Hi folks,
Let me preface this post with the following:
* I have NOT performed hundreds of cooks of both style so can only present my experiences and RESEARCH that I have gleaned from the Internet.
* I have no "favourite" between the two methods. My first ever smoke was low and slow and I have since tried hot and fast and various other methods (oven finished, oven started, medium heat medium duration, seared at the start, broiled at the end, foiled low-and-slow, oven wrapped, oven braised, stove-top smoked)
Lately (the past few years), the high heat method has really lifted off, inspiring many non-smokers to give this art a try and many have been blown away by the results and converted into full BBQ-phobes. I am very grateful for this as it proves more BBQ ****, more recipe developers, more testers, and just an overall larger base of knowledge.
However, I recently did a BIG search, primarily using the VWBB, smoke ring, texas bbq rub, smoking meat forums and a few other smaller forums, studying results of brisket smokes using both high heat and low and slow methods. After trawling through thousands of threads, hundreds of which had photos of the results, I have come to the following conclusion:
Low and slow brisket smokes tend to produce juicier LOOKING results.
Some notes:
* Everyone with "successful" high heat cooks alway says it has turned out moist, but they could be saying this just to save face.
* High heat is more susceptable to overcooking due to higher heats and the foiling stage.
* More low and slow cooks have been done, so this may be why there seem to be more juicier LOOKING low and slow cooks - simply because there have been more. However, the proportions of moist LOOKING results from low and slow still seem to beat those of hot and fast.
* If not done properly, hot and fast cooks can result in loss of moisture but not the breaking down of connective tissue/collagen (i.e. cooked fast but not properly)
* Low and slow cooks are more likely to result in both loss of moisture AND proper connective tissue breakdown due to the length of time the meat is held at high enough temperatures.
* (Not so scientific) some say low and slow creates a better bark resulting in less moisture escape thanks to a barrier that is harder to penetrate (softer, cooked meat in high heat VS a hard crust in low and slow)
Anyone have any thoughts? I am obviously expecting uproar from the hot and fast evangelists.
Research sources:
http://tvwbb.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/frm/f/1780069052
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/list/101
http://www.thesmokering.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=33
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/fo...forumdisplay.php?f=5
http://www.thepickledpig.com/f...eneral-bbq-grilling/
http://www.texasbbqforum.com/viewforum.php?f=2
http://forum.texasbbqrub.com/forumdisplay.php?f=74
http://forum.cookshack.com/eve...s/a/frm/f/2491028883
http://www.barbecuenews.com/fo...orum.asp?FORUM_ID=12
http://www.azbarbeque.com/foru...-us-what-you-cooked/
http://www.eggheadforum.com/in...func=showcat&catid=1
http://www.theqjoint.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=36
http://barbecuebible.com/board/viewforum.php?f=2
Let me preface this post with the following:
* I have NOT performed hundreds of cooks of both style so can only present my experiences and RESEARCH that I have gleaned from the Internet.
* I have no "favourite" between the two methods. My first ever smoke was low and slow and I have since tried hot and fast and various other methods (oven finished, oven started, medium heat medium duration, seared at the start, broiled at the end, foiled low-and-slow, oven wrapped, oven braised, stove-top smoked)
Lately (the past few years), the high heat method has really lifted off, inspiring many non-smokers to give this art a try and many have been blown away by the results and converted into full BBQ-phobes. I am very grateful for this as it proves more BBQ ****, more recipe developers, more testers, and just an overall larger base of knowledge.
However, I recently did a BIG search, primarily using the VWBB, smoke ring, texas bbq rub, smoking meat forums and a few other smaller forums, studying results of brisket smokes using both high heat and low and slow methods. After trawling through thousands of threads, hundreds of which had photos of the results, I have come to the following conclusion:
Low and slow brisket smokes tend to produce juicier LOOKING results.
Some notes:
* Everyone with "successful" high heat cooks alway says it has turned out moist, but they could be saying this just to save face.
* High heat is more susceptable to overcooking due to higher heats and the foiling stage.
* More low and slow cooks have been done, so this may be why there seem to be more juicier LOOKING low and slow cooks - simply because there have been more. However, the proportions of moist LOOKING results from low and slow still seem to beat those of hot and fast.
* If not done properly, hot and fast cooks can result in loss of moisture but not the breaking down of connective tissue/collagen (i.e. cooked fast but not properly)
* Low and slow cooks are more likely to result in both loss of moisture AND proper connective tissue breakdown due to the length of time the meat is held at high enough temperatures.
* (Not so scientific) some say low and slow creates a better bark resulting in less moisture escape thanks to a barrier that is harder to penetrate (softer, cooked meat in high heat VS a hard crust in low and slow)
Anyone have any thoughts? I am obviously expecting uproar from the hot and fast evangelists.
Research sources:
http://tvwbb.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/frm/f/1780069052
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/list/101
http://www.thesmokering.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=33
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/fo...forumdisplay.php?f=5
http://www.thepickledpig.com/f...eneral-bbq-grilling/
http://www.texasbbqforum.com/viewforum.php?f=2
http://forum.texasbbqrub.com/forumdisplay.php?f=74
http://forum.cookshack.com/eve...s/a/frm/f/2491028883
http://www.barbecuenews.com/fo...orum.asp?FORUM_ID=12
http://www.azbarbeque.com/foru...-us-what-you-cooked/
http://www.eggheadforum.com/in...func=showcat&catid=1
http://www.theqjoint.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=36
http://barbecuebible.com/board/viewforum.php?f=2