Overnight cooks and spritzing the meat

[jannisg]

Hi folks,

I'm wanting to cook more low and slow food on weekdays or better yet nights so I can put the food on around 8 - 10pm and then take the food off around 7am and take it to work with me.

In preparation of nightly cooks I've gotten a Flame Boss 200 so I don't have to worry about temperature control over night and actually get some sleep

So my main question now is, can I leave the meat (beef short ribs, briskets, pulled pork mostly) unattended and not spritz as I would do every hour if I was cooking during the day time?

Would love to hear from people that have done these "unattended" cooks before.

[5698k]

Cook away! What you're planning is pretty much all I do. I'm pretty liberal wth my rubs, and I've never had flavor issues with this process. I'm not really sure that spritzing does all that much anyway.

Rob

[wickedcajun]

I m like Rob^^^ no spritzing needed!!!

[BEER-N-BBQ by Larry]

I quit spritzing, mopping, and sopping the day I got my first kamado. I do overnight cooks exclusively (except for ribs) for low and slow. Never had any problem as long as I use my maverick temp monitor with my receiver on my night stand. I don't even use any temp controller gadgets.

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[JaxxQ]

I quit spritzing, mopping, and sopping the day I got my first kamado. I do overnight cooks exclusively (except for ribs) for low and slow. Never had any problem as long as I use my maverick temp monitor with my receiver on my night stand. I don't even use any temp controller gadgets.

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Me too

[Mr Cue]

Spritzing is moot when cooking in a Kamado and would probably be detrimental to your temp control as you keep opening/closing the dome. Mops and spritzes are for traditional cookers, like stickburners, that dry out meat because of the substantial airflow; that's a non-issue in a kamado. I don't usually cook overnight anymore because you power through a butt or brisket at 275-300 without any negative effects in a kamado. Unless it helps with the timing of your meal or other scheduling conflicts, I put my BBQ on in the morning and am ready to eat mid-afternoon.

[shuley]

I keep wanting to do this but I am worried about reheating the meat for dinner and then ending up with dry food after all that effort. Let me know if you solve that problem.

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[CeramicChef]

@Jannisg -at this point you've probably figured out that spritzing isn't needed because of the unique capabilities of the kamado as a cooker.

I'd like to make a bigger point. Don't make your kamado be something it isn't intended to be. Let your kamado be a kamado, do what it's designed to do, and you're in for the best food you've ever cooked!

Forget all the techniques you've learned using gassers, kettles, stick burners, etc. You don't need to add moisture to the system by employing water pans, spritzing etc. Just fill your kamado up with lump, light it, set your vents, put the cook on the grate, and walk away. No peeking! Use a two probe electronic thermometer to monitor temps.

Ask about how to best get something done. We're quite willing to help. You'll get a variety of answers, but that's okay.m you'll quickly see the common thread and you'll soon be giving us advice on what you've found works best for you and your kamado.

So, here's to great cooks in your kamado and here's to creating even better memories with family and friends!

[CeramicChef]

I keep wanting to do this but I am worried about reheating the meat for dinner and then ending up with dry food after all that effort. Let me know if you solve that problem.

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shuley - I tend to employ a couple of techniques for reheating leftovers.

The first makes use of a sous vide controller. Seal the leftovers in a Zip-loc bag, squeeze the air out, and immerse the bag in the sous vide pot with the temp set at around 145°. Sometimes I'll add a little apple juice and a dash of rub. Ideally I will have some au juice reserved for just this purpose.

Secondly, if I'm reheating a lot of leftovers, say a steam table or half steam table pan of meat, I'll add some apple juice or better yet, some of the au juice from the cook, a little more rub, and I'll put it in a kamado at 200°. I'll open everything up to stir things and then close it up.

Reheating is really no big deal.

[BEER-N-BBQ by Larry]

I keep wanting to do this but I am worried about reheating the meat for dinner and then ending up with dry food after all that effort. Let me know if you solve that problem.

Sure. Here it is: you don't need to reheat it.

When it's done, wrap it up well in foil then put it in small cooler, or in your oven at the lowest setting until you are ready to eat.

For my larger gatherings, I get some steam trays going about an hour before the party, shred or slice the meat, and then put them in the trays covered until serving time.

[shuley]

I keep wanting to do this but I am worried about reheating the meat for dinner and then ending up with dry food after all that effort. Let me know if you solve that problem.

Sure. Here it is: you don't need to reheat it.

When it's done, wrap it up well in foil then put it in small cooler, or in your oven at the lowest setting until you are ready to eat.

For my larger gatherings, I get some steam trays going about an hour before the party, shred or slice the meat, and then put them in the trays covered until serving time.

Leaving it in the oven all day doesn't dry it out?

[BEER-N-BBQ by Larry]

@shuley

Leaving it in the oven all day doesn't dry it out?

If it's wrapped well in foil and stored in a cooler, in a 170 deg F oven, or in a steam tray, it's fine for hours. If it's a concern about the length of time then start you cook later in the evening so that it ends later in the day or cook it at a lower temp to lengthen the cooking process. I've done all of these options over the years.

[rich_l]

@shuley  I think the idea is to start your cook at such a time that it finishes at about 4PM, then just after you rest and slice your meat your guests arrive.

 

ENJOY

[jannisg]

Thanks a lot everyone for the feedback!

 

Will try my first overnighter next week sometime and will completely forgo the spritzing.

I'm thinking of going in with a rather low temperature like 220F for some beef ribs and put them on around 8pm the previous day and run them til 7am in the morning (target temp: 203F internal) so I don't do them too quickly and have to wake up early early

[tinyfish]

Can't wait to see/hear how it turns out.