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Don't serve the barbecue fresh from the smoker or grill

11 years ago

Pitmasters Embrace New Barbecue Truth: Rested Meat Is Sublime

We'll need dcarch and sleevendog to test these ideas for us.

For years, barbecue hounds planned their visits to barbecue joints with the precision of a Special Forces operation.

Barbecue restaurants increasingly now turn to warming units by companies
such as Alto-Shaam and Cambro. The pitmaster can take the meat off the
pit hours before service, keep it in a warmer at 140 degrees Fahrenheit
(the minimum recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and
required by city health codes) without fear of drying out. Indeed, the
meat improves.

"My observation is that this rested barbecue, which could be two to four
hours or more held this way, is the best ever produced," says Jeff Savell, professor of meat science at Texas A&M University, who organizes intensive barbecue camps throughout the year.

The good news is that a backyard chef needn't invest in some high-dollar
gadget to get the same result. All it takes is a cooler, some tinfoil
and a few towels:

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Comments (2)

fawnridge (Ricky)
11 years ago
This is all 100% correct. I take Boston Butts out of the smoker when they hit 195 degrees and briskets at 205 degrees. Both get foil-wrapped and then wrapped in old beach towels. They will then sit in the cooler box for up to 8 hours before I serve them. The brisket MUST sit for at least a couple of hours to pull all that juice back into the meat. The pork butts don't really matter beyond an hour, but it's nice to know you can hold them for quite a while if they finish early.

Ribs should not follow this technique, though. In truth, foiling ribs will make them mushy. Ribs should sit for about 15 minutes after they come out of the smoker before you cut them.

Chicken should also be eaten quickly once removed from the grill. Again, 15 minutes just to let it cool down a bit.
sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
11 years ago
We're pretty average about smoking. B-. Sometimes A+. I took it over from DH about ten yrs ago. I actually enjoy the tending and wood collection. Using apple and plum cuttings from the old trees.

We have also had mixed quality in our meat/butcher suppliers. We were talking last night that we need to fix that. 15yrs ago we had a great country butcher and a goat farm nearby with incredible cheese and an egg and chicken supplier. It is a struggle getting good results with inconsistent quality. Most of those are gone without family carrying on the farming. But others are showing up.

I do brine, then braise, uncover, then cover and rest to the far less hot side of the smoker to rest. We often do a mixed grill/smoke with pork tips, ribs, and chickens. Then veg, corn, smoked tomatoes and tomatillos. It is a juggling act but fun.

I agree that chicken does not need a long rest. And ribs will turn to mush. Fall off the bone is one thing but i do like some texture. Always room for improvement so i'll keep that method in mind.

Our 4th of July party is an outdoor table, 4x16' at counter height. Takes the pressure off the 'feed'. Thing come off the grill in spurts with lots of sides, salads, desserts. Timing things for a sit-down is not necessary.
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Here are videos showing the factory assembling components into Thermapens. I don't know if they have the facilities to manufacture any components. I assume all the other products they sell are all imported. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvP0GXD3fcI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gspPLB4B1KY And this is from their WEB site: "ThermoWorks ----------- While a few of our products are manufactured here, many are made for us by partner factories in Europe, Asia and the USA. Most of our in-house staff is engaged in marketing, technical support, product definition, design, and operations. -----------" Thermapen is a very good product. I have one. I also have one I bought on ebay 15 years ago for $2.00. It is still working fine. Slower, but same accuracy as Thermapen. Amazingly, the same one is still selling on ebay, but inflation! $2.78 now!!!! dcarch
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