How Long Does BBQ Take?
When I get the pleasure of talking BBQ with normal people, that’s right I said it!; Real BBQ folks are not “normal”. Anyways, It's never long before I get the question of…. “How Long Did You Cook That?” I admit, In my earlier days I would proudly say “Twelve Hours” just so I could earn more respect and admiration because I was willing to spend that much time in front of the BBQ. That kind of praise would make me feel a few inches taller and I need every inch I could get. The real answer is more complicated and cook times are just guidelines. Before, during and after the cook you need to use all your senses, but most importantly you need to cook it till it's done. When it's time to prepare BBQ for an event, it is hard to judge how much time you need. Don't worry though, you’re in luck! You are at The Grill Coach.com and reading this and we got some great advice for you to follow. Also, please listen to episode #3 of our podcast for more discussion on this topic.
There are so many factors that affect the time it takes to smoke meats. One of the most important and underappreciated factors is “prep time”. You can't run to the store, come home and just throw it on the smoker. First of all, you need good meat and particular cuts to start. You may need to do some homework to determine where to find good meats. Once you get the right meat from the right place, it needs to be trimmed. I believe in trimming all meats to your liking. Remember, smoking meats is a craft and you as the crafter should maintain control of the final product as much as possible. But wait, still not done prepping. Then comes seasoning and dry brining, this method typically is my go to for nearly everything I cook. What is “Dry Brining”? Lol, I wrote about that too. For the purpose of this article, this is another step that adds time to the cooking process. Ultimately, we need to allow time for the salt to dissolve and penetrate the meat. So how much time are we at so far? We haven't even started the fire yet. See how my ego would get out of hand?
Is it time to put the meat on the cooker yet? Well, almost. If you dry brined the meat and all the kosher salt has dissolved so that the meat is glistening with a very vibrant color and an oh so sexy sheen that makes the surface tacky. Now the meat is ready for final seasoning and cooking. Put some of your favorite seasonings on the meat, a little will go a long way at this point because your meat is already seasoned. When your smoker is up to temp that you are shooting for, it's time to get that meat on. Please note, there are a wide range of temperatures that you can cook at. I typically like to put on my meat as cold as possible. The smoke will adhere more to a moist surface and putting the meat on cold will create more evaporation leading to a better smoke ring and smoke flavor. Just don't put the meat on still frozen or else you will get a really uneven cook.
The environment that the meat is cooking in is always changing because the air temperature and wind outside is always changing. You need to learn to cook with all your senses and pay attention throughout the cook. For example, I start by looking at the color of the smoke, then what does the smoke smell like. I may touch the cooker and use my hands in the cooker to look for anything out of the ordinary. I am also listening to the cook, sometimes you might hear too much sizzling of meat so this could be a sign one of your thermometers are off. The point is, when smoking meat you need to be keenly observant to every cook and after time your “BBQ senses” will improve and you can learn to make adjustments before ruining meats.
Some of the best cookers help to keep this temperature as constant as possible and helps eliminate some of the uncertainties. The meat in the cooker is constantly changing as heat is being added to the meat. When you get visual signs that bark is starting to form and meat is starting to shrink. Get out your handy dandy “Meat Thermometer”. You need to know what your temperatures are in the thickest part of the meat. This will typically be your guide. If you happen to have a real thin piece of meat hanging off, you may consider cutting it off during the cook. If there is too much size difference, you will burn things to a crisp.
Make sure that your meat has ample time to rest before serving. You want to wrap your meat in something that will not let it cool down too quickly. The bigger the meat, the longer it needs to rest. For example, I rest a steak for about 5 minutes and I rest a pork shoulder for at least an hour. Then don't be afraid to use that knife we talked about in that same trimming article (blog link again)
So to answer the question, you need to cook to the temperature you need. How long that will actually cook depends on the thickness of the meat that you are cooking and what temperature you are cooking at. Truth is, there are 1000 ways to cook and make your friends and family happy. So give it a try, get a consistent clean fire going before getting your meat on. Use all your senses to get a feel to how the cook is going and then use that meat thermometer to know when it's done.
