A buddy at a Memphis comp changed how I look at bark

He said he never opens the lid for the first 3 hours unless the temp drops below 200, and after trying it on my last pork butt I finally get why everyone talks about that early patience, has anyone else had a hard time leaving the smoker alone at the start?

1 comments

1 Comment

lisak264d ago

Funny enough, I used to be the opposite. I was always peeking and spritzing and messing with the vents every thirty minutes like it mattered. Then I did one cook where I just walked away, only checked the probe after two and a half hours, and the bark came out way darker and crispier than anything I'd gotten before. It was a real slap in the face moment. Now I force myself to go do something else, even if it's just sitting inside scrolling my phone, because I know opening that lid is just stealing heat and breaking the bark before it sets. Patience really does the heavy lifting.