I thought wrapping brisket was a cheat until my buddy in Austin showed me his results

For a long time I said real pitmasters just let the meat ride through the stall. Then my friend smoked two briskets side by side on his offset, one wrapped in butcher paper after 5 hours and one left bare. The wrapped one was way more tender and juicy, and it finished cooking 2 hours faster. He cut them both and the proof was right there on the cutting board. Anyone else have a strong opinion on wrapping that got flipped?

3 comments

3 Comments

fiona_young2mo ago

Got me thinking about how wrapping changes the bark. I used to chase that super dark, crunchy bark on my ribs, but wrapping always made it softer. Then I tried wrapping for just the last hour instead of the whole stall. That gave me a tender bite but still left some crispy bits on the edges. It's not all or nothing, you can play with the timing to get what you want.

nancy_smith2mo ago

Oh man, same here! I was such a no-wrap purist for years. My turning point was a backyard cookout where I wrapped one rack of ribs in foil with a little apple juice halfway through. The unwrapped ones were good, but the wrapped ones just fell off the bone and everyone went crazy for them. Changed my whole outlook.

daniel_lane301mo ago

Yeah I read something about how wrapping basically steams the meat in its own juices. I mean it makes sense why it turns out more tender like @nancy_smith said. Idk maybe it's just me but I'm starting to think the whole "no wrap" thing is just for show.