cooking at 350* using a 22 1/2 WSM

[Morrey Thomas]

I must be fairly set in my ways, so please let me apologize upfront for offering an opinion.

To me, WSM's are made for the low and slow methods. I question why cookers push the meats so hard and not allow fat to render and collagen to break down with gentler heat. 225 just seems to be an easy heat to manage and uses far less fuel all in all.

 

[K Kruger]

The board is for sharing opinions as well as knowledge. You've nothing to apologize for.

Speaking for myself, I do not find low/slow at all necessary for producing superior Q. Though I prefer low/slow for butts, for brisket and ribs I do not, unless the brisket is marvelously marbled, like Prime or better, or the ribs are from non-commercial, fattier heritage pork. I find neither typical from-the-store brisket nor commercial pork ribs fatty enough to warrant slow cooking, though I used to do both that way, some time ago.

Having 'pushed the meat' in many dozens of cooks since, I can say with confidence that all cooks have achieved results equal to or, in the case of brisket, superior to low/slow cooking. Thus, I see no reason to extend cooking times.

Even when I low/slowed, I found 225 to be needlessly slow, and meats cooked at that temp no better than meats cooked at higher, but still low/slow temps. My $.02.