Met a guy at a cook-off in Austin who changed how I handle ribs

He saw me opening my smoker to check the ribs every 20 minutes. He walked over and just said, 'If you're lookin', you ain't cookin'.' He explained that each peek dropped the temp and added 15 minutes to my cook time. I started leaving the lid shut and my ribs got way better. Anyone else have a simple piece of advice that really worked?

3 comments

3 Comments

kelly_west7410d ago

That "if you're lookin', you ain't cookin'" rule totally applies to baking too, trust me.

sam_murphy3910d ago

Totally agree about trusting the process! That "if you're lookin', you ain't cookin'" line is so true. I used to be the worst about peeking at everything on the grill or in the oven. Getting a good thermometer you can check from your phone was a total game changer for me. It stops you from needing to open the lid just to see how things are going. Now my food actually cooks right the first time because the temperature stays steady. It sounds simple but it makes all the difference.

lindaowens10d ago

Yeah that's the best advice for any low and slow cooking. I learned the hard way with a brisket that turned out dry because I kept checking it. Like kelly_west74 said, it works for baking too, you just gotta trust the process. Get a good probe thermometer you can leave in the meat and watch the temp from your phone. Once you stop opening the lid, your cook times get way more steady and the food just turns out better every single time.