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Watching a pitmaster in Memphis handle a brisket stall changed my whole approach
I was at the Memphis in May competition back in 2019, just watching teams from the sidelines. This one guy from Texas had a brisket that just wouldn't climb past 165 for hours. Instead of freaking out, he just wrapped it in butcher paper and said to his buddy, 'It's just taking a nap, let it sleep.' He didn't crank the heat or poke it, just trusted the process. I used to panic and mess with the fire, but now I just let it ride. Anyone else have a moment like that where you learned to just walk away?
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terry_shah172mo ago
Seriously, it's just a piece of meat cooking. People act like it's some deep life lesson. It's a brisket stall, not a hostage situation. You wrap it or you don't, and eventually it gets done. I've seen guys treat their grill like it's a newborn baby, but at the end of the day, we're just making lunch.
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rose_hart311mo ago
My first brisket stall had me opening the smoker every twenty minutes like a nervous wreck. I mean, the temp just sat at 162 for what felt like forever. I finally wrapped it in peach paper around hour seven and just left it alone for three more hours. It came out perfect. Sometimes you just have to close the lid and walk away, idk. All that checking just lets the heat out and makes everything take longer.
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Maybe it's not a life lesson for everyone, but @terry_shah17, that patience is the real skill. Watching someone stay calm and trust the process taught me more than any recipe. It turns good barbecue into something special.
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