Uhhh! Just can't eat it, can hardly take the smell! Need tips/help.


 
A

Adam aka DocAutomatic

New member
Finished my 5th brisket yesterday. Every time in the days leading up to the cook I'm excited and furiously planning it out in detail. And yet, for the 5th straight time (for brisket at least, but this happens with other things as well) I can hardly stand to be around it by the time it's done, and have zero appetite. They've all come out good to great, it's something about spending so much time & energy with it that when it's finally done I just don't even want to be around it much less eat it.

Does this happen to others? If it were one of you cooking I'd have zero problem demolishing multiple servings at your house, but when I'm the one doing it.... Any tips for avoiding this feeling? Is there some known cause/reason for this feeling that I'm just unaware of & could fix if I just knew about it.
 
Your main problem is that you are making brisket. IF you making something good like pulled pork or even chicken....

Just kidding!

Sounds like you are putting too much work into the process. "days leading up to the cook I'm excited and furiously planning it out in detail." It is barbecue. Relax. Don't plan so much and don't worry over it.
 
Adam,
I have the same problem. You've been smelling it for hours and your hair and clothes smell like brisket and smoke too. What I try to do is save some choice pieces and refrigerate. Brisket and pulled pork will last for days in the frig. Take a shower. Get a good night's rest. Eat a few other meals that aren't bbq. Then reheat and enjoy. It works for me.
Donna
 
I try to get my brisket resting and then take a shower. With the WSM I don't really mess with the brisket all that much, but I know what you mean. If I'm cooking on my offset, I'm usually so worn out that I'm barely hungry but I still enjoy it. I just can't put down as much as if I went to BBQ joint. I think that's normal.
 
Any time I do a big feast, by the time it's time to eat, I simply do not care about eating, I have been like this for most of my cooking life. It goes away after everyone leaves and I have put everything away and cleaned up. Then I get hungry, almost without fail!
Frustrating? Yep! Tomorrow is my birthday and I have spent most of today making up sides so I don't have a crush of work when the grandchildren come, I can sit on my rear and fire the grill for either steaks, salmon or (dare I admit) professionally done brisket. The reason for the last on the list is so I DONT have a project for tomorrow, I love my wife and her son, his spouse and the little ones, of course! I am a lucky man!
Made up sweet potatoes with fresh ginger and candied mango, the first stage of twice cooked smashed baby potatoes. The dessert is still up in the air but, I did make blueberry pistachio ice cream and it's ripening in the freezer right now!
 
I like the planning bit for the big, long cooks. I can empathise though with people who put a lot into the cooking of meals but can't face eating it themselves. I don't think it is uncommon.
After the few long cooks I have done it is a relief to get it done and I rarely eat a load myself.

My priority is cooking something others really enjoy. I usually end up enjoying the leftovers more over the following couple of days.

When I get more experience, confidence and consistency I can maybe enjoy the eating part more.
 
I understand what you are feeling. I at least am hungry when I am finished but what the others have said makes sense. Prepare as much as you can the day before and don't sweat the small stuff. Donna's suggestion of taking a shower when the meat is off is spot on. My wife recently suggested the same thing as I smell like smoke and food when the main work is done. In doing just that, you will relax and feel better about yourself. Doing pulled pork the day before is easy and it reheats very well. Just use a little apple juice to keep moist and all will be good. I have always done my brisket overnight and had it ready many hours before guests arrive but that is just me. The most important thing is once you have your process down, just relax and enjoy the day. We have all been there and just make it fun.
 
When I retired, about 14 years ago, I took on all the cooking duties.
For some time now I don't have much appetite right away for what I cook, be it bbq, grilled, or made in house.
Now I do snack, a lot, when pulling pork or slicing brisket.
My wife retires in a few months, but I'll keep on cooking since vacuum cleaners scare me, and laundry is way too complicated. :rolleyes:
 
I hear you Bob, when my wife and I got married 39 years ago, I had to teach her how to do laundry. Of course, then I promptly forgot how to do laundry. Camille thinks I would be helpless without her and in many ways she is right. Tomorrow she and our younger (31) daughter are going top Palm Springs to a friends time share and she is worried that I can't take care of myself and what shape the house will be in when she gets back. Think I will have to take good care of the house. Also hate vacuuming.

