Tendernism! Dub Shack BBQ Presents Beef Short Ribs

Tendernism!

What is it, and what makes everyone's YouTube OG throw something across the room such as sunglasses and pens in sheer excitement of a bone sliding out of beef? Well, the friendly pitmaster is laying down some knowledge of how to achieve the same result without having to spend hundreds of dollars to practice smoking beef short ribs that will certainly cement your own legacies as true pitmasters in your own rights. Shout out to Kara's Packing Company in Owensville (my real plug) for slinging them at a good price, and to Double B Farm & Ranch in Bigelow for raising tasty cows that are giving my pit the best smoke in the neighborhood by a long shot.

You know what I say about shopping and supporting local small businesses: Do it. I'm a firm believer in the best products are the ones that can be sourced closest to home; whether that means I can finally make room for a quarter beef and/or a pig is up for debate. 

Now...we cook.

INGREDIENTS 

Beef short ribs

Bear and Burtons W Sauce

Killer Hogs TX Brisket Rub

STEP ONE. Open the packaging and pat the beef short ribs dry with a paper towel before trimming any of the scraggly bits away to what should be no more than 1/4" fat from the meat. Don't worry about the all of that fat; it will mostly render during the cook and waste itself during the process. Apply first the W sauce to all sides and repeat with TX Brisket rub the same way on all sides - especially the Westside. Set aside for at least 30 minutes to let the ribs come up to room temperature so they are not shocked when the smoker is ready.

STEP TWO. As Senior (my Oklahoma Joe smoker) gets the assignment, start out with a cooler smoke not to instantly shock the meat like we normally do around 300+ degrees for most proteins. Add the mesquite splits to the fire and babysit the thing for three hours at 275-300 degrees. At that point, feel free to do your first temperature and tenderness checks: If they feel like butter, then the beef short ribs are pretty close to done.

What is done, and what is tendernism, friendly pitmaster?

Done is 202-205 degrees and tender, and tendernism takes those same beef short ribs a step further to where the bone easily slides out of the beef. For an exact temperature, I took mine close to 215 degrees which in many quarters is overcooked but hey, I had to follow a trend.

STEP THREE. Once finished, let the ribs rest for at least fifteen minutes to an hour before serving. For the eyeglass toss, eat before the minimum rest; everyone else knows that it is merely brisket on a stick.

My thoughts: Was it good? Yes.

Was it tender? Yes.

Was it tendernism? Yes, but under specific circumstances. 

Would I do it again? It's highly unlikely that I will because it just takes too long, and the fact I ended up braising them once I got my desired color until it was time to eat. 

But don't let that stop you from trying.

Thank you for reading this post. Go outside and cook something superb this weekend instead of laying around the house begging for fast food, or worse, snacks. Be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ! 

Halfway Done

As the custom most school years, this is the entire 2025-26 school year about Caeli from my point of view. Give this a read and celebrate Little Miss Sunshine finishing her final year of elementary school [the elementary transcript continues through eighth grade] and what comes next four miles from the house.

AUGUST

The school year began days after summer swim season with the Sharks ended. While we decided against the AAU circuit for now, Caeli laid the smackdown on her events and even set some nationally ranked times this season.

But this is a school post, right?

I need my only child to be well-balanced and a decent human as well as a superb swimmer, hence Life Skills Summer.

She began fifth grade on the bus - and one of the few days she beat us awake, dressed, and ready to go for morning pictures. We said that this is her senior year of elementary school; I kind of wish we framed it slightly differently because of the mounting expenses of everything and the impending pushback regarding some things such as chores around the house.

SEPTEMBER 

The morning handshake was shortened to dap from the much more elaborate ones from earlier in the childhood journey. Those are now reserved for bedtime after fish are fed and prayers said. With the initial struggles of having a longterm sub to start the year since her actual teacher was on maternity leave, Caeli eventually found her footing - and Chick-fil-A most Thursdays during lunch - as the expectations became more clearly articulated for her. 

OCTOBER 

One of Caeli's many talents is singing, and she truly enjoys the youth choir at church. It wouldn't be the same if she did not get to participate with her friends at Saint Mark Baptist Church. To witness her own spiritual journey is nothing short of phenomenal! She hasn't decided yet on baptism, but since she is ten (at the time), that call is hers and hers alone. All we as her parents get to do is guide her along and raise up a God-fearing child to the very best of our limited abilities.

If you recall 2025 in Review, I briefly mentioned that I had a valley and a peak within a 48 hour period. The valley:  I was losing my job at the end of the month. The peak: I had beaten prostate cancer. How did that affect Caeli? She still had a normal life, and the only difference came the following month.

