Testing Foiled Meat

[JimT]

I guess this question would apply whether you are using a toothpick to test ribs, or a fork (or probe) to test brisket or butt.

Is it better to poke through the foil, leaving a small hole(s) where steam/moisture could escape, or to unwrap the meat which would allow a good deal to excape? Obviously, rewrapping would prevent further loss.

JimT

 

[Craig Castille]

I wouldn't puch holes in the foil. But I also wouldn't worry about opening the foil some to check doneness. I would rather be spot on with tenderness than unsure.


Whatever you lose when you open the foil seems to be recaptured very quickly.

JMO,

Craig

 

[Paul G.]

Spare ribs and brisket are the only 2 items you mention that I foil regularly. With the ribs, I'm about 45 min. in foil at 4 hours and then out to finish. I test with the toothpick, but they're out of foil at that point. With brisket, which I don't as often as the other 2, I use a Polder probe inserted into the meat while in the foil during later part of the cook; so I wouldn't be removing the foil

If I had ocassion to foil the butts during a cook, I would poke in hole in the bottom of the foil to let juices escape and use my Polder therm to check for temp doneness.

Sometimes you have those cooks where the temp is just not matching the total cook time. With brisket, I would twist the meat fork with the foil open some, ribs, use the toothpick after emoving from foil (on ribs I don't use a therm at all) and butts, wiggle or tug the bone to feel that movement.

Paul

 

[K Kruger]

For ribs I test through the foil, brisket I open the foil and butt I never foil. I don't feel like the single hole in the rib foil makes much of a difference since it's small, the rib meat is fairly thin (as compared to brisket, say), and the the ribs are usually near done or done when I check.

If you test with a pick often--and by often I mean by testing many cooks, not often during the cook--you get a good understanding of how each meat feels before it's done and then when it's done and the time interval between. That often lets you test just once. By judging how that one time feels (if the meat is not yet done) you can rely on your past experience to give you good idea of how much more time the meat needs and not check again till then. You'll find--much more often than not--that you're correct.