What kind of methods do you use when you don’t cook to temp with a probe?
To be absolutely clear, there are only certain circumstances where I cook meats to a certain minimum internal temperature. Those cases are solely when food safety guidelines, and note "probe tender" to mechanical resistance is the controlling circumstance where I determine the meat is at an appropriate point to remove from the heat.
Here's what I do. It's not "Right", it's not "Wrong", it's what I do. There are undoubtedly others who do differently. So keep that frame of mind while reading this.
With larger cuts like beef brisket, Boston Butt pork, pork picnic roast etc. I don't remove the meat from the heat until it meets low mechanical resistance when probed. This can be with a shish kebab skewer for example. Testing for mechanical resistance "probe temperature" doesn't require any temperature data for me at least.
Some folks would consider this somewhat overcooking such cuts, as there will be some "carryover cooking" after the meat is removed from the heat - the result of the internal meat mass equilibrating with the meat surface temperature which is so close to cook chamber temperature at that point I treat it as equal cook chamber temperature. Heat transfer is driven by difference in temperature (also known as temperature gradient) After removing such a cut of meat from the heat (i.e. while resting the meat) this difference will drive close to zero, or so close to zero it's negligible. At zero difference, there is no heat transfer. In my experience I can't say such carryover cooking has resulted in an overly tender, nr mushy, end product but I don't cook in competitions. Others may have different experience.
Poultry is a different matter, I always check poultry internal temperature for food safety guidelines before removing from the heat. Note large cuts of beef and pork as referenced in my prior paragraph well exceed internal temperature food safety guidelines by the time "probe tender" by testing mechanical resistance is reached.
Similarly, one of my typical holiday special entrees is a boneless pork loin I scroll cut, brine, stuff with cheese & fruit & nuts, roll + tie, then smoke roast. This dish I always test internal temperature of the center meat in the spiral for food safety guidelines before removing from the heat. Testing for "probe tender" via mechanical resistance is meaningless for this dish.
In these two particular situations, I don't require continuous remote monitoring of internal temperature, checking via either a tested electronic or analog meat thermometer when I judge the meat is "getting close" by cook chamber temperature (whether by analog thermometer or remote monitoring) and rechecking at my guesstimate interval until the meat internal temperature meets or slightly exceeds food safety guidelines.
Having said all that: for pork ribs I never use any measurement of meat internal temperature. This also falls into the category where food safety guideline temperature will be exceeded well before the end product is appropriately tender for consumption. The meat layer is relatively thin vs larger cuts as discussed in prior paragraphs. This causes potential issues of a temperature probe obtaining appropriate meat internal temperature instead of being skewed from being influenced by proximity to bones - and those bone ends exposed to cook chamber temperature are better conductors of heat than the meat. Also, it follows this relatively thinner meat layer has a lower gradient - difference - between the surface and the "middle" internal temperature between any two bones.
So I look for things such as how far the rib meat has pulled back (shrunk) from the rib bone tips, a mechanical via gloved finger & thumb "wiggle" resistance test on exposed bone tips, whether I see cracking along any of the meat surface, and other such things. Some folks use a "bend test", I dont because when I cook pork ribs I typically purchase either St. Louis Cut pork spare ribs or pork loin back ribs (aka baby back ribs). I cut these (vertically) into half racks, stand them vertically in metal rib racks, and cook them in one of my vertical bullet style smokers. So removing these portions from the metal rib racks and putting them back in if nt done is impractical for me, and a bend test is less reliable on racks cut in half. My approach is more efficient and easier (lazier) than cookng these in one of my offset smokers. I'll use one of my offset smokers if I purchase full size spare ribs. For those, I may include a bend test.
Ther are some thinner electronic temperature probes, both in handheld and remote probe models, that may be more suitable fpr usong pork rib IT information. I don't see value in my cooking as for one thing as-purchased meat thickness across slabs of ribs I purchase isn't uniform from one side to another, and I don't see value in trying to trim them to a uniform thickness. Other folks who cook to compete may have a different perspective and experience base. To me, I accept the fact that the sections with thinner meat may be ready to remove from the heat a bit earlier than sections with thicker meat. I compensate enough for my purposes by grouping the thicker half racks of pork ribs together in one metal rib rack, and similar for the thinner half racks of pork ribs. I'll put the thicker pieces on the lower food grate and the thinner pieces on the upper food grate in one of my vertical style smokers. For full size racks of pork ribs in one of my offset smokers, I compensate by rotating these racks that are laying horizontally on the food grates during the cook session.
End piece ribs ate what they are, and I'll eat them even if they're slightly more done, or a bit dry, than my wife likes in order to get the majority of the other ribs in a good zone. Especially when I reheat ribs as leftovers, I can somewhat braise those crisper end ribs while reheating them.
So now you have info not only how, but also why, I use different approaches in different situations. It's long winded but I think it's necessary for a more comprehensive understanding.
As always, YMMV.
