My pulled pork has turned out better when I've run at 275 compared to 225. I feel like I worry less when I let it naturally settle in (vs being anal on holding 225) and I think the finished product is better and more moist.
This is more geared towards pork shoulder (pulled or sliced) than ribs, brisket, etc. Chicken I'd always a little higher for non-rubbery skin.
What temps have turned out the best result for you with each kind if meat?
My best chicken is rotisserie around 400 degrees; baskets on the side for 45 mins, then slid underneath for the last 10-15 until to temp to crust up the skin.
Pork butt, ribs and briskets I'm good between 225-245; it's where my WSM settles nicely with the three bottom vents at 0-5-5%, and top wide open.
I never cook the later three in a hurry, so time isn't an issue.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Quote from: austin87 on March 03, 2016, 10:39:21 PM
My pulled pork has turned out better when I've run at 275 compared to 225. I feel like I worry less when I let it naturally settle in (vs being anal on holding 225) and I think the finished product is better and more moist.
This is more geared towards pork shoulder (pulled or sliced) than ribs, brisket, etc. Chicken I'd always a little higher for non-rubbery skin.
What temps have turned out the best result for you with each kind if meat?
I did a butt/shoulder last Saturday. I used my Gen II Performer. Temps varied from between 250-325 degrees at various times while cooking. The temps were probably in the upper 200's to low 300's most of the time. It took about 7 -8 hours. With pulled pork I rarely worry about the 225-250 thing. All that does (IMO) is make it take more time. Took the internal temp to 185, then foiled it with some Eastern NC sauce added until internal temp was 205 foiled. Let it rest for an hour or so after that. The pig pulled very easily and was nice and moist. I took some to our hockey tailgate where it was pronounced "restaurant quality."
I've never had any luck with brisket no matter what temps. Poultry should probably not be cooked (IMO) in the 225-250 range. I think it does better at higher temps. I rotisserie
most of our chicken and don't even worry that much about the kettle temp. I just measure the bird and take it off at 160 or so and let it rest for a bit. My wife brines most of our chicken so its alway nice and moist and tender.
If you guys have found the higher temps to be fine. Where do you think all the hype about keeping it under 250 came from? Just curious.
Quote from: BBQFiend on March 04, 2016, 12:11:35 PM
If you guys have found the higher temps to be fine. Where do you think all the hype about keeping it under 250 came from? Just curious.
I am guessing it is from people who are smoking different types of meat at the same time. While higher heat is fine for some things like shoulders and butts, I'm thinking it wouldn't be so great for things like brisket.
Quote from: BBQFiend on March 04, 2016, 12:11:35 PM
If you guys have found the higher temps to be fine. Where do you think all the hype about keeping it under 250 came from? Just curious.
Years ago the slaves were given undesirable tough cuts of meat. Poor people could only afford these cuts as nobody wanted them. They figured out that a low and slow temperature made these tough cuts of meat some of the most tender and tasty meats on the animal. Think of chicken wings, they used to throw them into the trash untill somebody in a bar in New York threw them in a deep fryer, added some hot sauce and Buffalo Wings were born and the price went from trash to sometimes to much compared what you can buy a whole chicken for.
I think a lot has changed because of the steroids and antibiotics they pump in these animals,and the food they are feeding them to get them to grow faster and gain weight.
In the 80's my grandpa raised a pig, butchered it and salt cured the hams and shoulders in his tool shed. He would go to the shed daily I think, pour more salt on them and just leave them alone for many days untill they were done. I was young then so I can't remember all the details. It was some of the best pork I have ever ate. Fried up for breakfast or supper, I ate a bunch of it and it was very good.
Years later I asked him why he never did it again, and he said you can't. He didn't know why but he thought it was the food the pig ate. I still don't understand what he meant, but that was the only time he did it when I was around.
Im guessing he was onto the GMO foods way before it is common knowledge now.
Back to the meat prices,,have you noticed a cow tounge is $30? Nothing is cheap any more
It infuriates me to see wings, flank steak, etc at the $4.00, $5.00 and higher per pound pricing. A whole chicken is $.75/lb on sale, leg quarters $.75/lb on sale, thighs $.75lb on sale...and wings on sale? $3.99!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Quote from: MikeRocksTheRed on March 04, 2016, 12:23:24 PM
Quote from: BBQFiend on March 04, 2016, 12:11:35 PM
If you guys have found the higher temps to be fine. Where do you think all the hype about keeping it under 250 came from? Just curious.
I am guessing it is from people who are smoking different types of meat at the same time. While higher heat is fine for some things like shoulders and butts, I'm thinking it wouldn't be so great for things like brisket.
There's actually successful ways to do a high temp brisket...I personally enjoy it taking its time and enjoying the ride.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Pork butts have a higher contents of fat and the cuts are not as lean as a beef brisket or a pork tenderloin per say. The rendering of fats keep your meat moist during a cook.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I used to be 250ish for pork butts, because that's where my WSM liked to settle in at.