Coached by her momma, the Volley Queens ran off with the plug again to an 8-0 start to defend their first team championship from last year. When I say those girls are good, I mean it.

Remember, this girl makes friends easily and almost everywhere.

NOVEMBER 

Volleyball season ran into a couple of late-season losses before the tournament and those hard-fought matches which finally led the Volley Queens to their second league title. Shout out to coaches Chastity and Zac for keeping the girls focused on the moment, and the girls themselves for playing for each other. 

Aside from that sport and a bit of an off-season prior to basketball in the church league, life began to shape differently for Caeli due to my own work situation. After my job ended October 31, I reluctantly took a position in the organization that I came to hate quickly; for Caeli, she still had her weekly lunch at school with Dad, and for the first time in her lifetime, I was also at home at night unshackled from the graveyard shift.

DECEMBER 

Our Christmas present continued to sing, play, paint, consume anime, and otherwise be a kid. The weekly lunches continued for one more month as were those rare sleeping Saturdays.

Christmas Day also marked a milestone as it was my final day at Arcwood. The next move happened a week later, to be announced.

JANUARY 

Speaking of “see, what had happened was…”, a few things happened - and one was an ice storm that kept us at home for several days. The other thing was I became a substitute teacher within the district: Wish me luck with this adventure.

Basketball season began with a hodgepodge of practices before the games were played. While the record clearly stated otherwise, hoops served as a cardio workout and the offseason her teammates sorely needed since this is a third or in some cases, fourth sport they participated in.

FEBRUARY 

As January closed with an ice storm, February welcomed the most fun eleventh birthday party yet at the River Center with her classmates, basketball teammates, cousins, and friends from church. All enjoyed themselves, and since this is the best option at a reasonable price, the pool party was a good idea. Speaking of partying, the final father-daughter dance came and went as a blur. It’s always fun to be arm candy more so for the girl who sees Dad in a suit on Sundays or whenever the occasion calls for it.

She went to work with me twice this year: That’s something I never would have anticipated.

MARCH

We don’t talk about basketball season: The Saint Mark All-Stars went 1-6 this campaign (fortunately, I didn’t coach against kids who effectively used the league as AAU practice), and over time, the love of the game hasn’t translated from parent to child - and I’m okay with that. Caeli and the other emerging hoops stars had fun, though.

Spring break to Houston, Galveston, and Great Wolf Lodge in Webster wouldn’t be complete without a day spent at NASA or Buc-ees on the way back. I still haven’t walked into a HEB yet but it wouldn’t have done me any good to buy meat sans a dedicated cooler. Maybe next time…

APRIL 

‘Twas the end of ATLAS testing and the associated headache that came with it: At least we made it through the boot camp and four days of stress inducing tests. If anyone shows up with blue Takis again after being told not to eat in the classroom, I swear I’m going to scream!

MAY

We made it to the end of the elementary school years albeit the actual elementary transcript continues to the eighth grade frazzled and relieved at the same time! Whenever the future takes Caeli next at Bethel Middle School will be prayed upon and with all of the successes for the next steps. 

We’re proud of Little Miss Sunshine from where we started in the midst of COVID to becoming an independent young lady willing to stand on business. Keep pushing - and we’re out!

The Game Goes On: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Garlic Lamb Chops

Barbecue does not always need a long time to be good - only some early preparation to become great. With Little Miss Sunshine's upcoming sports season(s) in full swing, the friendly pitmaster doesn't always have time to smoke five-course meals when dinner only calls for one protein, a vegetable side, and if necessary, carbohydrates such as rice or potatoes to tie it all together. But before she jumps into the pool...

INGREDIENTS 

Lamb chops (shoulder or loin, doesn't matter)

Kosmo's Garlic Garlic rub

Optional: Lawry's herb and garlic marinade 

STEP ONE. Remove the lamb from the packaging, pat it dry, and set aside momentarily. If you have a marinade bottle, pick up a ziploc bag to pour the contents into. Add first the chops and then the marinade before refrigerating for the work day. The intention is to ensure full flavor from first to final bite without the gamey taste that sometimes comes with how lamb is fed ans otherwise treated throughout its lifetime. As a fanatic of supporting LOCAL small businesses, the nearest animals to us are typically best. 

In a big box situation, lamb from New Zealand or Australia is best.

STEP TWO. Start your two-zone fire. Today, I'm using my PK grill to feed the fairer folks in my house. On one side, bank off the charcoals for a hot zone whike leaving the other side as a cool zone for indirect cooking. We're searing the chops off in the end, so don't worry about having cold meat. Remove the chops from the marinade bag and give them a liberal shaking of Garlic Garlic to all sides and allow them to reach room temperature before putting them in the smoke.

