Big Poppa
Administrator
I wanted to take this time to talk about holding meat off the grill/smoker when it's ready before you want it to be ready.
Many times I hear from cooks who say things like "I nailed it and worried it would get cold so I took it off the cooker...immediately wrapped it tight and placed my sons sleeping bag on it and then an army blanket.." (ok Im embellishing) " My mother in law was struggling with her jello with the string beans and candied yam turkey molds...(made that one up too..) and 40 minutes later I sliced into the prime rib and it was 150 and I ruined the meat" "I did everything right...right?" Wrong.
The important thing to remember is that your cook is done and judged by your guest not by how it comes off the smoker but when it's plated and the forks in the meat. All too often cooks think they are done when it comes off the smoker
Big cuts...first off if you really want it right use lower heat to start....Prime rib is perfect at 250. To quote my good buddy Meathead..."The cooker doesnt cook the meat, the meat cooks itself from the outside in" So start with a more even cooking temp and in the end you will have a less critical resting/continuance of cook issue. A prime rib cooked at 250 will continue to cook at a slower pace than one at 325. That's the first...but the next is the biggest blunder....foiling....
There are several ways to hold meat....
tight wrap....I never do this unless I have factored the continuance of cooking....if my desired internal temp is 135 and I'm taking the meat to someones house I will FTC (foil towel cooler) it at around 123.
Tent.....a misunderstood concept. A tent should never touch the meat. I get "I tightly tented it" Tenting is a great way of insulating the meat from the ambient temp of where the meat is resting. Simple.
If you are cooking with an external maverick style food probe....leave it in the roast...set in a warm area of the kitchen uncovered....when you notice the temp start to drop....tent. If it starts to cool more than you want lets say down to 115...(remember 115 doesnt seem hot but if you put your hands under running water that was 115 you would burn yourself.)then set a clean dishtowel on the tent.....you are now officially holding the temp not continuing the cook.
With steaks and chops rest in a warm area...if you have to rest outside with cool air loosely tent with the edges of the tent resting under the plate or serving dish...
Most mistakes involved not factoring in the residual continuance of the cook.
Pulled beef/pork..or veggies...This is where people usually pull and leave sitting on a counter waiting for uncle charlie to finish his golf story and aunt gladys to finish showing uyou pics of your step second cousins that you have never met....meanwhile the food is drying out like popcorn.....You want to pretty securely foil the serving ldish but not totally....let some air in...when serving keep the foil on and roll it back to access more meat. In the case of pulled pork if it dries out put some hot water and re toss...not much enough to rehydrate....add a dash orf rub and toss and re cover....
Many times I hear from cooks who say things like "I nailed it and worried it would get cold so I took it off the cooker...immediately wrapped it tight and placed my sons sleeping bag on it and then an army blanket.." (ok Im embellishing) " My mother in law was struggling with her jello with the string beans and candied yam turkey molds...(made that one up too..) and 40 minutes later I sliced into the prime rib and it was 150 and I ruined the meat" "I did everything right...right?" Wrong.
The important thing to remember is that your cook is done and judged by your guest not by how it comes off the smoker but when it's plated and the forks in the meat. All too often cooks think they are done when it comes off the smoker
Big cuts...first off if you really want it right use lower heat to start....Prime rib is perfect at 250. To quote my good buddy Meathead..."The cooker doesnt cook the meat, the meat cooks itself from the outside in" So start with a more even cooking temp and in the end you will have a less critical resting/continuance of cook issue. A prime rib cooked at 250 will continue to cook at a slower pace than one at 325. That's the first...but the next is the biggest blunder....foiling....
There are several ways to hold meat....
tight wrap....I never do this unless I have factored the continuance of cooking....if my desired internal temp is 135 and I'm taking the meat to someones house I will FTC (foil towel cooler) it at around 123.
Tent.....a misunderstood concept. A tent should never touch the meat. I get "I tightly tented it" Tenting is a great way of insulating the meat from the ambient temp of where the meat is resting. Simple.
If you are cooking with an external maverick style food probe....leave it in the roast...set in a warm area of the kitchen uncovered....when you notice the temp start to drop....tent. If it starts to cool more than you want lets say down to 115...(remember 115 doesnt seem hot but if you put your hands under running water that was 115 you would burn yourself.)then set a clean dishtowel on the tent.....you are now officially holding the temp not continuing the cook.
With steaks and chops rest in a warm area...if you have to rest outside with cool air loosely tent with the edges of the tent resting under the plate or serving dish...
Most mistakes involved not factoring in the residual continuance of the cook.
Pulled beef/pork..or veggies...This is where people usually pull and leave sitting on a counter waiting for uncle charlie to finish his golf story and aunt gladys to finish showing uyou pics of your step second cousins that you have never met....meanwhile the food is drying out like popcorn.....You want to pretty securely foil the serving ldish but not totally....let some air in...when serving keep the foil on and roll it back to access more meat. In the case of pulled pork if it dries out put some hot water and re toss...not much enough to rehydrate....add a dash orf rub and toss and re cover....
