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A random guy in Memphis showed me a better way to check brisket doneness
I was at a small contest in Memphis about six months ago, just hanging out by my smoker. This older guy, who was set up next to me, saw me poking my brisket with a thermometer every ten minutes. He walked over and said, 'You're letting all the good heat out, son.' He told me to forget the temp for a second and just push on the flat with my finger. He showed me how the meat should feel like pushing into a jar of peanut butter, not tight or firm. I tried it, and the feel was totally different from what the probe said. It was done way sooner than I thought. Now I always use the feel test first, and my briskets have been way more tender. Has anyone else had a judge or another cook show them a simple trick like that?
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the_uma3mo ago
Wait, hold up. A random stranger walked up to you while you were at a contest and showed you this? That's wild. I've been cooking brisket for three years now and I still have trust issues with my fingers. I feel like I'd just be guessing and end up with a dry hunk of meat. Did he actually push on your brisket with his finger, or did he just describe it? I need to know if he touched your cooking meat because that would freak me out a little, even if he was helpful.
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ivan_schmidt6mo ago
Man, I was that guy with the thermometer for years. Felt like a scientist, not a cook. My first few briskets came out like shoe leather because I was waiting on some magic number. That peanut butter feel thing is real, it just takes some practice to trust your fingers over the gadget.
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shane8386mo ago
You're right about that "peanut butter feel" being a game changer, @ivan_schmidt. I was stuck on the exact same thing, pulling my pork shoulder at 203F every single time. Letting go of the probe and learning how the meat actually gives under pressure made a huge difference. My last one was perfect, and I never even checked the temp.
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