08/05/2026
Second cook on my Lone Star Grillz 20x42 Pellet Smoker is officially in the books!
I fired the smoker up around 6:00 AM, and the ribs hit the grate around 6:30 AM. This rack of Angus Choice beef plate ribs definitely tested my patience, but the results were worth every minute.
Seasoning:
* Homemade grass-fed beef tallow binder
* Kosher salt
* 16-mesh coarse black pepper
Fuel:
* Lumberjack Hickory pellets
* 5” hickory wood splits during the smoke phase
Timeline:
* 6:00 AM – Fired up the LSG.
* 6:30 AM – Ribs went on.
* Ran 225°F for about the first six hours, adding 5” hickory wood splits for extra smoke.
* Increased the pit to 275°F for the remainder of the cook.
* Hit a brutal stall in the mid-160s.
* Wrapped in butcher paper once the bark was exactly where I wanted it.
* Bumped the pit to 300°F near the end.
* After almost 18 hours, they were probe tender at 195°F.
* Rested to 159°F, then held overnight in my Breville at 150°F.
The results:
* Thick, crunchy bark
* Deep smoke ring
* Perfect smoke flavor
* Fall-apart tender
* Beautifully rendered fat
I only checked tenderness once, probing through the butcher paper at 195°F, and they were ready. I also verified pit temperature with multiple thermometers throughout the cook, so this was simply one of those stubborn racks.
This was only my second cook on the LSG, and I’m beyond impressed. The smoker held rock-solid temperatures, burned clean, responded exactly as expected to every adjustment, and produced some of the best beef ribs I’ve ever made.
