That time a pitmaster told me to stop wrapping brisket in foil and I think he was wrong

I overheard a guy at a competition in Kansas City last fall say wrapping in butcher paper is always better, but after 8 years of experimenting I'd argue foil gets you a better bark every time if you just let it rest longer, has anyone else found foil works fine for them?

2 comments

2 Comments

hill.hugo21d ago

I've been wrapping in foil for 7 years and my bark comes out way better than any paper wrap I've tried, especially if I leave it in the cooler for a full 3 hours. That extra rest time really lets the steam settle back into the meat.

jana_henderson5221d ago

Man idk, I kinda went through the same thing with my smoker a while back. I used foil for years and always thought the bark was good enough, but then I tried peach paper on a pork butt and it was night and day difference. That paper lets the meat breathe just enough where the bark stays crunchy instead of getting all steamed soft. I still use foil for ribs sometimes if I'm in a rush because it's faster, but for brisket especially I stick with the paper now. Everyone's setup is different though, so I get why foil works for some folks.