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**Breadhead** · December 14, 2016, 02:19 PM

Looks like a great cook to me. The temperature variation is well within the acceptable ranges. One thing you might want to do on your next PB cook is start a few hours earlier. There's lots of pressure and anxiety when your wife and friends are pressuring you to get their food on the table.

Remember... the faux Cambro Meathead taught us about is a BBQ'ers best buddy. Also remember that Pork Butts & Briskets are best after they've spent a couple of hours in the Cambro. You can leave your meat tightly wrapped in heavy duty aluminum foil in the Cambro for up to 4 hours and stay within the food safety temperature requirements.

This cook took you 11 hours. On your next cook I would determine what time you want to serve it and start your cook 14 hours before that time. That way if your meat cooks a little bit faster it will get 4 hours in the Cambro. If it takes a little bit longer then you will still a couple of hours in the Cambro.

Your food will taste better after spending time in the Cambro. You will feel no pressure and your wife and family will love being served exactly when you told them to expect to eat. I've been doing it that way for years and I never serve my food late!

**realdocBBQ** · December 17, 2016, 12:39 PM

Good tips... I've never put my pork butts in the cambro, though. I just pull it off the smoker and start pulling it apart. I've never had a single complaint and every person who has ever tried it has said it was the best they ever had - without fail. My ego gets a bit puffed up over my BBQ. lol

Maybe I will try putting the pork butt in the faux cambro next time and see how it goes? I just put a 2lb 10oz Prime brisket flat in the smoker about a half-hour ago, and I expect I will cambro that, I might even Texas Crutch it. I don't know yet. It's pretty thin, only 1.25-1.5" probably, at most. I have 6-7 hours total time from placing in the smoker till time to eat, I think, so that should give me some room to play with it, with that small/thin a piece, and being a flat, I am thinking the wrap/crutch/cambro will help me keep it as moist and tender as possible.

**Breadhead** · December 17, 2016, 01:46 PM

realdocBBQ ... there's no rules in BBQ! Just helpful hints.

Meathead's comments on the Cambro & brisket...

Holding? Then it comes off the cooker and it gets wrapped in foil and sits in a faux cambro, an insulated box like a beer cooler, for 1 to 4 hours. Holding helps tenderize by allowing some carryover cooking which helps melt tough connective tissue. The foil also captures natural jus for use in a sauce, and holding the meat allows the surface parts that have dried out during cooking to absorb some of the juices. This is not the same as resting a steak or other meats, which I do not recommend. Holding is also a great fudge factor that lets you take the meat off when it is ready and hold it until the guests are ready.

That's the cooking part. Now the most valuable part of the Cambro, relieves any chance of getting stressed out over a long stall or a double stall. Knowing you're going to be able to serve your guest right on time is very relaxing. Knowing if your guests call to say they are going to be an hour late, your food that you've spent many, many hours to prepare for them is going to hold just fine.

I ALWAYS use a Cambro for brisket and pork butt.👍

**Ckress44** · December 18, 2016, 09:35 PM

Dam,
I've been trying to figure out what's wrong with me and you have given me the answer. I definitely suffer from this CDS you speak of. Any time a nice piece of meat goes on sell I react the same way. Been doing this for years now but just recently joined the pit. I to found some butts on sale, not that cheap, but reasonable. Dry brined for 36 hours or so, put some dust on before throwing on the pellet smoker at 5 this morning. Smoked until temp was about 167, I think I had just passed the stall and noticed my maverik BBQ readout temp was dropping. My dam auger malfunctioned and I raced to get them in the oven. Luckily this is my common practice of always watching my temps and I was able to produce some of the best pulled pork yet. FYI, I had a little mop sauce left from last weekends ribs that a decided to mix with the finished product and served with some grown up mustard sauce. Dam, it was good.
I want to thank you folks at amazing ribs for the great info and knowledge your passing along. I know that I will be a life long fan.

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