Bob Correll said:
When I retired, about 14 years ago, I took on all the cooking duties.
For some time now I don't have much appetite right away for what I cook, be it bbq, grilled, or made in house.
Now I do snack, a lot, when pulling pork or slicing brisket.
My wife retires in a few months, but I'll keep on cooking since vacuum cleaners scare me, and laundry is way too complicated. :rolleyes:
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I don't enjoy real long cooks especially smoking. If I'm around the smoke all day I really don't want to eat what I've been smelling for hours on end and the anxiety of wondering if it's going to be a failure.
I now plan my long cooks to be for the next days dinner and that works well for us, takes that dinner is at six pm and it's now eight pm and it's still not done problem away.

I've got a big brisket in the freezer that's been in there for months and the thought of doing the biggest cook by far I've ever done gives me the willies.

And yes vacuuming sucks (pun intended) I know because the commander (Barb) has assigned that to me as one of my household weekly chores. Although I do enjoy spooking Whitney our dog with some false charges and she goes nuts and attacks the vac with tail wagging a hundred miles an hour, lots of fun.
 
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I'm the same. I really enjoy the planning, prepping, cooking, & get a kick out of the guests going oooh, ahhh, yummy. I usually eat on-the-hoof at the grill. All the best crispy bits. Chef's perogative. If I've been around the grill/smoker all day, all I want is a shower, another cold beer and to plant my arse on the couch. As long as everyone else has been well fed and watered, & there is some q left over for tomorrow , I'm a happy camper.
 
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I agree, I don't love pork, but my family does. However, I'm more than happy to make it for them even though when I'm done cooking it, I'm not excited myself to eat it. Even sometimes with stuff I love I'm sick of smelling like smoke and have lost my appetite by time it's done. At least with brisket, the wrapped cooler rest usually lets me recover enough to be excited for that.
 
On small cooks of some brisket, butts and ribs for up to about 25ppl or so, I have no problems chowing down. When it gets to medium sized cooks of 30-40, or large cooks of 50 - 100+, then yeah, eating is the last thing I want to do. I'd rather finally hang out with people and get a kick out of seeing how much they enjoy the food. As the end of the night draws near, I might finally grab a bite.
 
After a few cooks I found I prefered keeping things simple. So prep time and then the cook is not that involved. Plus I don't hover over the smokers. When the meat is done it's usually to late for a meal so I just nibble a few pieces and call it a day. Have found out that although it tastes good the day of, it tastes even better the day after. I think the process can be wearing thus the loss of interest. My wife after a day of a big cook also looses her appetite.
 
Bob Correll said:
When I retired, about 14 years ago, I took on all the cooking duties.
For some time now I don't have much appetite right away for what I cook, be it bbq, grilled, or made in house.
Now I do snack, a lot, when pulling pork or slicing brisket.
My wife retires in a few months, but I'll keep on cooking since vacuum cleaners scare me, and laundry is way too complicated. :rolleyes:
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haha I love that part about laundry. It's very complicated around here, so I only help hang and fold. That can actually get complicated too.

To the OP. I have only experienced not being hungry when I snacked too much waiting for the food to finish. The smell has never turned me off. I just wasn't hungry anymore.
 
I find the smell of smoke almost euphoric and eagerly anticipate the completion of what I'm cooking. Also not a vaccumer but do laundry.
 
Interesting topic. I've felt the same way at times too. I enjoy cooking BBQ for others but when it's time to eat I'm normally not into it. However, I'm always I to the leftovers later.
 
Dustin Dorsey said:
I try to get my brisket resting and then take a shower. With the WSM I don't really mess with the brisket all that much, but I know what you mean. If I'm cooking on my offset, I'm usually so worn out that I'm barely hungry but I still enjoy it. I just can't put down as much as if I went to BBQ joint. I think that's normal.
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Haha! That's exactly what I do. The brisket you just cooked always tastes better after you take a shower (and have a beer). The WSM does make the process pretty simple: Trim and season; make a fire; throw it on; manage your fire; take it off when it probes tender; rest it for 3 hours.
 
Adam aka DocAutomatic said:
Does this happen to others?
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Absolutely NOT! I really enjoy cooking,,, all forms of cooking,,, and put a lot into my cooks. But, as much as I'm cooking for other people's enjoyment, I CANNOT wait to get into what I've spent my time on. Whether it's a 15 hour brisket, 5 hour Thanksgiving Turkey or a 15 minute Prime NY Sirloin on my gasser, I CANNOT wait to dig in.
When I do A multi-hour smoke, as soon as I finish wrapping, I shower, change clothes, sit down with a nice cigar and let my protein rest before it's time to carve,,,, IMHO, ALL PART OF A GREAT EXPERIENCE!
 
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im with the folks who can't wait to eat. I love when people enjoy my food and respect the effort but I do it so I can eat some good food too.
 
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