I've been on a BBQ kick lately too, since I've been throwing around the idea of opening a BBQ place here. So HOT TAKES are incoming.
I like some of Meathead's techniques, but I disagree with his ideas about salt, brisket trimming, injection, and higher-temp cooking. Competition BBQ and restaurant BBQ are two different things, mainly because of portion sizes and palate fatigue.
I prefer testing doneness with a twisting fork or knife instead of a thermometer. First, because brisket and pork butt aren't done at any certain temperature, they're done when the connective tissue has dissolved and the collagen from it has mingled with the meat. That varies with every cut. Second, because every thermometer insertion creates holes for moisture to leak from.
He claims that the flavor of spices won't penetrate the outside of the meat, but I've made enough charcuterie to know that's not the case- especially if those spices are both toasted and blended to a fine powder with the salt that's applied to the outside or turned into a brine. If people want their braised meats to taste seasoned throughout, brining/curing it beforehand is the way to do that- nobody eats corned beef and complains that only the outside has flavor.
He also advocates for trimming most of the fat cap off of brisket and then Texas crutching it to deal with the stall that trimming creates due to evaporative cooling. I like leaving a good 3/4 inch of fat on top to render off, basting the rest of the cut for most of the smoking time, and then flipping it to fat side down over foil for the last few hours to create a bark. There'll be a 1/4 inch-ish of fat on the finished brisket.
He's also an advocate of injection, which as far as I'm concerned just creates holes for flavor and moisture to leak out of during cooking and resting. Whole muscles, especially with a good bark on the outside, will redistribute moisture evenly throughout while resting, but those holes in the muscle act like syrup taps in a maple tree.
If any of you don't know about library genesis (libgen.li), it's well worth a google if you like to read. The Franklin BBQ book is legit legit.
