Low and slow...the myth.

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Round and round we go.
So if I am infusing smoke at a higher heat its not smoking? What if I'm infusing smoke at 50° is that smoking.
As mentioned before some things are subjective but applying smoke at any temperature is smoking... I think most will agree to that. Smoking is in my opinion infusing smoke into a product and is not dictated by temperature.
I get a hint of smoke on my fast and hot ribs. Furthermore I want to eat and taste meat not smoke...ahint of smoke is more than enough... its there as a flavoring like an ingredient. Too much smoke flavoring takes away from the meat.Yep it's just a seasoning.  Well said SQUIB
And to be quite honest you only need an hour of smoke for ribs and a few hours of smoke for butts and picnics to get a wonderful hint of smoke. I think there's too much emphasis on the smoking end of the cook and most think more is better. In my book less is more
But that's just me
It almost surprises me that most BBQ'ers don't know that it's the combustion gasses that give most of the flavor....even straight propane does believe it or not but wood being the most complex.

I remember when i didn't see smoke I thought that I wasn't smoking.  Little did i know that the "invisible" stuff is actually the best.   
 
Round and round we go.
So if I am infusing smoke at a higher heat its not smoking? What if I'm infusing smoke at 50° is that smoking.
As mentioned before some things are subjective but applying smoke at any temperature is smoking... I think most will agree to that. Smoking is in my opinion infusing smoke into a product and is not dictated by temperature.
I get a hint of smoke on my fast and hot ribs. Furthermore I want to eat and taste meat not smoke...ahint of smoke is more than enough... its there as a flavoring like an ingredient. Too much smoke flavoring takes away from the meat.
And to be quite honest you only need an hour of smoke for ribs and a few hours of smoke for butts and picnics to get a wonderful hint of smoke. I think there's too much emphasis on the smoking end of the cook and most think more is better. In my book less is more
But that's just me
I have been staying out of this, but this post deserves   
points.gif
 
It is a matter of preference, we all can agree to that. And furthermore, let's also agree that liquid smoke is not smoking. LOL!

I always go with extreme low and slow. Ribs, at 150F 48 hours.

Notice there is no shrinkage of meat.

Pulled pork at 145F 60 hours. Also no meat shrinkage, and you can see the texture of the meat is very pink and different. Very tender, but not mushy. 

I always go with extreme thin smoke from my cold smoke generator.

dcarch



Pulled pork

 
 
It is a matter of preference, we all can agree to that. And furthermore, let's also agree that liquid smoke is not smoking. LOL!

I always go with extreme low and slow. Ribs, at 150F 48 hours.

Notice there is no shrinkage of meat.

Pulled pork at 145F 60 hours. Also no meat shrinkage, and you can see the texture of the meat is very pink and different. Very tender, but not mushy. 

I always go with extreme thin smoke from my cold smoke generator.

dcarch



Pulled pork

We're on exactly the same page dcarch!   I don't think liquid smoke is smoke, For most smokers i do ribs 4-8 hours and my PP has been close to the 6.0 hour range.  See we're not so different. 
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How do you do a pork but 60 hours at 145 without getting sick? It's gotta take that butt a really long time to get above the danger zone.
 
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How do you do a pork but 60 hours at 145 without getting sick? It's gotta take that butt a really long time to get above the danger zone.
I was hoping someone was going to bring that up, food safety is serious business.   There is a rule of getting non cured meat to 140* in four hours.   Sous Vide is one thing but it doesn't sound like that's what it was.  
 
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I was hoping someone was going to bring that up, food safety is serious business.   There is a rule of getting non cured meat to 140* in four hours.   Sous Vide is one thing but it doesn't sound like that's what it was.  
I was thinking the same thing.    
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Hello.  First off may I say those are some GREAT picts of smoked meat!  Oh well guess I'll stick my foot in here.  Probably shouldn't .

