The 'Stall'

[ArnieM]

I found the following to be an interesting article on why big hunks of meat stall while cooking.  It isn't the collagen  :-X

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/the_stall.html

[Sailor]

Yep......stands to reason.  In making snack stixs or smoked sausage I have noticed that if I use 1 cup of liquid my stall is a lot longer than if I use 1/2 cup of liquid.  Very good article.  Thanks for posting the link.

Jim

[hal4uk]

That guy is all about selling his rub recipe, and I don't usually get much from his articles (or newsletter).
But that, was an interesting read.
Thanks, Arnie.

[NePaSmoKer]

Too much rocket science for me.

Buy it, kill it, clean it, season it, mix it, stuff it, bbq it, smoke it, share it....EAT IT

[ghost9mm]

Too much rocket science for me.

Buy it, kill it, clean it, season it, mix it, stuff it, bbq it, smoke it, share it....EAT IT

X2

[Caneyscud]

Arnie did you do that on purpose just to see how I would react?  What's so new about all of that.  That has been a fact of cooking science since man started cooking.  It doesn't matter if it is meat or whatever.  You cook candy by starting with a mix of some sugar, some corn syrup and a little water.  I've been told that part of the reason for the water is to help control the temperature rise to help in not burning the sugar before it gets burned.  Most of the water has to boil (evaporate) off before the sugar can get to the higher temps and harder stages. 

1.  If the "Crutch" is the cure how come that there are times that meat gets overcooked and dry using the crutch? 
2.  One time he says there is no steam in the foil, and another time he says it gets to a simmer (which is simply boiling and making steam)
3. He shows a graph that says the temperature goes down after taking out of the foil because of evaporative cooling.  I can't imagine much evaporative cooling happening in a 250 deg smoker!  Do you feel cooler when you go into a dry heat sauna - I haven't.  More likely, it is because of the meat not being in the somewhat superheated environment of the steam sauna called the "Crutch".
4.  I don't agree with his competition cook that says that bark is just over-cooked meat and he wants a dark, but moist and tender bark.  That's true of all the big contests I have been at.  And I don't care for the bark of lots of the meat I have tasted - Either it is non-existent or its not smokey, or it has some strange flavor (spice) that I don't think belongs in bbq.  But remember, my bbq journey started much differently than a lot of people.  Mine started with open pit.  A different product because of a different environment and process. 
5.  If he is honest with himself, there is no way, he could claim that the fat and collagen changes do not contribute to the "stall".  Energy (your heat) is also going into changing the states of both the fat and the collagen and that heat is not available to change the state of the meat juices - or vice-versa.
6.  The bowl of water stall!  Get real.  If you have a CT at 125 and the water "stalls" at 115 - could it be that is all the heat it will get from the 125 deg oven.  Did he think that he could get boiling in a 125 deg oven?
7.  Note the size of the butts he used.  When was the last time you used a less than 3 pound butt for bbq?  Of course it's tougher - its the nature of the beast - it dries out before the collagen and fat are changed. 
8.  Why not just put the temperature at 350 like in an oven and get it done quicker?  H. E. Double Hockey-sticks that's a lot quicker than a smoker.  But not BBQ.
9.  He his the nail on the head - he is braising - not bbqing.  Perfectly good technique and will produce delicious dishes, but not BBQ in the strict sense. 
10.  Many a brisket is cooked at even higher temperature and without foil.
11.  Oh heck - I better quit before I get whipped up into a lather.   

[Ka Honu]

He's baaaaack!!! (...and that's a good thing)