I've done some experimenting with 225 and found I like the bark better and I tend to get better fat rendering too. It takes a lot longer, but I like the texture more. My wife has even asked that we do it "that way" from now on.
Hummmmm, Low & Slow. Smoke more cigars, drink more malt. SJ
Quote from: SmokenJoe on March 07, 2016, 10:15:43 PM
Hummmmm, Low & Slow. Smoke more cigars, drink more malt. SJ
My sentiments, exactly...at least on the drinking part.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
275* is the new Low n Slow
235-265 is my preferred range for pork butts, but l'll cook faster if I'm gonna wrap. I cook briskets a little faster, around 275, and the only reason I don't cook em north of 300 is I don't want to scald the butcher paper. For ribs I cook around 250, but that's because it's the temp my smoker likes. Faster is fine, though, especially if foiling. It also depends on the cooker as much or more than the cut. For instance, it's not efficient to try to cook in a wsm at 275 with water in the pan. Boiling the water washes the smoke and leaves a funny smoke flavor if you ask me.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
As an experiment, I did a rack of spareribs last weekend. I usually try to keep temps at 225. This weekend I thought I'd try hotter and see what happened. I prepped the Kettle with a 3x2 snake. Brought it up to 280.(I got impatient waiting for 300). Put the ribs on. Heat stayed about 290 the whole time. I did a bend test at the 3 hr mark. They were overdone. I made notes and will try again hot but will check at 2hrs.
The taste was phenomenal, the bark was damn near perfect, but the meat itself was mushy. like a pulled pork. I like a little more chew too my ribs. The edges were burnt. Not in a good way. Like jerky almost.
So, in short, I will do ribs hotter again but will check much sooner.
Quote from: kettlecook on March 08, 2016, 04:59:56 AM
235-265 is my preferred range for pork butts, but l'll cook faster if I'm gonna wrap. I cook briskets a little faster, around 275, and the only reason I don't cook em north of 300 is I don't want to scald the butcher paper. For ribs I cook around 250, but that's because it's the temp my smoker likes. Faster is fine, though, especially if foiling. It also depends on the cooker as much or more than the cut. For instance, it's not efficient to try to cook in a wsm at 275 with water in the pan. Boiling the water washes the smoke and leaves a funny smoke flavor if you ask me.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Ah ha! Maybe water pans are the reason for slow and low being under 250 traditionally....so oyu don't boil your water and steam your meat!
Quote from: jfbincypress on March 05, 2016, 07:55:52 AM
It infuriates me to see wings, flank steak, etc at the $4.00, $5.00 and higher per pound pricing. A whole chicken is $.75/lb on sale, leg quarters $.75/lb on sale, thighs $.75lb on sale...and wings on sale? $3.99!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I'm with you! and out here in AZ pork ribs are always $8.99/lb. I bought ribs on a barrier island in NC last year not on sale for $2.99/lb. When they do go on sale here its never a good per pound price, its buy 1 get 2 or buy 1 get 3 free. That ends up being a good price, but I don't have enough freezer space to be loading up on ribs like that. Beef, esepcially ground beef prices have been sky high for a while now. I love burgers, but rarely make them these days due to beef prices. I will say that chicken seems to always be on sale for an okay price out here with someone always having them for between $1.69-$1.99 per pound. I do wings enough that Safeway usually has digital "just4u" coupons I can attach to my card if I go online and look for them. Every once in a while its a flat per pound coupon but most of the time its a 30-60 cents off per pound coupon. They also always have digital coupons for jalapenos and cream cheese that are a great deal. I guess they know I like wings and ABT's!
Quote from: MikeRocksTheRed on March 08, 2016, 06:34:21 AM
Quote from: kettlecook on March 08, 2016, 04:59:56 AM
235-265 is my preferred range for pork butts, but l'll cook faster if I'm gonna wrap. I cook briskets a little faster, around 275, and the only reason I don't cook em north of 300 is I don't want to scald the butcher paper. For ribs I cook around 250, but that's because it's the temp my smoker likes. Faster is fine, though, especially if foiling. It also depends on the cooker as much or more than the cut. For instance, it's not efficient to try to cook in a wsm at 275 with water in the pan. Boiling the water washes the smoke and leaves a funny smoke flavor if you ask me.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Ah ha! Maybe water pans are the reason for slow and low being under 250 traditionally....so oyu don't boil your water and steam your meat!
Probably so. One thing you can do with a water smoker to improve the bark is let the pan go almost dry toward the end and let the temps rise. Or just take the pan out all together. I've done that for pork butts at the very end if only using the top rack.
