Variations in Medium Heat???

Anthony Up North

I'm noticing there are variations in the amount of heat many of you use in cooking ribs or chicken for example. If one is using indirect heat, what effect does it have on the meat to cook as 225 or 250 for example as compared to 300 or 325. I know it will take longer to cook on lower heat, but what are the other advantage-disadvantage of the lower vs higher temps? In taste or crispyness for example???[p]Thanks![p]Anthony Up North

Nature Boy

Anthony Up North,
In general the fattier meats do better with lower temps and longer times. Lean meats need to be cooked faster with higher temps.[p]If you use liquid in your drip pan, like some do, the entire surface of the water never gets above 212 (or whatever your boiling temps are in your location). So that is a something you need to account for. 300 dome temp with meat over a drip pan with water really cooks pretty slow (example spare ribs 3-4 hours). When I cooked the ribs at 250 it took nearly 6 hours. [p]Yet 250 dome temp is a great temp for doing briskets and butts indirect.[p]When I do chicken pieces indirect (leaner meat) I use 400-450.[p]Not sure if this helps.[p]NB

Anthony Up North

Nature Boy,
It helps a lot... I'll put in my file for future reference. Thanks much.[p]Anthony Up North

Gfw

Anthony Up North, one of the great thing about this forum is that most of us have developed a cooking style that each of us prefers - experiment and do it both ways and sample the results - the best one is the one that works best for you! Good luck.

Char-Woody

Anthony Up North, Direct low and slo method will give you a more crispy exterior and a drier finished rib..Not a "dry" dryness but less fat is retained in the fiber of the meat and around the bone. Indirect over a barrier will give you a more moist rib, without exterior crusting leaning more toware a juicy meat with more fatty retention of the marbling in the meat.
It all depends on whether you wish to flip your ribs and baste or whether you want to add sauces on your ribs the last hour or so on how you want to cook em.
One of my favorite tips recipe sites is
http://www.dannysbbq.com/recipes.asp[p]Just my experience..Both ways are great to the desire of the cook.
Cheers..C~W[p]
[ul][li]Good BBQ ribs Info.[/ul]

Unknown

Char-Woody,
Great link sir. Thank you. I learned a lot about briskets from his site when I first did a chunk-o-chest last year. Good stuff. Straight forward info.[p]Hope you be enjoying one of those Guinnesses and that your weekend is going well.
NB

Char-Woody

NB, A Guinness always makes a weekend go well..especially with BBQ pulled pork on a bun!! I only drink that in a frozen mug from a -20 below freezer..cold enuff to freeze the foam on top. Great stuff!!
Cheers..C~W

Anthony Up North

Char-Woody,
The link you gave me (Danny's Secrets) were great. I bookmarked it and downloaded some of his suggestions. You have helped me much. Thanks a million.[p]Anthony Up North

Anthony Up North

Gfw,
I agree wholeheardedly with your view. Everyone has different techniques that work, and different tastes they prefer. But it helps a Newbie like me to understand the many (sometimes mind-boggling) possibilities, drawing on the many experiences of good folks like you. We Newbies can try them, keep the one that work for us and reject the ones that don't. Ditto for tastes. [p]I do appeciate your suggestion however, it always helps to be reminded.[p]Thanks much![p]Anthony Up North.

Char-Woody

Anthony Up North, and a million thanks for your being here. Glad to help..
C~W[p]