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from the if-god-isn't-real-how-come-meat-can-be-cooked? dept.
Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984
[...] You've just encountered the bane of aspiring pit masters everywhere: the Stall (also known as the Zone or the Plateau), a common phenomenon in low-temperature cooking. What, precisely, causes the stall is a perennial topic of debate among BBQ enthusiasts. Is it a protein called collagen in the meat, which combines with water to convert to gelatin at the 160°F point? Or is it due to the fat rendering, turning lipids to liquid?
Several years ago, Greg Blonder, a Boston College professor, did the experiments and came up with a definitive answer: evaporative cooling. The meat sweats as it cooks, releasing the moisture within, and that moisture evaporates and cools the meat, effectively canceling out the heat from the BBQ. These days, Blonder is the resident science advisor and myth buster at the popular BBQ and grilling site called Amazing Ribs. "I spend a lot of my time settling bar fights, basically," he joked.
Source: https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/09/let-science-be-your-guide-for-the-perfect-labor-day-bbq/
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 09 2018, @01:28PM
Bullshit.
Now, if you are referring to the often incredibly shitty "BBQ sauces" at a grocery store then I'll agree, but a well balanced sauce can match perfectly with the smoke, meat, and fat flavors. A bit of acid to "cut" heavily marbled or cuts with big chunks of fat, a little bit of sweetness, some different bitterness (besides the delicious acrid "burnt" flavors), astringency/sharpness from raw garlic (if that's your thing), some smoke flavor, and some spiciness to taste for flavor and effect.
I often go with a heavily modified East Texas style sauce, but it depends on the cut and what is on the side.