Temperature Guide

Thats a good suggestion Kelly. All of that info is spread throughout the 5 or so years of this forum, but I've never seen it all in one place before.

It actually make a good beginners 101 I think.

You know, great minds think alike.

This is from LONG ago, too bad I haven't finished them. Right at the top of the list is beginner's 101.

quote:

Okay, you fans of the 101's, what's your preference for this coming year? I'll be reworking the pork butt, ribs and brisket since they're a few years old, but which of the following would you like to see as Q University becomes more detailed?

Q University:
Basic Degree Requirements

Basic CS Operations:

• Beginners 101 (temp control, wood, etc)
  
• Forum 101 (how to get the Most out of using the Forum)
  
• Brisket 101
  
• Poultry 101
  
• Ribs 101
  
• Pork Butt 101
  
• Rubs & Sauces 101
  
• Meat Cutting 101

Advanced Degree

• Cheese 202
  
• Brining 202
  
• Seafood 202
  
• Jerky 202
  
• Sausage 202
  
• Game 202
  

Looking for input, ideas.Thanks in advance.Q University is a registered trademark of Smokin Okie

Just a couple of thoughts here.

Slow and low cooking was about cooking often times lousy/unusable cuts of meat from animals, maybe at the poor end of their production cycle.

Depending on all those variables,the external environment,and how the individual cooker behaves, left a range.

Over the years,I suppose to give some consensus and keying to boiling points of water, 225º +/- 15º, has been a fair starting point for hot cooking many things.

Cold smoking could be a largely different approach.

The libraries have some newer cookbooks that give acceptable internal temp tables for complete categories of meat, that chefs might use to pull and rest meats .

Personal taste also affects that range.

Reading the archives,and 101 s,often gives the reasons and results for these variations.

As for merely pulling meats,folks will tell you butts will usually pull above 190º.

Shoulder rolls,or clods,may have pullable sections of meat above 190º.

Poultry may work at 160º in the breast,and over 170º in the dark meat.

Most other meats aren't typically pulled.

Hope this helps a little.

I think it would be great to have a section on 'things to try'. Might not have detailed instructions but just giving people an idea and then pointing them to the forum search would do.

I sold my 008 to a friend (replaced by 055) and I must have spent an hour telling him of things to try. A cheap ham brought to 110 in the CS is delicious. Won't have it any other way. Cold smoking store-bought bacon. BBQ baked beans. Smoked hamburger for stroganoff. Smoked meat loaf. Roast beef. etc. etc...

Thank you everyone.