On 7-Feb-2010, "Nonny" > wrote:

> "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On Sun, 7 Feb 2010 01:31:08 -0800 (PST), tutall
> > >
> > wrote:
> >
> >>>
> >>> I've done them at 350 with excellent results
> >>
> >>Didn't want to scare him.
> >>
> >>Barry, smaller cuts like ribs seem to do better at the lower
> >>temps,
> >>but big chunks of meat like butt or brisket? Not so much. Crank
> >>er up
> >>to whatever is easy on your cooker. On raw wood, mine runs hot,
> >>so I
> >>save raw wood for things that can:
> >>A. take a lot of smoke
> >>B. tale a lot of heat.
> >>
> >>Brisket and butts! And chix, don't forget the chix.
> >>
> >>
> >
> > Sure, very logical if you think about it. The meat needs some
> > time at
> > 160 degrees for the collagen to break down. On a thin rib, it
> > hits
> > and passes 160 very fast so you don't get the reaction needed if
> > you
> > cook at a high temperature. With a butt with a cross section of
> > 6" or
> > more, it takes a while for the heat to penetrate, for the fat to
> > render, so the collagen is breaking down for some time, much
> > longer
> > than the thin strips.
>
> IOW, are you saying that if you force the temp past the collagen
> break-down stage through too much heat, that it won't break down?
> Interesting. I'd never considered that.
>
> --
> Nonny

Collagen + temperature + time = gelatin = true.
Gelatin + temperature (neg) + time != collagen = true.
Collagen will convert to gelatin but gelatin will not convert
to collagen.

--
Brick (Youth is wasted on young people)