Pro-level advice to elevate your grilling and smoking game.
Time is a guide, temperature is the absolute truth. Always insert your thermometer probe into the thickest part of the meat away from bones or pockets of fat.
Large cuts like pork shoulder and beef brisket undergo a "stall" around 150-170°F due to evaporative cooling. Don't panic; wrap it in foil or butcher paper to power through.
Resting meat allows muscle fibers to relax and reabsorb juices. Rest thin steaks for 5-10 mins, and large roasts or brisket for 45-60 mins wrapped in a dry cooler.
For smokers, seek clean, nearly invisible blue smoke. Billowing white smoke contains heavy creosote which tastes bitter and acts like soot.