Heard a guy at the hardware store say his brisket was done when it 'felt like butter'

I was picking up some charcoal last weekend and overheard two guys talking by the grills. One said he never uses a timer anymore, he just waits for the brisket to probe 'like warm butter'. That stuck with me because I've always been a slave to the clock, checking temps every hour. So yesterday, I did a pork shoulder and just went by feel after about 8 hours, poking it every so often. It came out way better than my usual method, more tender and juicy. How do you guys decide when something is truly done, besides just the number on the thermometer?

4 comments

4 Comments

ninar6821d ago

My last brisket hit 203 degrees but still felt tight when I poked it. I let it ride another hour until the probe slid in with no resistance at all. That extra time made all the difference for the texture.

susan_allen21d ago

Oh totally... that temp is just a guide, right? My last one was the same. It read 205 but still had that rubbery feel. I gave it another forty-five minutes wrapped in the cooler, and it just melted after that. The probe test is the only real way to know for sure.

zaranelson21d ago

That "probe slid in with no resistance" part is the dream. I'm still chasing that. My last one felt like poking a boot at 205. I was so sure it was done, I rested it for hours. We had to slice it with a saw. My friends still call it The Leather Brisket.

nora_murphy18d ago

I always trusted the temp more, but the probe test really is the final word.