Shoutout to the guy at the Memphis in May contest who showed me his brisket wrap method

I used to wrap my briskets in foil after 4 hours, but after seeing him use butcher paper at the 165 degree mark last spring, I switched and my bark has been way better ever since, anyone else make that change?

3 comments

3 Comments

diana201mo ago

But what if you like a softer bark?

shane6551mo ago

Oh man, I went through this exact thing. I started pulling my meat off about 10-15 degrees earlier than I normally would, like 195 instead of 203 for brisket, and then I'd let it rest in a cooler for way longer, like 2-3 hours. That extra rest time really softens up the bark without making it mushy or anything. Also, I found out that using a bit less pepper in my rub helps the bark stay tender, too much black pepper and it gets that crunchy, almost gritty shell.

wilson.kelly1mo ago

Yeah, I get that. I switched to a different wood for smoking, like apple or cherry instead of hickory. It gave a much milder flavor that wasn't so sharp. Just had to keep the temp a bit lower too.