I should keep my mouth shut but I have always been a dumba**.  Here we go!  
lurk.gif
  My opinion, though no one asked:  I have done a brisket or two in my 40+ years of smoking.  I have always done brisket in the 300-350 range.  I don't wrap.  I like to cook and eat my brisket on the same day.  Haven't had a dry one in 30 years.  I won't argue the cooking, grilling, smoking thing;  it is cooking meat adding smoke.  As an old man who learned Tx. style brisket as a kid from the old Tx. men who didn't have digital therms: Dogs bark.  Bark belongs on Carolina style pulled pork.  MAYBE bark belongs on PORK ribs.  Bark doesn't belong on Tx. style brisket.  Burnt ends; while tasting good, were developed so that the burned parts of the brisket could be sold and not thrown out.  I of course am speaking of traditionally smoked brisket.  For that matter I think the "smoke ring" is over rated.  I have found with brisket that you can cook 1 this week and 1 next week in EXACTLY the same manner and have 2 different results with the smoke ring.  I never even look at the smoke ring.  I have eaten brisket in a restaurant with a beautiful smoke ring; dry as he**.  Not to say all brisket with a nice smoke ring is dry.


Some meat DOES require low and slow.  All game comes to mind.  If you try that hotter you will be disappointed.  Well there you go.  Fire away folks.  I can take it.  
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Danny 
 
How do you do a pork but 60 hours at 145 without getting sick? It's gotta take that butt a really long time to get above the danger zone.


This does not pertain to sous vide cooking.......

Whole muscle meat products.... are considered "sterile" on the inside.... Salt the outside, or subject to a high temp. to kill surface bacteria... then low and slow cooking is allowed.... PROVIDED the meat has not been poked, prodded, injected or a thermometer has not been inserted, until the outer 1/2" or so has come up to 140 ish degrees... 15 minutes at 450-500 deg will do, or a couple hours at 225 should do... and the thermometer has been sterilized....

That is a generalized, condensed statement .....
 
^^^^^^   Not sure if L&S means 2-3 days in the cooker not far above ambient temps.  I sure as heck wouldn't even "sterilize" the outside and let my meat sit out for that long. lol       
 
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Very good questions.

According to Douglas Balwin, at 145F, 3 1/2 hour will be enough to pasteurize a thick piece of meat (pork).

In my case, to begin with, I do a lot of sous vide also. I have gotten into very good sanitary practices. For instance, all meat goes into boiling water for a few seconds before any cooking. My smoker is a convection smoker, which will significantly shorten the 3 1/2 hour recommendation.

dcarch
 
 
Hello.  First off may I say those are some GREAT picts of smoked meat!  Oh well guess I'll stick my foot in here.  Probably shouldn't .

I should keep my mouth shut but I have always been a dumba**.  Here we go!  
lurk.gif
  My opinion, though no one asked:  I have done a brisket or two in my 40+ years of smoking.  I have always done brisket in the 300-350 range.  I don't wrap.  I like to cook and eat my brisket on the same day.  Haven't had a dry one in 30 years.  I won't argue the cooking, grilling, smoking thing;  it is cooking meat adding smoke.  As an old man who learned Tx. style brisket as a kid from the old Tx. men who didn't have digital therms: Dogs bark.  Bark belongs on Carolina style pulled pork.  MAYBE bark belongs on PORK ribs.  Bark doesn't belong on Tx. style brisket.  Burnt ends; while tasting good, were developed so that the burned parts of the brisket could be sold and not thrown out.  I of course am speaking of traditionally smoked brisket.  For that matter I think the "smoke ring" is over rated.  I have found with brisket that you can cook 1 this week and 1 next week in EXACTLY the same manner and have 2 different results with the smoke ring.  I never even look at the smoke ring.  I have eaten brisket in a restaurant with a beautiful smoke ring; dry as he**.  Not to say all brisket with a nice smoke ring is dry.


Some meat DOES require low and slow.  All game comes to mind.  If you try that hotter you will be disappointed.  Well there you go.  Fire away folks.  I can take it.  
icon_biggrin.gif


Danny 
Forty years of smoking earns you the right to post your opinion anywhere on this forum.
 
My buddy , Danny is from my part of the World , and I think close to my home... We have spoken on here many times and are in agreement on how to do a Brisket . My rub is S/CBP , the original rub , do your use a mix , or maybe buy at the stor?Matters not how you cook , there's zillions of ways to Smoke and each to his own , I've seen yours and Danny's and they are both good.

I have a challenge for you...cook a Brisket to doneness for you and try to remove the Point with just your hand
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 , yes I can and do often with no loss of moisture ;

here's one , it has Bark and the fat is colored good(rendered).

When I lifted it off the grate , the Point 'fell off'

Now can you see Bark , and the juice is there. Even re-heated ( a Brisket is a big meal for 1 day) ,when some of your liqueor is left , it stays moist.

Just sayin', have fun and . . .
 
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