Season the night before

Apply a healthy, generous coat of Moon Rock Rub to all sides of the tri-tip. The seasoning needs time to penetrate and form a proper bark. Leave uncovered and refrigerate overnight.

Temper before cooking

Pull the tri-tip from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This promotes even cooking from edge to center — no gray band.

Fire up to 225°F

Preheat your smoker, Traeger, indirect grill, or oven to 225°F. This low temperature gives Moon Rock time to form its signature bark and the meat to properly render — patience is the secret ingredient.

Cook to 132°F internal

Place the tri-tip on your preferred cooking surface and cook until a probe thermometer reads 132°F at the thickest part. Expect 40–90 minutes, depending on size. Don't chase time — chase temp.

Flip mid-cook if desired for even browning on both sides.

Rest — no shortcuts

Remove from heat and tent loosely with foil. Rest for a minimum of 15 minutes. Carryover will bring you to ~135–138°F. Cutting early is the #1 mistake — hold the line.

Slice against the grain

Tri-tip has two muscle groups with grain running in different directions. Find the seam, rotate the cut, and always slice against the grain — thin, clean cuts. This is what separates a good tri-tip from a great one.

Season the night before

Apply a generous coat of Moon Rock to all sides of the pork chop, including the fat cap. The seasoning needs time to penetrate the meat and set up properly for bark. Leave uncovered and refrigerate overnight.

Temper before cooking

Pull the chop from the fridge and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before it hits the smoker. Even cooking edge to edge starts here.

Smoke at 225°F

Set your smoker to 225°F and let the chop go low and slow. The goal here is to build flavor and gently bring the internal temp up — not to cook it through. Keep the lid closed and let the smoke do its work.

Pull at 110°F internal

Pull the chop off the smoker when your probe reads 110°F at the thickest part — well away from the bone. This sets you up perfectly for the sear without overcooking the center. Don't chase time here, chase temp.

Hard sear in cast iron

Get your cast iron screaming hot. Sear the chop hard on both sides to build the bark and render the fat cap — tilt the pan and baste the fat edge directly on the iron. This is where the texture gets built. The Moon Rock bark that forms here is what makes this cook.

Don't rush the sear — you want color, not steam.

Rest before slicing

Remove from the pan and rest for at least 5–10 minutes before slicing. Carryover will finish the cook. Cutting early on a pork chop this good is a crime — hold the line.

Season the night before

Apply a generous coat of Moon Rock to all sides of the tomahawk, then follow with a little extra Kosher salt. On a cut this thick, the overnight dry brine is not optional — it's what drives deep flavor and sets up the bark. Leave uncovered in the fridge overnight.

Temper before the smoker

Pull the steak from the fridge and let it rest at room temperature for 30–45 minutes. A cold center on a 2" tomahawk will fight you the whole cook — temper it and the smoke works evenly edge to edge.

Start low — 180°F for 30 minutes

Set your smoker to 180°F and run it there for the first 30 minutes. This opening phase is about maximum smoke absorption — the lower temp keeps the surface damp and receptive. Let the smoke do what smoke does.

Bump to 225°F — pull at 120°F internal

After 30 minutes, bump the smoker to 225°F and cook until your probe reads 120°F at the thickest part of the steak, well away from the bone. A remote probe thermometer makes this effortless — don't guess on a cut like this. Don't chase time, chase temp.

Rest in the fridge while cast iron heats

Pull the steak off the smoker and park it in the fridge while you get your cast iron screaming hot. This prevents carryover cooking during the wait and means the sear goes straight to bark-building — not finishing the cook through the center.

This step is the move. Don't skip it.

Hard reverse sear in cast iron

Get the cast iron as hot as it will go. Sear the tomahawk hard on both sides, pressing for contact. Work the fat cap directly on the pan edge. The Moon Rock bark that builds in these two minutes is where all the flavor lives — the bark and color on this thing were insane.

Baste with butter and smashed garlic if you want to push it even further.

Rest before slicing

Rest the steak for at least 15 minutes before slicing. The carryover will bring you to a perfect medium-rare. Slice against the grain and let the color speak for itself — the deep red on a properly cooked tomahawk is something else.

Trim it clean

Trim the fat cap down to about a quarter inch and square off the edges so the rub and smoke can reach the meat evenly. Don't go overboard — that fat is what bastes the brisket for the next 12+ hours.

Season the night before

Apply a heavy, even coat of Moon Rock to every surface — top, bottom, sides, and edges. The overnight dry brine is what builds the bark you're chasing. Leave uncovered on a rack in the fridge overnight.

Moon Rock is low salt by design — salt to your liking. On a larger cut like a brisket, a layer of Kosher salt alongside the rub is typically necessary.

