Help for a novice

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mrkkti

Knows what a fatty is.
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I've read in this fourm and from other sources about the time to keep meat in the smoker. Stuff like internal temp to 160 or 180 or where ever. There is the 3-2-1 method, or the "oh, about 1 to 1 1/2 hrs per pund". My question is this:

Pork is suppose to cooked to an internal temp of (off the top off my head) 160*, I've seen post where brisket shopuld go to 170 or 180*. Well, the other day I was doing some small ribs (each rack was only 1 to 2 lbs each.) The internal temp got to 170* in about 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 220* in the smoker, technically done, but I know it needs to stay on longer to break down the tissue. How much longer? Once the internal temp gets to where it needs to be, how long should I keep it on so it gets tender? If it stays too long, it'll dry out.
 
The three 3-2-1 method is 3 hours in the cooker, 2 hours wrapped in foil, then 1 hour back on the smoker not wrapped.

You can spray with apple juice or some other concoction of your liking to keep the ribs moist. Make sure you spray some more right before you wrap your ribs as well. Of course all ribs are not the same hence there is no real cookie cutter way of cutting them. Do what you think it right for your ribs. If 1 1/2 hours they were at 170 then wrap um up immediately, smoke for some one or two more hours, unwrap for making 30 more minutes.

Adjust the method to suit your individual needs.

By the way. Where you do spars or baby backs? That will also make a difference in your cooking times.

One way to ensure you have some tender juicy ribs is to (1) introduce liquid to your ribs as they cook. I spray mine every hour with apple juice (2) twist the bones. If the bone twists, gives way and the meat is pulled away from your ribs then you have a keeper.
 
To "pull" the Pork into shreads for BBQ sandwiches you need to get that baby up to 195 degrees or even 200 which means it will sit at the 165 for a while. How long? That's avariable that depends on fat content and temps.

The point about the 165 is not how long to hold there but when will get get beyond that and rise to 195. It holds there on it's own as fat is breaking down and then once fat is rendered it will then continue to rise up to that 195 you are looking for.

I agree with BigBelly on the ribs as well.

Q' On!
peace
 
The 3-2-1 method is actually 3 hours in smoke, 2 sprayed and wrapped in foil and back in the smoker, 1 still wrapped in foil and in a cooler.

I never do internal temps on ribs. I use the method that they are done when they pull back from the bone ~1/8 to 1/4 of an inch.

The 3-2-1 is good for good size racks of ribs, usually pork spare ribs. BB's usually only need about 4 hours depending on the size. Your small racks will not really work with the 3-2-1 method, becuase that is just too long.

Just play with the numbers. They are just a guide line. On small racks I usually do 2 hours in smoke and 1 sprayed then wrapped and back in the smoker. I have done alot of small racks because it seems like they are always a really good price.
 
Maybe I'm a little dense here....but let's say I'm doing a butt, or any roast of some type, when the internal temp gets to the recommended done temp of 160 degrees, about how much longer should I keep it in the smoker/cooker to ensure it gets tender but not dried out? I'm sure size has something to do with it, but let's just say it is a 6-8 pound roast.

And with poultry, same thing? Does leaving it in longer after it reaches the recommended internal temp the thing to do, or do you pull poultry out when it hits the magic number?
 
recommended done temp of 160 degrees,
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I think you're mistaking "recommended" done temps for minimum safe serving temps. 160 is safe for serving a pork roast but a boston butt done to 160 will still be quite tough I would imagine. Poultry whether chicken parts or turkey breast or what ever won't benefit from exceeding these done temps. You can continue to cook poultry beyond this point to "cook in" or "glaze on" sauce but past 180 (ithink for birds) will just be drying stuff out.
With brisket and butts they need cooked beyond the safe level to break down collagens and render out fats.
The threads in the road map all give target internal temps and when to wrap if that applies. Ribs are much better cooked by visual and hands on methods because of the lack of meat mass.
 
The 3-2-1 method is actually 3 hours in smoke, 2 sprayed and wrapped in foil and back in the smoker, 1 still wrapped in foil and in a cooler.
Click to expand...

Oh Poopers! John is right on. My hands were faster then my brain was. Thanks for the save, John.

In regards that pork shoulder (aka pork butt). Some controvery on what temp I've seen mention of everything from 180 to 205. I also shoot for an internal of 205 (and I check several places before I'm sure -- it's hard to get a good consistent read on pork lots of fat can throw the reading off). If it's a small pork butt, I might cook it only to 190. I go on my instincts more than my polder...

I've also seen everything from 1 hour to up to 2 1/2... yes really.

