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Low&Slow VS. Turbo

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lousubcap
lousubcap Posts: 32,347
edited April 2012 in EggHead Forum
Curious as to the trend-There have been several recent posts extolling the virtues of turbo butt and rib cooks.  I have tried both the low&slow and the turbo approach and prefer the low&slow by a good margin, taste and texture wise not to mention more time for beer carbo-loading.  I enjoy the pace of the low&slow cooks much more (especially with the stability of the BGE) and plan accordingly.  Thoughts??
Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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Comments

  • OLD NORTH STATE BBQ CO.
    OLD NORTH STATE BBQ CO. Posts: 412
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    Amen to that.  Couldn't agree more!

     "Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great, Here's to "Down Home," the Old North State!"

    Med & XL

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  • Buckdodger
    Buckdodger Posts: 957
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    Thoughts?? I've done turbo ribs and were happy with the taste and texture of the meat. We like our ribs a little more "crispy" as far as the "bark" is concerned. Would rather not have them fall of the bone tender. I guess each to his own taste. Have not done a butt that way and probably won't cause I just got a maverick 732 to watch the butt for me overnight.

    Bob
    Alex City Al

    Opelika, Alabama
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  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,674
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    I will not go back to low & slow. Turbo butts and ribs for me.

    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

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  • joe@bge
    joe@bge Posts: 394
    edited April 2012
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    Low and Slow here too...Beer and relaxing during a cook are the main ingredients to its success!  :D

    I have always been happy with the way my low and slows turn out and they are effortless to execute with the BGE. 

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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,961
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    I'm all low and slow on butts but like turbo ribs about the same. Never done a turbo butt so not fair to criticize. I guarantee I would eat one if somebody else made it! Gotta try it though.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • smokinsooner
    smokinsooner Posts: 161
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    Low and slow all the way. Not enough bark on a turbo butt for me... and I enjoy having something to do all day. I turn over the reins to the digiQ for overnighters. Cooking 50+ lbs of butts all at once is a lot of fun. Just make sure you have help with the pulling detail. I've never tried turbo ribs, still trying to perfect the low and slow ribs... which is getting frustrating!
    BOOMER!
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  • Hi54putty
    Hi54putty Posts: 1,873
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    I'm with Mickey. He is the president of the turbo club and I am a proud member...one of many.
    XL,L,S 
    Winston-Salem, NC 
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  • Hillbilly-Hightech
    Hillbilly-Hightech Posts: 966
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    Question - so I was watching a show w/ Alton Brown awhile back (well, I wasn't actually watching it WITH Alton Brown, I mean he was the star of the show) :D

    Anyway, I believe he said something about rendering the fat & collagen... yada yada... and the only way to do that was w/ a "low & slow" technique? 

    So, just curious - any of you "turbo" guys - notice any difference in taste, texture, fat content, etc???
    Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup... Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee
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  • Hi54putty
    Hi54putty Posts: 1,873
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    2 differences I notice:

    1. Almost no stall during the cook
    2. Bark has same look and flavor as low and slow but not the same texture. Not as "crunchy"

    No other negatives and one big positive...total cook time.
    XL,L,S 
    Winston-Salem, NC 
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  • gerhardk
    gerhardk Posts: 942
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    +1 for low and slowwwwww

    Gerhard
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  • Chris88
    Chris88 Posts: 41
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    I have done both and low and slow is the way for me. Did turbo ribs over the weekend and I think they came out ok but the wife did not like them. So that's why it will be low and slow for me.
    Egg head in Louisiana.
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  • Dave in Florida
    Dave in Florida Posts: 1,157
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    I have only done one turbo butt and I did find the bark was not as good as low and slow.  Just my opinion, but it tasted just as good.  Now turbo ribs, I have done them many time using spares and baby backs.  I always do turbo ribs and have had great success with them.  Everyone says they are some of the best ribs they have ever had. 
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!
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  • stevesails
    stevesails Posts: 990
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    I did Turbo ribs yesterday. 350 dome for an hour a side,  meat pulled back on the bone and the bend test was perfect. I loved them, I  just dont have 5 hours to cook them.

     

    XL   Walled Lake, MI

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  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
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    I prefer low and slow on butts. I tried the turbo method on a Butt recently and didn't wrap it in foil and the bark came out burnt and nasty. I had to throw the best part of the cook away. I prefer to set my guru at 230 and put it on around 10pm and an 8 pounder will be done for dinner the next night. If I was in a hurry I would try the turbo butt and foil it when the bark looked good and see how that came out but I would have to be in a pinch.
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  • burr_baby33
    burr_baby33 Posts: 503
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    I trained under Mickey for turbo butts. Love them that way. Did one Saturday, very tasty.
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  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
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    Do you foil the turbo butts?
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  • Hi54putty
    Hi54putty Posts: 1,873
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    Yes, foil at 160.
    XL,L,S 
    Winston-Salem, NC 
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  • 70chevelle
    70chevelle Posts: 280
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    I did turbo BB's yesterday for the first time. Tasted fine and pulled clean from the bone (not fall off the bone). The biggest difference my wife recognized was that the fat didn't break down as it does when I low and slow. The texture was different and she prefers the longer cook, but when time is tight I'll do them again. They were on for 2 hours at 350.
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  • brentsee
    brentsee Posts: 99
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    Low and slow for me!!  Don't know if I will ever try turbo.

     

     

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  • Egg Juju
    Egg Juju Posts: 658
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    I have done both styles on butts and I like the slower method.  I found the turbo to be a little less succulent.  Coming from the land of offsets and bullets everything I cook on the egg is "turbo" by comparison.  I'm looking for a new rib recipe so I may give the turbo a shot.

    Large and Small BGE * www.quelfood.com
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  • LBC Dawg
    LBC Dawg Posts: 116
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    I do turbo now. i can put em on before bed, and pull it off when i get up and have it for lunch, or put it on in the am, and have it for dinner. i don't foil them at all until they come off the egg. the bark is perfect, and it tastes no different than a low and slow. if i'm cooking a piece of meat to a desired 200 internal degrees, i don't see the need in doing that over 15-16 hours when i can do it in about 8 and make it just as good.

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  • Ragtop99
    Ragtop99 Posts: 1,570
    edited May 2012
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    I aim for low and slow.  Nice thing about all the turbo butt/ribs posts is it makes low and slow a lot less stressful.  I use to worry about starting late (and thus dealing with an angry family being served dinner late) and perfectly nailing the temp lest the food not be good.  Now, I'm much more relaxed about it.  If I start later than planned, I can cook at 275* - 300* and make up the time.  If the grill temps get away from me and it gets to 300*, no worries, it will just be done a little sooner than expected. 

    If I plan for turbo, I'm back to square one and need to pay attention.  ;)

    Cooking on an XL and Medium in Bethesda, MD.
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