I get questions about sources and products (BBQ, video and blog) all the time and thought this might be a quick one stop check on some of the products and tools I turn to in the real world. I’ll keep adding to this list so check back.
Note: A few of the links below are affiliate links to places like Amazon where I earn commissions if you purchase through those links. You can know that if I list an item below I do use, recommend, and find the company trustworthy and helpful.
BBQ Ingredients:
- ButcherBox delivers 100% grass-fed beef, free range organic chicken and heritage (Berkshire) breed pork directly to your door. Butcher Box also has bacon that is uncured, free of sugar and nitrates, non-GMO verified, hormone free, made from pasture raised heritage breed pigs, and is whole30 approved. More on Butcher Box Limited time Bacon For Life Offer
- Honest Bison specialized in Bison and Elk. Get the latest HERE at the website and see how cooking bison vs beef compares HERE.
- Omaha Steaks is the “O-G” steak purveyor. I appreciate Omaha Steaks for the deep discount packages you can find. Take a look at the latest specials HERE. Omaha Steaks specializes in gift giving packages. I did an unboxing a while back that shows their packaging and what you really get when you order from OMAHA Steaks.
- Porter Road is a new butcher that specializes in premium pasture raised meats. Not grass fed, but pasture raised with care and without the different and distinct grass fed flavor. Originally based in Nashville their dry aged and humanely raised beef, heritage breed pork (I swear bey the better flavor of the heritage breeds over supermarket stuff) and chicken are available nationwide. I can personally attest for their quality and fantastic flavor. Most meats come delivered fresh and not frozen. I recommend the heritage pork (from Duroc and Berkshire hogs) or the incredible Korean-style beef short ribs. See their latest deals (like free shipping and bonus dry aged beef) HERE –Porter Road
- Snake River Farms is one of the only Competitive BBQ meat providers we’ve found. If you need American Kobe (Wagyu) brisket they are the most trusted source. They’ve also created a Snake River Farms Wagyu Brisket club for best pricing. See my UNBOXING Wagyu Beef HERE
- D’Artagnan is an online source for gourmet meat, poultry and charcuterie. Look for a wide array of game and unique meats like Buffalo, Wagyu Beef, and Berkshire Pork.
- Wodagyu is a new family farm that is getting competitive in the world of Wagyu beef. Founded in 1999 and located in Texas this farm ships American Wagyu direct to you. See there top notch BRISKET here.
Grills & Gear
I’ve become a fan of pellet cookers and this Traeger Texas Elite is my go to favorite when I need smoke flavor. Pellets are said to be proprietary but here’s another option for price comparison.
My first smoker was this electric Brinkmann and you can not beat the price. Same goes for the Brinkmann charcoal version. I still think it’s a great starter.
Some first time competition BBQ teams don’t realize teams can get disqualified for not having a simple fire extinguisher. This Kidde brand FA110 Extinguisher on Amazon is the best price we’ve found and the gauge lets you be confident it’s still dependable after a year in the garage. We keep one in the home kitchen too.
Blog & Book:
I’ve used 99Designs to create several logos and most recently for the book cover for the BBQ Blueprint. I like the opportunity to get several designers competing and the addition of creating a social vote for friends and family to opine was a surprisingly eye opening (and decision changing) experience.
Email:
Email services like Mailchimp are often free free for a limited amount of users. I switched to MailerLite and appreciate that it has all the features I need at about half the price of Mailchimp or any other program.
Video:
For creating videos I have been using a Canon T3i and love it. However on my last check Canon has replaced the model with the T5i that looks to be the T3i’s equal. I have recently started using this “thrifty fifty” Canon EF 50mmf/1.8 lens for a lot of the close up BBQ shots. Great depth of field for food and vlogs. Also looks like it’s discontinued but still available HERE.