Question about wrapping brisket in butcher paper vs foil

I was skeptical about butcher paper for years until I tried it on a 16-pound packer brisket last weekend and the bark stayed way crunchier than foil, has anyone else noticed that difference with a longer cook?

2 comments

2 Comments

lucas_carr2417d ago

Foil always gave me that steamed pot roast vibe no matter how hard I tried to avoid it, but butcher paper lets the meat breathe so the bark stays legit crunchy even after resting 4 hours in a cooler. The paper absorbs the grease without trapping moisture against the brisket, which is huge for long cooks where the bark wants to soften up. I wrapped at the stall around 170 and let it ride to 203, and the difference in texture was night and day compared to foil where I'd get that wet paper towel feel on the outside. Plus the paper lets a little smoke keep hitting the meat through the wrap which gives it that deeper color and flavor, foil just shuts all that down. Honestly once I switched I never went back, paper is the way if you care about bark integrity through a whole rest.

julia_hayes17d agoTop Commenter

Heard my buddy swear his brisket bark turned to leather after wrapping in foil.