Meat juices & cool down question

[bigal]

I'm slow in the head so this may be a simple answer. When doing brisket, butts, all meat really; many people wrap in a towel and into a cooler after it is done. In the cooler it will continue to cook a little and this also lets the juices redistribute and not "run" out when slicing. Before slice'n, shouldn't you unwrap and let cool more? If it's still cook'n a bit, will the juices not have time to redistribute?

I never have done the cooler method, but have wrapped in foil and then in a towel and let sit on counter top.

Simply put, at what temp does the juices redistribute throughout the meat? Below boiling point? below 170*? Has anyone "tested" this? Does it reall matter? Or "x" amount of time away from a heat source above 200*?

Wanted to ask and take a break from book work, I tend to take alot of breaks when doing book work.

 

[stray]

It does continue to cook when you wrap in foil and place in the cooler, but meat will continue to cook some after taking off the heat source. What you are trying to do by wrapping in a towel and placing in a cooler is to take full advantage of this cooking time. The slower that it finishes cooking and then cooling down to the point you can slice or pull it the more even the juices get redistributed though out the meat. So in reality it is nothing really different than your wrapping it in a towel and setting it on the counter, except for giving the juices more time to return to the meat. I leave my briskets wrapped up and in the cooler tell they are cool enough to slice, usually around an hour or little more and even then I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t get in to any rush to get to it.

 

[bigal]

AAAAHHHHHHH! Never thought of it as just a "slow cool down". Probably the slower the better. A good "trial" would be to smoke 2 briskets, put one directly in fridge and slice after an hour, and put the other in a cooler and slice after 2 hrs, or go by temp on each.

I might have to try that, just for sh!t's and giggles.

Thanks Stray!