Why cook beef to this temp?

[Steve Hilmer]

I was reading the article on briskets. Also the one on chuck roll. The finished internal teps were 185, 195. This seems a little high for beef. What's the reason?

 

[Doug D]

Because with these cuts, you have to cook past the point of doneness to get to the point of tenderness. BBQ is all about taking tough, usually cheaper cuts of meat and cooking them low & slow, thereby breaking down collagen and connective tissue to achieve a resulting tenderness not possible were they to be cooked faster at higher temps.

 

[Steve Hilmer]

Fill me in. Is this also the reason ribs go for a long time? I often wondered why you cook ribs so long and they get tender.

 

[Konrad Haskins]

Well when you cook low and slow the tough tissue in the meat has time to break down. The breakdown can continue long after you stop cooking if you hold in an insulated container. Resting the meat after cooking is one of the secrets even old time chefs know. Even though they have never smoked meat in their lives.

Where this goes wobbly is when folks get to thinking low and slow is the only way to cook and try it with very lean (expensive) cuts of meat best suited for high and fast.