I was a brisket purest for years until a guy in Kansas City showed me the wrap trick

Used to think wrapping brisket was for people who couldn't manage a fire. Went to a comp in Kansas City in 2021 and this old pitmaster let me try his wrapped packer that had been sitting in butcher paper for 2 hours. The bark was softer than mine but the moisture was insane. He told me he wraps at 165 every single time and hasn't had a dry flat in 8 years. Tried it on my next cook at home and honestly it saved a brisket that was stalling hard at 170. Still not gonna wrap every time, but for tough cuts I'm converted. Anyone else come around on wrapping after swearing it off?

3 comments

3 Comments

fionafoster2d ago

My neighbor swears by the Texas crutch for pork shoulders and I finally caved and tried it on a butt that was sweating out at 190 for three hours straight. Wrapped it in foil with some apple cider vinegar and it pushed through the stall in 45 minutes flat with the most tender pull I have ever had. Ever find that once you break one barbecue rule, the others start falling like dominoes?

phoenix_singh252d ago

What's your take on the bark situation after wrapping like that? I've seen folks swear you lose that crunchy exterior once the foil goes on. Did the apple cider vinegar help get some of that texture back or did you just accept a softer finish?

nina_taylor1d ago

Jumped into the exact same boat last summer... was a purist myself, swore wrapping was cheating. Then I hit a stall on a brisket that wouldn't budge past 168 for almost two hours, figured I had nothing to lose. Wrapped it in peach butcher paper with a splash of apple juice, and it flew through the stall in about an hour. The bark wasn't as crunchy but it was still good, just more of a soft bite. @phoenix_singh25 I think the trick is you gotta let it rest unwrapped for a bit after it comes off the smoker to firm that bark back up. And yeah fionafoster, that dominoes thing is real too... once you wrap one thing, next thing you know you're trying foil boats and injecting and all that.