Overheard a guy at the meat counter say thermometers are for nerds

I was grabbing brisket at the Kroger in Nashville last Saturday and this older fella in a dirty Carhartt jacket tells the butcher that a probe thermometer is just a crutch for people who can't feel the meat. He said he's been cooking for 30 years and never used one. I almost laughed out loud because I ruined a 40 dollar pork shoulder last summer trusting my gut, pulled it at 190 instead of 203 and it chewed like a boot. I get the whole 'pitmaster instinct' thing, but there's a reason the pros at Franklin's still keep a ThermoPen on the rack. I ended up telling him my brisket horror story and he just shrugged and said 'you can't rush a fire' which sounds cool but didn't bring my dry flat back. Have any of you ever gone full caveman with temps and actually nailed it, or did you all go back to the digital lifeline too?

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michaelb1125d ago

You can't rush a fire" is a solid line until you're chewing on a 40 dollar boot at dinner. My grandpa cooked on the same pit for 40 years and swore by feel too, but he also drank warm beer and thought seatbelts were for cowards. A 12 dollar thermometer would've saved you more money than his whole philosophy is worth.

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