A guy at a Memphis rib cook-off told me to stop poking my meat

I was checking my ribs with a probe thermometer, like I always do, and this older guy next to me just shook his head. He leaned over and said, 'Every time you poke it, you let the good stuff out. You're just letting the heat out for a number.' He was using a small offset smoker that looked ancient. I've been thinking about that for months now. Has anyone else had a pitmaster give you advice that made you change a basic habit?

2 comments

2 Comments

rileyjones15d ago

My ribs are probably all bone and regret from my constant poking!

wren_rodriguez15d ago

My buddy actually cracked a rib from doing that, no joke. He was just messing around poking his side and coughed at the wrong time. Now he's super careful about it, which is probably smart.