If slow cooking is good, is slower better?


 
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Grim

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Obviously one of the main benefits of bbq is the slow cooking at a low temp. So I'm wondering if a recipe calls for 3 hours at 350, will cooking at a lower temp for longer give a better result?

I'm just getting ready to fire up the smoker for a turkey this afternoon and the recipe here on the website says it should only take 2 1/2 or 3 hours. Why not cook at a lower temp for a longer time?

Grim
 
Skin! The turkey skin if you want to eat it gets crispy at a temp over ~300. If you cook it low and slow the skin will be rubbery. Do a search, there are many threads in this forum about this.

Mike
 
also, not all meats benefit from slow cooking, depends on the fat content, fat type even tissue types

there's lots of info around the site on it

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Why not cook at a lower temp for a longer time?
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your turkey would likely dry out


my Grandma was a pretty good cook, but she made a nasty turkey .... cooked at 300F or 325F in the oven forever ..... sawdust
 
Grim,
Welcome aboard! <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>I'm just getting ready to fire up the smoker for a turkey this afternoon and the recipe here on the website says it should only take 2 1/2 or 3 hours. Why not cook at a lower temp for a longer time?
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You do not want to do the turkey to slow for a number of reasons. 1. Safety 2. Drying out 3. Rubbery Skin.

Now, I am going against everything I have just told you and tell you how I do mine. I do in fact do mine low and slow. But the rubbery skin is a downfall, if you eat the skin. I don't, so it doesn't matter. If you are going to do a turkey low and slow it must be brined or it will dry out. Last but not least if you are going to do a turkey low and slow it cannot be a real big turkey. I don't do any over 15lbs, and that would be the biggest. The reason is, doing a bigger turkey will take too long to get it out of the danger zone (40*-140*). That =
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!! Hope this helps!
 
I brine turkeys to preserve moisture, and cook at 325-350° because I am not rendering fat and breaking down connective tissue like I would be with a butt or a brisket. There's no point-- for me-- to do poultry low & slow.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>There's no point-- for me-- to do poultry low & slow. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Doug,
You are right. I started off doing turkeys in my ECB and they just turn out so good, I have always been afraid to change the way I do them. I may do them different one day, but for now I am going to stick with the old saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it"! If I cared about the skin I would have probably switched along time ago!
 
Grim spoken like a true American, if it's good more of it is better.
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In the case where you have a piece of meat with a lot of connective tissue long cooks and low temps are the way to go but if you draw it out too long then you have a situation where you can dry out the product.
Turkey is not a meat that has a lot of connective tissue or internal fat to render, low and slow is not needed to produce great product. As the others have stated a brine and pit temps of 275 to 350 are the best combo.
Jim
 
Thanks for all the feedback. I use a great brine that keeps turkey moist and adds some nice, but subtle flavor. It took me just about 3 hours to cook a 13.5 pound turkey last night. The flavor was out of this world, but the skin was a little rubbery. I don't think I got it quite up to 350 and I know it was around 250 for the first hour.

I found this brine recipe on a website, so I take no credit for creating it.

1 1/2 C Kosher salt
1 1/4 C brown sugar
10 whole cloves
3 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 1/2 gallons apple cider (non-alcoholic)
Peel from one large orange (only the peel, not the white part)
3 teaspoons dried thyme
3 teaspoons dried sage

Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Let brine cool completely

Rinse turkey under cool water, pat dry and submerge the turkey completely in the brine. Put it in the refrigerator overnight and get ready to cook the best turkey you've ever had.
 
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