Fire up to 225–250°F

Get your smoker running clean at 225–250°F with a good fruit or post oak smoke. Place the brisket fat-side up and close the lid. From here it's about patience — resist the urge to peek.

Ride out the stall

Somewhere around 150–165°F internal, the temperature will stall as moisture evaporates and cools the surface. This is normal — and it's exactly when the Moon Rock bark sets up dark and tight. Hold steady and let it work.

Wrap in butcher paper here if you want a softer bark and a faster finish — leave it unwrapped for maximum bark.

Pull at 203°F internal

Probe the flat — the thicker, leaner muscle — and pull the brisket when it reads 203°F and slides in like butter with almost no resistance. Don't chase time, chase probe-tender.

Rest — the longer the better

Rest for a minimum of 1 hour, tented loosely. For the best results, hold the wrapped brisket in a cooler or a 150°F oven for 2–4 hours. This rest is where the bark sets and the juices redistribute — don't skip it.

Separate, then slice against the grain

Find the seam between the point and the flat and separate the two. The grain runs in different directions in each — slice the flat thin against the grain, and cube or slice the point for extra bark in every bite.

Pull the membrane

Flip the rack bone-side up and peel off the thin membrane with a paper towel for grip. This lets smoke and rub reach the meat from both sides and keeps the ribs from getting tough.

Season generously

Coat both sides heavy with Moon Rock, working it into the meat. Let the rack sit at room temp for at least an hour, or for best results, refrigerate uncovered overnight.

Smoke unwrapped at 250°F

Set your smoker to 250°F and run the ribs bone-side down. This is where the Moon Rock bark forms and the smoke ring develops — don't rush this stage.

Wrap around 175°F internal

When your probe reads around 175°F at the meaty center of the rack, wrap the ribs tightly in foil with a pat of butter and a drizzle of honey, then back on the smoker. Don't chase time, chase temp — the bark should be set and dark before the wrap goes on.

Prefer a firmer bite? Skip the wrap and ride it out unwrapped instead.

Unwrap and set the bark

Unwrap and return the ribs to the smoker for a final 45–60 minutes, uncovered, to firm the bark back up. Glaze lightly here if you want a sticky finish.

Run the bend test

Pick the rack up with tongs from one end — it should bend deeply and the bark should crack slightly without falling apart. That's the sign Moon Rock has done its job and the ribs are ready.

Rest, then slice between the bones

Let the rack rest for 10–15 minutes before slicing straight down between each bone. Bend and snap — that's the test.

Pat dry, season heavy

Pat the thighs bone-dry with paper towels — moisture is the enemy of crispy skin. Loosen the skin slightly and work Moon Rock underneath, then coat the top and bottom generously.

Let it sit

Rest the seasoned thighs uncovered in the fridge for at least 30 minutes — overnight is even better. This dries the skin further and lets the Moon Rock work into the meat.

Heat to 425°F

Preheat your grill for direct heat or your oven to 425°F. High heat is what renders the skin and turns Moon Rock's sugars into a deep, crisp crust without drying out the meat.

Cook skin-side toward the heat

On the grill, start skin-side up away from direct flame, then move skin-side down to crisp near the end. In the oven, roast skin-side up on a rack the whole time. Either way, watch for deep golden color, not char.

A wire rack over a sheet pan keeps the bottom from steaming and staying soft.

Pull at 175°F internal

Dark meat is most tender well past the 165°F food-safe minimum. Pull your thighs at 175–180°F at the thickest part for that fall-off-the-bone texture — about 35 minutes total at 425°F.

Rest 5 minutes, serve

Let the thighs rest for 5 minutes off the heat before serving — just enough time for the juices to settle without losing that crispy skin.

Ball it loosely

Divide your ground beef into loose, lightly-formed balls — about 3–4oz each for smash burgers. Don't pack or compress the meat; a loose ball gives you maximum crispy edge when smashed.

Get the surface ripping hot

Preheat a cast iron skillet or flat-top over high heat until it's smoking hot. This is non-negotiable for a smash burger — a cool surface means a steamed, gray patty instead of a seared, dark crust.

Smash and season immediately

Drop the ball onto the hot surface and smash it flat hard with a spatula. Season the exposed top generously with Moon Rock right away — the heat will pull it straight into the crust as it forms.

Sear hard, flip once

Let the patty sear undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until the edges turn dark brown and lacy. Flip once, add cheese immediately if using, and cook another 1–2 minutes to your target temp.

Don't press or move the patty before the crust sets — that's where the bark comes from.

Pull around 160°F internal

Smash patties cook fast — pull them around 160°F internal for a juicy burger with a deeply caramelized Moon Rock crust on both sides.

Build and serve immediately

Stack onto a toasted bun right away while everything's hot — smash burgers wait for no one. Sauce, pickles, onion, whatever you're into — the Moon Rock crust carries the whole burger.