcoal will give you better results than briquettes. But choosing the best lump charcoal is kind of a pain. So we finally decided to pick up a couple bags of lump charcoal and put them through their paces to see which ones performed the best.
  • The Best Burger Recipe for Labor Day

    Labor Day is the grillers favorite holiday. It's the last summer cookout and the perfect opportunity to have some fun with classic grill foods. Hamburgers are sure to be on tens of thousands of barbecues over the Labor Day weekend, so we thought that we would show you the best way to make the best hamburger and we're also sharing a full recipe at the end.
  • Seth's Smoked Ribs Recipe

    One of the most popular meats we put on the smoker is racks of ribs. They are easy to make, delicious, and fun to share. Everyone has their favorite way of doing ribs but we get lots of requests for the "Secret Recipe" Seth uses when he is smoking a rack of ribs. So due to popular demand, this is the recipe we use to make our favorite ribs.
  • How to Tell If a Steak Is Done

    Cooking a steak can be stressful when you aren't sure how to tell if it's done. Steak can be touchy – just a minute too much and the steak is overcooked. With time comes experience, and you'll learn to tell when a steak is done using several techniques. But when all-else fails, an instant read thermometer is your best bet!
  • How to Throw the Ultimate 4th of July BBQ

    The Fourth of July is a great excuse to throw an epic BBQ party. It's time to get out the grill or smoker and grab a few of the best 4th of July BBQ recipes featuring fresh summer flavors.
  • Summer BBQ Sides

    Summer is the perfect time to show off your grilling and smoking skills. Nothing sets off a better summer party than having epic side dishes that complement your barbecue. We're sharing our take on a few classic sides that will give you the perfect opportunity to take an otherwise boring BBQ side dish and make it a showstopper.
  • How Does a Smoker Work

    A critical step when you want to learn to smoke meat is to understand the way a smoker works. There are several designs on the market with similarities and differences in the way they make smoke. Once you know how your smoker works, you'll be able to control the temperature and the amount of smoke to perfect your grilling skills.