I didn't mention using wood, but a couple of fruit chunks or an apple wood split such as the one I am using will suffice. 

STEP THREE. Place the lamb chops on the indirect side to cook to around 115 degrees. It won't take too long for them to reach that temperature, so don't do anything that requires much more than a quick trip to the bathroom or a run to the kitchen to find a thermometer. At 115 degrees, transfer the lamb over to direct heat and sear for one minute per side (45 seconds for those crosshatch marks that Chili's taught us to revere in the 90s) and cook to 135-140 degrees. With a five degree carryover, lamb chops are done at 145 degrees. Serve and enjoy!

My thoughts: If yum needed an adjective, then ask some of my colleagues that I eat lunch with. The lamb chops were still tender and fantastic a day later, and you better believe I'll do it again! But before I have to plan another cook and mow grass: Thank you for reading this post. Like, subscribe, or follow me on the few social media platforms that I do use (Facebook, Blogger, Threads, and Instagram) for the some of the fun that Cooking w/My Friends had hosted. If the rain holds off long enough, I'll even include a picture of the lucky soul who ends up cooking in my driveway with me thanks to a muddy backyard. Be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ! 

From Friendship Road With Love: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Country Style Ribs

Well, country is as country does.

Y'all know I'm a son of Friendship, and today's cook is something super easy and tasty in country-style ribs. They are easy enough to cook like pork shoulders - and also as a cheaper version of regular pork ribs to practice with for our families and friends. Would I use them as a substitute for competition ribs? Nope, because they are boneless and protein integrity is sometimes negligible at best. Just because they don't always look good doesn't mean country-style ribs are hot garbage.

Here's how we made them prettier.

But first, what are country ribs? AI has a definition for them below:

Country-style ribs are actually thick, meaty strips cut from the pork shoulder (or sometimes loin), rather than the rib cage, offering a, tender, and budget-friendly option. Best cooked low-and-slow (under 300 for 2–3 hours), they can be roasted in the oven, smoked, or slow-cooked until falling apart.

See, this is how we make barbecue cheap again.

INGREDIENTS 

Country style ribs

Wright's BBQ rub (use your favorite rub, this is in the spice cabinet)

Optional: Mustard as a binder

STEP ONE. Remove the ribs from the packaging and pat them dry. Slather them in mustard and get ready to apply rub on all sides. Set aside and light up the grill.

STEP TWO. Today, my beloved PK gets the assignment: Bank the charcoals to one side in my typical two-zone fire, and once it is ready, position those ribs on the other side of the grill to cook indirect for an undetermined period of time. Check on them (and flip) after one hour, and once again when you've got the desired color. Around 190 degrees, the country style ribs can go into a small aluminum pan with a secret liquid to tenderize them until they are nearly fall apart.

STEP THREE. Bring them in, rest those country ribs, and enjoy!

Although they were super tender, I did not get the original taste because I was smoking a few pork butts and a picnic roast for next week's meal prep. That possibly means that I'll eat them later today or tomorrow for Sunday dinner with corn and mashed potatoes. 

Thanks for riding through the country with me, feeling the gentle wind blow from east to west, and reading this post. Could I have done it in the crackpot? Yet, but where's the fun in that? Y'all be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!

You're a Jerk! Dub Shack BBQ Presents Jerk Chicken Wings

It's time for wing season as if we ever stopped cooking wings. 

A couple of years ago on vacation, my wife's cousin Tesha (sp?) gave us some serious game about eating a lot for next to nothing to the extent that on my first trip to Walmart after we got home was to get a Caribbean jerk seasoning packet, add two pounds of party wings, and chunk them into the air fryer until done. Well...we're putting these dudes on the flames. Jerk wings are super easy and really do not take very long to cook on either side. Make plenty because they might be gone before the next batch is made!

INGREDIENTS 

2 lbs party wings

1 Great Value Caribbean Jerk seasoning mix

STEP ONE. Instead of seasoning the wings first (you're gonna do it anyway, hold your horses), go light your grill! Today's weapon of choice happens to be the Weber kettle, but use whatever you've got. If you're just starting out, a $20 Walmart special isn't a bad place to begin; however, if you can absorb the initial cost, Home Depot near me is selling them all day long for $149 with the army green ones retailing for $199. Light your charcoals until they ash over and then bank them to one side to maintain good fire management skills. Once ready, do this...

STEP TWO. Season your wings. I used the marinade bottle for my wings this time, so all that required was placing twenty or so flats and drums in a ziploc bag and pouring marinade over them. Allow them to get happy for the next half-hour and once the grill is ready, bring 'em out for the fire fest.

I know I said use the packet or when this bottle of rub like this one, but you may use any jerk marinade in its stead as long as you make them your own.

