2 days until first ever cook and one final question.....

[David Chapman]

Hi all,

I just had a quick question re cooking times in general. How much does the quantity of food (not the total weight) affect cooking times?

For example, if a whole chicken takes 4 hours then if I cut it into quarters the weight is still the same but I’d imagine it would cook quicker.... right? Or for an even better example, if I take a 10lb brisket and cut it in half into 2 x 5lb briskets, how will cooking time be affected?

I guess there isn’t a specific answer but maybe a rough percentage?

Thanks!

David

 

[Bob Sample]

I don't see a real big time difference when I cook chicken thighs as compared to a whole chicken. With the brisket the time may change a bit but it is more about the thickness of the meat than it is the mass, your not making a very big change in the surface area and who wants to cut a brisket in half anyways. You will save time by cutting a 8lb shoulder into 2 4lb shoulders because you will be exposing much more surface area than the 8 lber had. Hope that makes sense to you.

 

[B D Adams]

Cutting the meat down will shorten the time some, but I'm not sure of any real math on the topic.

Using your chicken example a whole chicken takes longer than thigh pieces which takes longer than wings. But even with equal mass there can be a difference due to different fat content. It's an issue of mass and how much heat energy is used to bring the meat up to temp and break down connective tissues. Brisket is a bit trickier. The point can reach 190-195 and the flat can still be 180-185. This is why some cooks separate them. But that's not cutting the sucker in half, that's separating different cuts with the point being smaller and fattier than the flat.

Just remember bbq is done when it's done!