One of the worst things that can happen to someone trying to learn to smoke meats is for everything to turn out dry and tough.
Meat can be expensive. When youre not getting the results you long for, its a hobby someone may be quick to give up on.
According to Marshall Barnhart, owner of Dudleys Done Right BBQ, there are a few steps one can take to prevent meat, no matter the cut, from drying out.
Barnhart says one of the biggest factors is heat control. Barnhart says low and slow is the way to go.
If you have it too hot at the very beginning, then you are opening up the meat, very, very fast. So when it closes back up it doesnt have time to break down those enzymes in the meat so it will get tough, he said. My belief is to open it up slowly and then sear it in the end. Its called a reverse sear. You roast and barbecue for a while then you get a hot skillet and sear it at the end.
When talking to people about barbecue, brisket is a favorite. Yet it also seems to be one of the toughest cuts to get right.
Barnhart says the key is to leave it alone.
Just leave it alone. Dont flip it over, dont put probes in it. Some cook fast, some cook slow. But keep it between 220 and 240 degrees for 8 to 10 hours and you will be all right, Barnhart said. The internal temperature youre looking for is about 190 degrees.
Barnhart said if you dont cut brisket correctly, it is going to be tough.
He said to flip the meat over and look which way the grain runs. Whichever way the grain runs, cut the opposite way.
You cut it that way so it will fall apart more easily, he said. If you cut it with the grain, you are going to end up with one long piece of stringy meat.
Another tip Barnhart gave was on cooking beef. Try not to use sugar-based rubs. The sugar will create a bark which will not allow the beef to cook all the way through.
Everyone wants a good bark on the meat to add to the flavor. However, Barnhart says you can get the same bark to form if you let it cook slowly.
We dont use any sugar-based rubs but we still get a good bark right around the six-hour mark with internal temperature around 170-180, he said.
Barnhart said barbecue isnt easy. He will have the occasional person come in and tell him they can outcook him.