Remember the dance craze "You're a Jerk" by New Boyz circa 2014? Here's a brain break - and a throwback moment - that we might need. Of course, don't ask me to dance: It ain't happening. Click on the link to watch the video.

STEP THREE. With your wings on the cooler side of the grill (hence, indirect), leave them alone until they hit around 160 degrees and then give them a flip. Wings can be eaten at 175 degrees, but for this recipe, feel free to pull them between 185-200 degrees. There is nothing wrong with a little char: However, there is something terribly wrong with burned wings. Give them a few minutes to rest and enjoy!

My thoughts: Alongside this Red Stripe I've been sipping on, jerk wings are a good way to start off the week. If the Meatlist doesn't speak up for the remaining wings, I guess they're headed back to work later this week. For the limited energy and effort I put into this cook, I am pleased. 

Before I close out this post, be sure to try out your own version of backyard jerk wings. While your own rhythmic variations of the Jerk dance are yours - we see you and do not judge, it always will be a good time. Be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!

Comeback

We're making a comeback!

Remember last Good Friday 2025 when I found out that I had prostate cancer? 

One year later, the comeback is in full swing! 

At the moment, I'm still cancer-free and glad that I was forced into the prostaterectomy by the better half and urologist as they know I would've refused chemotherapy otherwise. Things have changed regarding lifestyle and some of the habits mostly for the better: Have you noticed the weight loss? I won't ever get back to being APO pledge or Wampus Cat skinny again yet I do appreciate not having to shop in the big and tall sections of department stores for reasonably stylish fits. As for my feet...let's say the Jordan Brand still isn't the best for standing on my feet for seven hours per days. There will be an addition of Air Max running shoes to the weekday roster sometime after payday and the adult stuff of paying bills and taking care of home are completed. 

In the Great Comeback (and I'm trying to keep it short), the goals are still the same although the redirection is very real. I greatly appreciate your prayers, well-wishes, conversations, and support along the way. As John 15:12 reminds us, love one another without condition or question. Below is the passage:

John 15:12 CEVDCI

[12] Now I tell you to love each other, as I have loved you.

https://bible.com/bible/303/jhn.15.12.CEVDCI

God bless, I'm out. 

Brighter Day: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Grilled Ahi Tuna

Sometimes the need to redo a recipe comes from taking some time away from the original one and on to a different plan of attack. Does it always work? No, but in this case, it was magnificent. Shout out to Jackson's Meat Market in Conway (hey, Mark and Stephanie) for sourcing the two steaks that turned out to be 3/4" thick and super tasty!

INGREDIENTS  

Two ahi tuna steaks

Fire and Smoke Society's Fish Monger as rub

Marinade

Soy sauce

Ginger powder

STEP ONE. After getting the tuna home,  pat it on both sides and place it into a Ziploc bag to hold the marinade. Make the marinade by combining both the soy sauce and ground ginger and pour into the bag with the fish - but keep it in there for ten to fifteen minutes before it overtakes the flavor of fresh fish. Apply the rub as soon as the steaks are taken out of the marinade and begin the remainder of prep work prior to cooking.

STEP TWO. Hopefully you've lit your grill by now, but if not...get out there and do it! For today's cook, the Weber kettle gets the assignment. Once your charcoals ash over, bank them over to one side and close the lid until the grill reaches a searing hot temperature: If you don't know what that is, wave your hands over hot charcoals. If you find yourself pulling back instantly, then it is ready. Bring out the tuna!

STEP THREE. Tuna steaks do kit take terribly long to cook, and the best way to do them is searing each side for 45 seconds to two minutes depending on thickness - and like Chud says, don't forget the sides: that's a rookie move. At 120 degrees, tuna ahi is ready for a brief rest before getting shoved down the pie hole. Slice and serve immediately!

In the miracle of time (and 125 degrees), we're done

For those averse to myoglobin - the red color in cooked fish and beef - feel free to take yours up to 140 degrees but be warned:  Anything further will dry out the protein.

My thoughts: Clearly I learned my lesson from a few years ago and made it a lot better tasting. Don't be scared of grilling fish!

Before I figure out what Cooking w/My Friends is going to look like this week, and continue to both navigate through Lexia during working hours and work on the garden at home (watch my wife's videos on all social media platforms), shout out to not only Mark at Jackson's Meat Market for the ahi tuna but also my fellow CHS '97 classmate Ed Linck and his Barnham's Beef Snob meat sticks - gotta try them if you haven't had them yet - he gets the stamp of approval with those friendly pitmaster snacks. If you like what you just read, keep hanging around this space for more barbecue content. Be blessed,be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!