The Pitmaster's Combo Recipe

Prep and season ribs

Remove membrane from the back of the ribs if still attached. Pat ribs dry. Lightly coat both sides with yellow mustard to help the rub adhere. In a bowl, combine brown sugar, paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and chili powder. Rub the mixture generously over both sides of each rack of ribs. Let rest 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate up to overnight.

Low-and-slow smoke

Preheat smoker to 225°F (107°C) using soaked wood chips (hickory or apple). Place ribs bone-side down on the smoker grates. Smoke for about 3 hours, spritzing every 30–45 minutes with apple juice to maintain moisture and help form bark.

Wrap (optional) and finish

After ~3 hours when ribs have good color and bark, wrap each rack tightly in foil with a couple tablespoons of apple juice inside and return to smoker for 1–1.5 hours until tender (probe with a toothpick or bend test—meat should crack slightly).

Glaze and rest

Unwrap and place back on smoker for 20–30 minutes at 250°F (121°C). During the last 10 minutes, brush with barbecue sauce to glaze. Remove ribs and rest 10–15 minutes before slicing between bones into 4 individual ribs.

Season brisket

Combine kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika. Rub the spice mix evenly over the entire brisket and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate overnight).

Sear and braise

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). In a large Dutch oven or ovenproof pan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Sear the brisket fat-side down 4–6 minutes until browned, then flip and brown the other side 4 minutes. Remove brisket briefly. Add sliced onion to the pot and cook 2–3 minutes until translucent. Deglaze with Worcestershire sauce, scraping browned bits. Add beef broth and brown sugar, return brisket to the pan (fat side up), cover tightly.

Slow-cook until tender

Transfer to the oven and braise 3–4 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 195–205°F (90–96°C) and meat is fork-tender. Baste once or twice with pan juices during cooking if desired.

Rest and slice

Remove brisket and let rest 30 minutes covered loosely with foil. Slice thinly against the grain for serving. Reserve pan juices to spoon over slices.

Brine

Place wings in a bowl with buttermilk and optional teaspoon of hot sauce. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to 2 hours — this tenderizes and flavors the meat.

Prepare double-dust coating

In a shallow dish combine flour, cornstarch, paprika, salt and black pepper. Drain excess buttermilk from wings, then toss wings in the dry mix to coat thoroughly. For double-dust: dip each coated wing quickly back into a tablespoon of buttermilk (or lightly wet hands) and toss again in the flour mix to build a thicker crust.

Fry wings

Heat vegetable oil in a heavy skillet or fryer to 350°F (175°C). Fry wings in batches 8–10 minutes until golden brown and internal temp 165°F (74°C). Remove to a rack lined with paper towels to drain and rest 3–4 minutes.

Make mild sauce and toss

In a small saucepan, melt unsalted butter over low heat, add mild hot sauce and honey, whisk to combine and warm through (do not boil). Toss fried wings in the sauce until evenly coated.

Prep and cook

If frying: cut russet potatoes into evenly sized fries and soak 20–30 minutes in cold water; drain and dry thoroughly. Heat oil to 325°F (163°C) for a first blanch 3–4 minutes until soft but not colored; remove and drain. Increase oil to 375°F (190°C) and fry a second time 2–3 minutes until golden and crisp. If oven-baking: toss potato sticks with 1 tbsp oil, spread single layer on sheet and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 25–30 minutes, flipping once, until crisp.

Season

While hot, toss fries with kosher salt, paprika and garlic powder. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

Mix batter

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). In a bowl combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl whisk milk, egg and melted butter. Pour wet into dry and stir until just combined; do not overmix.

Bake

Pour batter into an 8-inch square or 9-inch round greased pan. Bake 18–22 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes, then slice into squares or wedges.

On a platter, place a portion of seasoned fries and a wedge of warm cornbread. Arrange 4 smoked pork back ribs and several slices of brisket (about 6 oz sliced per serving) alongside. Add 4 double-dusted wings tossed in mild sauce. Spoon reserved brisket pan juices and extra barbecue sauce on the side for dipping. Sprinkle fresh parsley over fries and cornbread for color. Serve immediately.