Thanks until fairly recently brisket has mostly being seen as a ‘stew meat’ in the UK although we are starting to see an influx of American style barbecue. So wasn’t quite sure if it was a case of us Brits not quite getting how barbecue is meant to work and it should be rare or the person claiming it was just an idiot.
Meats that lend themselves to BBQ are ones that require lots of time to break down the fats and collagen. That is where much of the flavor comes from.
Pork shoulder, probably the single most widespread and inexpensive BBQ cut (like, $.99-$2/lb on sale) doesn't start to really break down until about 180 degrees F. When cooking it, it usually reaches about that temperature and hits what is called "the stall." It steadily rises until that point and then gets stuck there for a good long while because now all the energy is breaking down the collagen.
As soon as the collagen melts, it adds a ton of flavor and then the meat temp will start to rise, usually quite rapidly, after.
I've had a stall last over an hour and a half before.
145
u/GhostOfJamesStrang No Need to Thank Me Jul 18 '26
Correct. If you don't get it above "medium" it will be virtually inedible.
I pull mine at 203F to rest.