Heard a guy at a comp say "time is just a suggestion" and it flipped my whole approach

I was helping with clean up at a backyard comp in Austin last month and this older pitmaster was talking to his buddy about how he pulls his ribs when they tell him they're done, not when the clock says. I used to be super strict about the 3-2-1 method for spare ribs. Timer goes off, they come out no matter what. But listening to him explain how every rack is different, and how he just goes by feel and temp now... I tried it on my last cook and honestly the ribs came out way better. Tender but not falling apart. Have you guys ever scrapped a strict timing method for something more flexible?

2 comments

2 Comments

thea85719d ago

Man, that "time is just a suggestion" thing hit me hard too. I used to be a slave to the 321 method for spare ribs, like I'd set a timer and panic if it went off early. Then I started checking for that bend test and looking for the meat to pull back from the bone about a quarter inch. I had a rack last weekend that took almost two hours longer than the recipe said, but they came out so tender you could twist a bone out with two fingers. Now I just use the clock as a rough idea, not a rule, and my ribs are way more consistent.

finleyf8819d ago

Exactly what I needed to hear. I read somewhere that competition guys actually keep a log of each cook's exact temps and times because even the same recipe can vary by hours based on weather or meat quality. That stuck with me. I started doing the same thing for my backyard cooks and realized my pork shoulders were coming out way better when I ignored the 8 hour rule and just pulled them when the bone wiggled loose. It's like the meat tells you when it's ready if you actually pay attention.