Temperature/thermometer question

[Brett James]

This may be very stupid, so bear with me...

I've only done about four cooks on the WSM but I have a question about the digital thermometers. I smoked some beef short ribs a couple weeks ago and had one of the probes from my digital thermometer inserted into the meat. Per this website, I tried cooking to about 200 degrees.

Once the monitor showed a meat temp of 200, I removed the ribs from the smoker. Once I got them inside, I measured the temp again and they were about 180-185. I tested the meat's tenderness with a fork, and it still felt tough, so I put them back on the WSM. This happened multiple times...the meat read 200+ on the smoker, but once inside, it was anywhere from 180-195. I think I overcooked the ribs by putting them back on the smoker 2-3 times.

When cooking to a temp, once the meat reaches said temp ON THE SMOKER, do you just call it a day and bring it inside to serve? Or do you check the temp again off the smoker? I'm assuming the meat temp can be artificially inflated because it's still exposed to heat in the smoker, and I want to know what an accurate reading is. I'm trying a turkey this weekend and obviously can't risk it being undercooked.

Any advice? Thanks!

 

[Matt H.]

i'm going to guess the problem was doing this for ribs which just don't work well with internal thermometers. maybe it's the lack of size? I don't know. I never find any discrepancy with pork butts, chicken, steak, brisket, etc. i'd also do the boil test for your thermometer to make sure it's accurate.

 

[Gene_N]

Hi Brett,

Welcome to the forum. Great place to ask questions, learn and share.

By choice, I don't cook ribs. It is a a lot of effort for so little meat. I smoke large primal cuts so take my advice from that perspective. For butts, brisket and chuck roast, once the temp monitor and/or the instant read monitor gets to 180-195, cook to probe tender. Instead of using a fork, I will use my temp probe. Once the meat is tender (probe goes through the meat like a hot knife through butter) in the majority of places tested (we are talking about a big chunk of meat) it is ready to be panned, covered and rested.

Depending on the local weather and my patience, my 22.5 WSM can hold temps (215-275) usually for 8-9 hours; the meat is usually 160-175. Once the WSM dips < 215, I will pan/foil the meat and finish off in a 300-325 grill. Through experience, I will wait 60-75 mins before I test for probe tender. If it is not probe tender in the majority of tested areas, I will re-pan/foil and cook for 20-25 intervals until probe tender. I've encountered probe tender meat at 190-220.

All meat is different, even meats packaged together are different. The int temp actually rise when the meat is removed and rested. Instead of relying on a specific temp, rely on the touch and feel of the meat. It is not science, but art.

For ribs, I suspect you need to adjust to shorter time intervals because of the smaller mass of meat. Others will be able to provide more insight.

I hope this helps... Welcome again and good luck.

 

[ChadVKealey]

Another factor to consider is the amount of time at a temp. I believe it was on an episode of Good Eats that I learned that some types of connective tissue (such as the sheath around rib bones) don't break down unless they're kept at a certain temp for a certain amount of time.

 

[Craig Alumbaugh]

I don't use a thermometer to check ribs, I go by feel. I do my thermometer on all my other cooks and its pretty accurate as I always check it with my instant read also. I use my Maverick for my smoker temp as I don't trust the dome thermometer and I want the temp at the grates not really the dome.

 

[Al Silverman]

The short ribs have very little mass and will lose temp very quickly once off the grill. So, the temp drop is not surprising. As far as the lack of tenderness at 200°, that's not surprising either. Short ribs are very tough if not cooked long enough and must be cooked till tender, not to any particular temp. Check with a probe, and when it goes in like going into soft butter, they're done.

 

[J Hasselberger]

I'll agree with the group that it's hard to get useful info about rib doneness with a digital thermometer. I think most cooks use the "bend test" (the rack is flexible without falling apart), the "tear-test" (where adjoining ribs pull apart after offering some resistance) and the "toothpick test" (where a toothpick goes in and out of the meaty part of the rib like buttah). Rest assured that you have gained valuable experience -- will continue to do so with every cook. Keeping a log, or notebook is a very good idea.