Hot & Fast???


 
DarrenC

DarrenC

TVWBB Fan
Is anybody here trying the new "hot & fast" BBQ trend?

On another forum I'm hearing stories of ribs < 2 hrs, butts < 6 hrs, and even rumors of competition cooking at higher temps in less time.

By all reports the results are comparable. I haven't tried it myself and I'm almost afraid to find out if it's true.

I'm really in an existential crisis about this. What drew me to this whole thing in the first place was that it was hard and that it took some time, effort and patience. What if I was kidding myself all along? If 'real' bbq doesn't mean low & slow then what's the point?

I completely admit I am overthinking the matter. however BBQ is one of the few topics in the world I reserve the right to take personally.
 
I'm a low and slow guy. However when I cook on my offset I usually cook around 275 to 300 just because its hard (impossible) to run a clean fire any lower with sticks on my cooker. I run the WSM around 225 to 250. Personally, I think low and slow yields a better product but I'm sure some guys around here can cook the pants off me hot and fast. I think for cooking whole briskets and having the fat in the point well rendered at the same time as the flat is ready low and slow is better. If you are just going for a good flat, and you are going to put the point back on for burnt ends, that doesn't matter.

Just relax, BBQ is what you want it to be. If you wanna get really old school, then BBQ is nothing but low and slow over open pits dug into the ground over wood coals. A lot of it for me is the journey. I find some sort of zen in a long cook and patience.
 
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Hmm, this isn't new on this forum. Search HH brisket, butts or ribs and you'll get plenty of hits.:)

Tim
 
IMO some seasonings work better with a higher heat. I have no science to back that up, but I took a class from a "hot & fast" competitor but used his seasonings 'low & slow' and couldn't get a call. Tried the butts and briskets on a drum cooking at 275° - 300° (5-7 hours) and started getting calls.
On ribs and chicken I haven't seen much difference yet.
 
I use HH for brisket. All others are just whatever the cooker wants to run at which is usually about 250*F.
 
I prefer low and slow here. The cook is the fun part! :) I'd much rather cook all night and into the next day. lol
 
Darren you will ultimately get many people telling you how to cook BBQ. Some will say do it Low and Slow while others swear by the Hot and Fast method. If you are a "results" guy and all that is important to you is getting it done so you can eat then try the hot and fast method-But if you are like me, and enjoy the Low and slow journey that is the original definition of traditional BBQ then stick with low and slow and don't sweat it. Enjoy the hard work and the fruits of your labor.
 
I'm terrible at planning ahead so I do most of my BBQ hh. Decide at breakfast I want brisket and I can go to the butcher, buy a 14lber and have it ready in time for dinner. I don't see much of a difference between l&s and hh
 
Not telling anyone how to do their 'Que, to each his own. But I was toying with the idea of doing a midnight 225* wagyu brisket tonight, but just changed my mind and will do it tomorrow morning at 275-300ish beginning at 8:00 AM. As I've said before, I'm too freekin old to stay up past midnight! :wsm:
 
I know what you mean Tom, the only time I'm up late anymore is when my band is working! Four sets in a saloon and if it's been a good night we used to all go to pick up some steaks and go to my house to eat, drink and debrief about what went well and what didn't. The last one was last week actually but, it wasn't late and we were (WELL) fed at the country club. Open bar with Belvedere or Johnny Walker Black among other things. Bar tender understood how to pour too, glad to have been a passenger that night. Didn't get wrecked but, there was nothing hurting.
 
The WSM holds temps so well an overnight cook is easy as anything else. I typically set some loose alarms on the maverick maybe 215 to 250 and I sleep pretty well. Cooking for a long time is no more effort than a short cook. No ATC needed.
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
I know what you mean Tom, the only time I'm up late anymore is when my band is working! Four sets in a saloon and if it's been a good night we used to all go to pick up some steaks and go to my house to eat, drink and debrief about what went well and what didn't. The last one was last week actually but, it wasn't late and we were (WELL) fed at the country club. Open bar with Belvedere or Johnny Walker Black among other things. Bar tender understood how to pour too, glad to have been a passenger that night. Didn't get wrecked but, there was nothing hurting.
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LOL, I don't let the band drink at my Club, sorry! But, hell yeah we pour good drinks! :cool:
 
Steve Whiting said:
Darren you will ultimately get many people telling you how to cook BBQ. Some will say do it Low and Slow while others swear by the Hot and Fast method. If you are a "results" guy and all that is important to you is getting it done so you can eat then try the hot and fast method-But if you are like me, and enjoy the Low and slow journey that is the original definition of traditional BBQ then stick with low and slow and don't sweat it. Enjoy the hard work and the fruits of your labor.
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I agree with the L&S with things like brisket, pork butt, PSB. etc. I've done a HH pork butt and thought it was okay but definitely drier than the L&S I've done. I like trying different methods to see what type of different results I do get. Some good some bad, but always different.
One thing I found is you can't double up on the smoke wood if doing HH and expect the same results as a L&S, so if that good smoky flavor is what you're after L&S it is.
I don't see L&S being any harder than HH just different. Do what you enjoy and be proud of it.
 
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