My recommendation: plan for 1 1/4 hours per pound, but don't do this blindly. I start checking mine about 1/2 way through my estimate and keep and eye on it when I'm mopping it.
I'm not a fan of foil but it does a great job of keeping the moisture in. My complaint is that I want some of the "renowned Mr. Brown" bark with my butt and you can't get that with foil -- it's too "mushy". Now what I have done is finish them off in foil to get them moist and then pop them on the grill for 10-15 to crisp up the outside.

It's also hard to get some mop onto the meat. A good vinegar based mop does wonder for pulled pork.
 
In regards that pork shoulder (aka pork butt). Some controvery on what temp I've seen mention of everything from 180 to 205. I also shoot for an internal of 205
Click to expand...
I shoot at 190. From there, I "squeeze" the butt with my tongs to test the tenderness. If it flexs and changes shape with the "squeeze" and it looks like it is pullable. Then off into the cooler it goes. If not, then I wait for 195, and so on and so on.
 
Not to start up a "snot storm" over techniques but I have been under the impression for near 6 months now that for pork spare ribs...
The three 3-2-1 method is 3 hours in the cooker, 2 hours wrapped in foil, then 1 hour back on the smoker not wrapped.
Click to expand...
and that
The 3-2-1 method is actually 3 hours in smoke, 2 sprayed and wrapped in foil and back in the smoker, 1 still wrapped in foil and in a cooler.
Click to expand...
is Bills more recent variation for fatty's.

What's the straight poop?
 
For Spare Ribs! 3 hours in smoke, 2 hours in foil - well sprayed, 1 hour or however long you can wait back on the heat - this is when you add sauce if you like your ribs "wet"

Baby Back Ribs will need a shorter cook time -- maybe 2-2 or 2-1-1 like John said earlier a key to when the ribs are done is when the meat pulls back from the end of the bones about 1/4 inch or so -- another clue is when you try to pick them up the rack breaks in the middle :D

I've been cooking chicken thighs at approximately 1.5-1-1 and it just falls off the bone. The last 1 is approximate since I'm saucing the chicken at that point and letting the sauce "candy up".
 
I thought the final hour was kinda your choice. Either in the smoker to put some bite back in 'em or in the cooler to keep 'em sloppy.
 
Baby Back Ribs
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The last few batches of BB's I've done with out wrapping, I spray these (something I'm not much a fan of) with AJ and whatever every 15 mins or so after the "pulling back" stage and think they have a firmer (by this I mean better) texture this way. If wrapping BB's I think 1 hr wrapped is plenty of foil time. Its easy to get them over done and this happens faster in the foil than out, and you can't tell its happening.
Not saying this is the way to do them, just what I've been playing with and seems to be working well for me.
 
DFLittle said:
For Spare Ribs! 3 hours in smoke, 2 hours in foil - well sprayed, 1 hour or however long you can wait back on the heat - this is when you add sauce if you like your ribs "wet"
Click to expand...

I was just trying to be more specific with the 2 hours wrapped. After you wrap them they need to go back into heat, whether it is the smoker at ~220 or the oven ~220 for ~2 hours.
 
I shoot at 190. From there, I "squeeze" the butt with my tongs to test the tenderness.
Click to expand...

I plunge the butt with the tongs - more satisfaction that way. On 3-2-1 I've been invariably finding "fall off the bone" ribs, even with St. Louis cut. With St. Louis cuts I think you can safely back off 30-60 minutes in total across any of the stages. If you leave the breast bone on 3-2-1 is probably more like it. Anyway - my experience only.
 
DFLittle said:
For Spare Ribs! 3 hours in smoke, 2 hours in foil - well sprayed, 1 hour or however long you can wait back on the heat - this is when you add sauce if you like your ribs "wet"

Baby Back Ribs will need a shorter cook time -- maybe 2-2 or 2-1-1 like John said earlier a key to when the ribs are done is when the meat pulls back from the end of the bones about 1/4 inch or so -- another clue is when you try to pick them up the rack breaks in the middle :D

I've been cooking chicken thighs at approximately 1.5-1-1 and it just falls off the bone. The last 1 is approximate since I'm saucing the chicken at that point and letting the sauce "candy up".
Click to expand...

DF's got it right on the head, but I wanna through in a caveat.

The first 3 (or the 2 for BB) is the only guessing part. Its really when the meat begins to pull back on the bone a bit (maybe around 1/2"). I've had spares that didnt pull back for a little over 4 hours. Nice fat meaty ones. And I've had bb's that were lean and pulling in a tad under 2 hours.

once wrapped though, the guesstimating is done and I go exactly 2 hours then 1 hour, etc. So once the meat pulls back, start the clock. First number is an approximation.
 
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