Another reason for traditional low and slow though, is that it's more forgiving on big cooks. For instance, while it's perfectly fine to smoke a couple slabs of ribs on a kettle over 275, it's a lot easier to over or undercook when you cook a bunch of slabs that fast on a smoker, no matter how even cooking the pit is. In other words, the time window of forgiveness gets shorter the faster you cook. On the other hand, if you warm the meat to death you'll have some jerky bark, just like if you cook too fast without wrapping. So if you think about how different kinds of smokers cook, the different kinds of cooks, big events or a meal for two, and the different methods of wrapping with foil or butcher paper, it's no secret why there's so many different opinions and why something might work for some but not everyone.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
@MikeRocksTheRed buy a piece of chuck any decent butcher shop, or even Safeway. It will be one of the cheapest cuts on a $/lb basis. Ask them to grind it for you.
Take it home and use your vacuum sealer to portion it off, but make sure to flatten the package out (you can do this after you vacuum it) and push the meat into all 4 corners. You will have a flat, square portion of ground beef that can be easily stacked for optimal storage.
Quote from: austin87 on March 08, 2016, 10:02:37 AM
@MikeRocksTheRed buy a piece of chuck any decent butcher shop, or even Safeway. It will be one of the cheapest cuts on a $/lb basis. Ask them to grind it for you.
Take it home and use your vacuum sealer to portion it off, but make sure to flatten the package out (you can do this after you vacuum it) and push the meat into all 4 corners. You will have a flat, square portion of ground beef that can be easily stacked for optimal storage.
Good call, I'll give this a try. Thanks!
Quote from: MikeRocksTheRed on March 08, 2016, 06:40:16 AM
Quote from: jfbincypress on March 05, 2016, 07:55:52 AM
It infuriates me to see wings, flank steak, etc at the $4.00, $5.00 and higher per pound pricing. A whole chicken is $.75/lb on sale, leg quarters $.75/lb on sale, thighs $.75lb on sale...and wings on sale? $3.99!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I'm with you! and out here in AZ pork ribs are always $8.99/lb. I bought ribs on a barrier island in NC last year not on sale for $2.99/lb. When they do go on sale here its never a good per pound price, its buy 1 get 2 or buy 1 get 3 free. That ends up being a good price, but I don't have enough freezer space to be loading up on ribs like that. Beef, esepcially ground beef prices have been sky high for a while now. I love burgers, but rarely make them these days due to beef prices. I will say that chicken seems to always be on sale for an okay price out here with someone always having them for between $1.69-$1.99 per pound. I do wings enough that Safeway usually has digital "just4u" coupons I can attach to my card if I go online and look for them. Every once in a while its a flat per pound coupon but most of the time its a 30-60 cents off per pound coupon. They also always have digital coupons for jalapenos and cream cheese that are a great deal. I guess they know I like wings and ABT's!
$8.99/lb for pork ribs? Ouch!!!
We're lucky in Texas, I get pork ribs (St. Louis, Country, and baby backs) for $1.49-1.99/lb all the time.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Quote from: MikeRocksTheRed on March 04, 2016, 12:23:24 PM
Quote from: BBQFiend on March 04, 2016, 12:11:35 PM
If you guys have found the higher temps to be fine. Where do you think all the hype about keeping it under 250 came from? Just curious.
I am guessing it is from people who are smoking different types of meat at the same time. While higher heat is fine for some things like shoulders and butts, I'm thinking it wouldn't be so great for things like brisket.
I usually do some sort of smoking practically every weekend and whether it's ribs, butts or brisket I'm always cooking in the 275-300 range without issue.
I happened to go to a BBQ and Grilling class this past weekend to see if I could pick up any new tricks and kinda cringed when the instructor said they smoke everything at 180, because "anything over 200 is cooking, not smoking". Mmm k... ::)
Quote from: AZRaptor on March 08, 2016, 08:07:32 PM
Quote from: MikeRocksTheRed on March 04, 2016, 12:23:24 PM
Quote from: BBQFiend on March 04, 2016, 12:11:35 PM
If you guys have found the higher temps to be fine. Where do you think all the hype about keeping it under 250 came from? Just curious.
I am guessing it is from people who are smoking different types of meat at the same time. While higher heat is fine for some things like shoulders and butts, I'm thinking it wouldn't be so great for things like brisket.
I usually do some sort of smoking practically every weekend and whether it's ribs, butts or brisket I'm always cooking in the 275-300 range without issue.
I happened to go to a BBQ and Grilling class this past weekend to see if I could pick up any new tricks and kinda cringed when the instructor said they smoke everything at 180, because "anything over 200 is cooking, not smoking". Mmm k... ::)
I'm with you. That's too hot to cold smoke and you will cook food at that themp, so I call BS on him!
I generally run my ribs, butt, brisket or whatever around 250ish. I just set the dampers where i like them and let it settle in where it wants to. A little fine tuning here or there but it runs about within 10-15 degrees of itself. I wrap everything up. Crutch or not, it works and I'm no purest. When your talking about chickens I run it 400ish and that works great for me. Reading jfbincypress comment in gonna try that moving the basket under direct for a few and see what happens. I bet that fat dripping down on those coals would be nice and really crisp the skin. Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend. Happy grilling!