Can we talk about that pitmaster in Lockhart who changed my brisket game?

I was at Smitty's Market in Lockhart about 4 years ago, standing in line behind this older guy in a stained apron. He turns around and just says, 'You're overthinking it. Pull the brisket off when the probe slides in like room temp butter, not when your phone timer goes off.' I watched him walk over to his own pit and do the same thing, no thermometer, just feel. Has anyone else had a random stranger give advice that stuck with you more than any class or YouTube video?

2 comments

2 Comments

sarah_nelson9d ago

Hold up, I gotta push back on this. That "feel" method works great for old timers who've been doing it for 20 years, but it's terrible advice for someone just starting out. I watched my buddy ruin three prime packers in a row trying to be a hero without a thermometer. He'd pull them when they "felt right" and end up with shoe leather or mush. The probe test is still subjective, a timer at least gives you a baseline to work from. Most backyard guys don't have the muscle memory to know what room temp butter feels like through five pounds of meat. Why not use every tool in the box until you really know what you're doing?

walker.alex9d ago

Wait, you're telling me your buddy actually ruined three prime packers just from feel? That's wild, @sarah_nelson. I get what you're saying about having a baseline though, but that old guy's butter analogy still haunts me every time I open my smoker.