21
Noticed a shift in how folks talk about brisket at the Memphis in May contest
Three years ago, the talk was all about the perfect smoke ring and hitting 203 degrees. Last month, I watched a pitmaster from Austin win a ribbon with a brisket he pulled at 198, focusing more on feel than the number. Then last week, a guy at my local hardware store was telling me his method, and he didn't mention the temp once, just talked about the 'jiggle'. It seems like the old hard rules are softening up. Has anyone else seen judges or winners care less about the exact temp lately?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
reed.eva2mo ago
That "old hard rules are softening up" thing is happening everywhere, not just with brisket.
4
hannahmurray2mo ago
Huh, I see what @reed.eva is getting at but I'm not sure it's that simple. Some of those old rules were there for a good reason, like food safety stuff. It feels more like people are just questioning things more now, not that the rules themselves are getting weak. Maybe the real change is we have better tools and info so the "why" behind the rule is clearer. That lets you know when you can bend things without causing a problem.
8
elizabeth_williams1mo ago
Honestly, I used to be one of those people who thought any flex in a rule was just people being lazy or cutting corners. But seeing it framed as 'better tools and info' actually clicked for me. Like with sous vide, I used to think it was cheating because you don't babysit a temp like with old smokers, but now I get that the science just gives you more room to play without ruining the cook. That's a good point about food safety too, some things you don't mess with, but knowing the 'why' lets you actually decide instead of just following blindly.
3