My 8 year old niece just asked me why I don't cook my brisket faster

I was showing her my offset smoker in the backyard, and she pointed at it and said, 'That's a big oven. Why does the meat have to sleep in there for a whole day?' I tried to explain low and slow, but she just shrugged and said, 'Our oven at home gets to 450 degrees in five minutes.' It made me laugh, but then I actually thought about it for a second. Has a kid ever said something about your process that made you stop and think?

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3 Comments

grant5407mo ago

Yeah, I used to just follow the rules without asking why.

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the_pat7mo ago

Man, that hits home. I burned so many meals just following recipes to the letter. Now I taste everything as I go, adjust heat based on how things look, not just the timer. Changed the whole game for me.

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corac917mo ago

Ever read that thing about how kids ask the best questions because they skip all the rules we just accept? Your niece pointing out the smoker is just a big oven is kind of brilliant. It makes you realize how much of cooking is just tradition we don't question.

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