Meat Temperature at Start of Cook

[yakman]

Just curious to see if most folks bring their meat to room temperature before putting it in the smoker, or do you put the meat in the smoker directly from the refrigerator.

Does the type of meat make a difference?

Does it impact development of the "smoke ring"?

What's the benefit of one way verses another?

Thanks.

Steve

[Mic]

Well, maybe not quite room temp but not right out of the fridge either! :? I've found my pit temps taking less time to recover if the meat is not extremely cold when I put it on the pit. Time wise probably no more than a hour or so from fridge, to prep, to pit!

Mic

[Txngent]

Room temp always for me. Not just the heat recovery of the pit, but the heat/cold shock of the muscle tissue can cause a tough result.

[Woodman]

It really makes NO DIFFERENCE in the finished product! You may get a better smoke ring, but what difference does that make? I would argue the "tough" issue all day. After 10-18 hours in a smoker, if your meat is "tough" you have other issues ! Mich has a point to some degree, but I would argue that to get the internal temp on a cut up to 70 degrees, you are letting the external go higher than that. I cannot let 30 briskets sit out in July heat waiting for them to get to room temp. I take em outta the ice ,slit the package, drain as much blood as I can, pat it with a paper towel, rub, and cook. Just my .02!

[Txngent]

I thought the question was in general and for more than just a brisket. I don't cook steaks for 10 hours, so I have always used the scientific approach.

The myosin molecules start to shrink and squeeze out fluid from the muscle cells at about 131*F while the collagen molecules start to change when the meat is slightly hotter, at 140-149*F. By letting the meat sit for a half hour or so from the fridge, you will decrease the "muscle shock" of the meat. Now yes, slow cooking for a long period of time will probably not make AS MUCH of a difference.

So, the standard temp for a refrigerator is 38-43*F. Going on a hot grill or pit that is at 225* or higher, the muscle with "shock" and need longer time to allow temps to get up for tissue breakdown. This could allow the outer portions of the meat to dry, while trying to gain the internal temp for tenderization.

So, not bucking your system Woodman like you did mine... I would say you might have a point on "low n slow" cooking with larger meat masses. I would also say that there is certainly a "difference" and it should be considered by the cook, especially on meats that are not going to spend such a long time on the pit or grill.

[Hankerin Bar-B-Q]

Yak, you might need another category..."Somewhere between refrigerator and room temp".

I'm right there with Mich and Woodman on this one. I like to take the chill off of the meat to help my pit recover, but it usually goes in the pit within 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the outdoor ambient temp.

Woodman's (and mine) reason for not letting the internal meat temp come up to room temperature rings a question.

For those that are interested, and for plain ol' food safety sake, should we be checking the surface temperature of the meat instead of the internal temperature by using a SURFACE thermometer? This would be a great application, not to mention an excuse for another bbq tool, for the laser kind of thermometer, as long as it can get down that low.
If the internal temperature is what tells us when a meat is safe to eat and done to our liking, why can't the surface temp tell us that a meat is still safe to cook and ready to go on the pit?

Just so we are all on the same page, is there a real number that defines "room temp"?


Hank

[Txngent]

Before we get too heated in this discussion, I would like Woodman and all to know. THIS IS A GOOD DISCUSSION AMONG FRIENDS!!!! I don't want to sound insultive, or lead you to believe I feel insulted. If I disagree with anyone's opinions here in this forum, you damn well better know that I am going to apply their opinion in my next cook.

I respect each and everyone here.... well maybe not PitP!

[HoosierTrooper]

I don't generally worry too much about it. My general method is to take it from the refridgerator,prep it and then burn/ruin it. Assuming room temp of 72 how many hours would it take a large cut of meat like a brisket, ham or large shoulder to reach an internal temp of 72 sitting on a kitchen counter?

[wood_is_good]

Not scientific by a long shot, but I take the meat out of the refrigerator set it on the counter, then go outside to get the fire going. Once that I know it's going good, I go tend to the unwrapping, and whatever prep I'm doing like a rub. by the time I get it ready to go in the smoker it's warmed up a little bit I know. I do it more from the point of not wanting the smoker temp to drop too much by putting cold meat on it.

