gavin_hill27•19d agoProlific Poster

Quit obsessing over internal temps for brisket years ago

I used to be religious about pulling at 203 degrees exactly until a buddy who cooks on a Lang 84 in Kansas City told me to go by feel. One day I probed a brisket at 195 that was butter soft and it clicked. Anyone else ditch the thermometer and just go by touch?

3 comments

3 Comments

lewis.troy19d ago

Yeah but @hugoh55 I gotta say the jello thing is kinda misleading lol. Jello sets up firm in the fridge. You want it feeling more like warm butter or like the fat between your thumb and index finger when you relax your hand. Once had a guy tell me his brisket felt like jello and I was like "that's not right bud." But yeah the 197 thing is real. I've pulled at 196 before and had it probe like nothing. The whole 203 thing came from old bbq books copying each other. Meat science says collagen breaks down anywhere from 180 to 205 depending on the cow. It depends on how much connective tissue that specific brisket has. So yeah I was nervous at first but after three or four cooks where I pulled early and got perfect slices I stopped second guessing myself.

hugoh5519d ago

That Lang 84 buddy of yours sounds like he knows his stuff. For the longest time I was a 203-or-bust guy too, had the Thermopen out every single cook. Then I messed up and pulled a packer at 197 because it was jiggly like jello and that was the best brisket I ever made. Now I just poke the flat and the point until they feel like room temp butter, no numbers at all. Still keep the thermapen in the drawer for safety but honestly its just for show now. Did it take you long to get comfortable trusting the feel over the number?

mia74819d ago

Poke the flat until it feels like warm butter and you'll be fine. Started out with a temp probe too but gave up on it after pulling a brisket at 198 that was tough as leather. Next cook I waited until the probe slid in like nothing at like 204 and it was money. The trick is to not overthink it. Just poke around in a few spots and if it feels consistent and soft you're good to go. Took me maybe 4 or 5 cooks to stop looking at the thermometer.