Pulled my brisket at 198 instead of 203 and it came out perfect

I had been chasing that 203 finish for years until I pulled one off early by accident because my kids were screaming, and now I'm wondering if my thermometer is off or if I've just been overcooking them all along, anyone else ever try lower temps?

4 comments

4 Comments

eva_moore15d agoOG Member

Stop worrying so much about 5 degrees, it's not that deep. Meat is just cooked when it's cooked and every piece is different anyway.

brooket4315d ago

Meat is just cooked when it's cooked" - yeah, that's what I used to think until I dried out a few too many pork chops.

erickelly15d ago

Yeah I remember reading somewhere that the carryover cooking is way more important than most people give it credit for. Your probe probably just hit a pocket or the meat settled different. @eva_moore had a point though - that 5 degree window is way tighter than reality lets on.

jessica92114d ago

I gotta push back on that "carryover cooking is way more important" thing. That advice works fine for big roasts and briskets where you've got mass holding heat, but for a steak or a thin chop you're pulling at 130? You're lucky if it climbs 2 degrees, not 5. I've stood there with a Thermapen watching ribeyes barely move after rest. Telling people to bank on carryover is how you end up with sad, lukewarm meat if you pull way early. And that 5 degree window being "too tight" - nah, it's tighter for some cuts than others, but a digital probe doesnt lie if you know where to stick it. For me, nailing that window is the difference between a perfect medium rare and something that's just okay.