[Woodman]

Before we get too heated in this discussion, I would like Woodman and all to know. THIS IS A GOOD DISCUSSION AMONG FRIENDS!!!! I don't want to sound insultive, or lead you to believe I feel insulted. If I disagree with anyone's opinions here in this forum, you damn well better know that I am going to apply their opinion in my next cook.

I respect each and everyone here.... well maybe not PitP!

Shoot! I got pretty think skin anyway! No explanation necessary!

[Txngent]

You are "Da Man" Woodman... can't wait till next QFest!

[Woodman]

Yeah! Me Too! :wink:

[Oli]

There is not an "all of the above " box... so I went with dont care.

[Bluegrass BBQ]

I agree with Oli, all the above. I do it Woodmans way, mostly. I usual cook a large volume of meat and I don/t have time to wait around. Besides I have never had anyone ask me if I let the meat warm or that it effects the taste. It does make a good topic of conversation during a slow time of year.

[Dsorgnzd]

For butts that I've thawed in the refrigerator, I usually take them out, let them sit on the counter while I'm getting the fire ready, and put them on.
They are frequently in the mid 30's (internal temp) when I put them in the smoker. I wouldn't feel safe trying to get them to room temperature, or see any reason why I'd want to do so.

[Buckeye]

I fire up tha pit......take tha meat out tha fridge........prep tha meat.......wait til tha pit gits ta 200° then put tha meat on tha pit. If I'm dun prep'n tha meat before tha pit hits 200°...then tha meat sits on tha counter til then........not tryin' for tha "room temp" thing....just wait'n on da pit. :wink:

[david brace]

I like to make the meat travel up to room temperature. I also think that the recovery time of the pit is a factor, altho a small one.

But isn't every room at room temperature?

DB

[yakman]

Good point DB. :idea: For sake of argument, Wikipedia defines room temperature as:

"For scientific calculations, Room temperature is taken to be roughly 20 to 25 degrees Celsius (°C) (68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit (°F), 528 to 537 degrees Rankine (°R), or 293 to 298 kelvins (K))[1]. For numerical convenience, either 20 °C or 300 K is often used."

:roll:

[david brace]

Yeah, yeah...getting Scientific on us...I just thought that was amusing cuz if you're in Alaska or the Congo, any room is 'room temperature'...ain't it?

DB

[PhotoKirk]

I've cooked briskets that were almost frozen at the start, and I've never noticed any difference in the final product. If it take a while for my pit to hit 225*, the meat will be closer to room temp, but I don't make it a point to "pre-heat" the meat.

Briskets are the most unpredictable things that we cook.

[DoubleBarrelSmoker]

I've cooked briskets that were almost frozen at the start, and I've never noticed any difference in the final product. If it take a while for my pit to hit 225*, the meat will be closer to room temp, but I don't make it a point to "pre-heat" the meat.

Briskets are the most unpredictable things that we cook.

Agree with PhotoKirk-- Briskets seem to have a mind of their own.[Hmmm- maybe a topic for discussion???]

[DoubleBarrelSmoker]

Will room temperature rise or decrease with global warming :?: :?: :idea: :idea:

[Woodman]

When I smoke duck breasts for gumbo, I put them in frozen in pairs as well. You say Tomato, I say Tomahto!

[M38A1]

I don't know that it's a factor for me. I normally won't go straight from the fridge to the pit. There's taking it out, opening, washing, patting dry and applying rub. I'm not sure that even warms it up more than a degree or so. I'll do that while the pit is coming up to temperature. On the flip side, I don't warm them up to room temp before tossing on the pit either.

Some good points have been brought up regarding cut of meat, ambient temperature, etc. We could toss in the size/type of pit to bring up to temperature if we really wanted to make it interesting... :lol:

In the end, I don't give it much thought other than noted above.

[david brace]

When I wa working for this French Chef guy in the long ago, we had charts for cooking meat if it was at room temp vs. at refrigerator temp. So it matters somewhere along the way, but maybe some of us haven't noticed the effect of that variable. ANd that's Ok too if it has no bearing in the meat that you cook.

I'm doing a small pork roast now...2.66# and I'm planning the oven cook for 55 minutes with 15 minutes to repose. Then back in for 5 minutes and it should be perfect...I hope :lol:

DB