foil or paper?

Hoosier13 · May 11, 2015

When wrapping brisket which do you use/prefer and why:
1) foil
2) butcher paper
3) parchment paper

I am interested in any tip's or reasons as to which you prefer. Any pros and/or cons appreciated. Thanks!

smoke ninja · May 11, 2015

Im a butcher paper wrapper.

mikemci · May 11, 2015

When I wrap, it's with brown paper. Keeps the bark from getting mushy. I usually don't wrap at all though.

code3rrt · May 11, 2015

When wrapping anything really, I use butcher paper. In my opinion it helps keep the meat moist, but at the same time doesn't braise the meat, and the bark holds up much better with paper.

KC

Bludawg · May 11, 2015

Butcher paper or a Brown grocery sack

Richard1233 · May 12, 2015

Foil but I'm slowly getting away from wrapping any thing anymore.

darkoozy · May 12, 2015

Butcher paper here as well. Nothing wrong with using foil but consider this...

Foil speeds the cook, braises the meat and softens the bark. Butcher paper will preserve the brisket's moisture/tenderness and allow the cook to continue preserving the bark, where all the flavor is at.

Never tried parchment paper, but should have similar behavior as butcher paper.

http://www.pospaper.com/241000r.html

If you get butcher paper make sure its wide enough to allow you to wrap briskets easily. I also recommend a dispenser as some rolls are huge/heavy.

IamMadMan · May 12, 2015

Butcher paper always produces a great bark in the end result....

I have never used parchment paper because one side has a non-stick coating. While the coating will withstand temperatures over 400 degrees, I don't know if it will allow the paper to fully breath without trapping moisture.

Mikeincalgary · May 12, 2015

Butcher paper only for brisket? Or can it be used for beef and port ribs?

thirdeye · May 12, 2015

Wrap with it (it doesn't matter what meats)

Serve on it

And sometimes use a foil liner on the bottom

I buy the 24" wide roll which is perfect for covering a counter top when doing prep work... makes clean-up EZ.

SpartaChris · May 12, 2015

Does wrapping in butcher paper also help speed up the cook?

TTSkipper · May 12, 2015

IamMadMan said:
Butcher paper always produces a great bark in the end result....

I have never used parchment paper because one side has a non-stick coating. While the coating will withstand temperatures over 400 degrees, I don't know if it will allow the paper to fully breath without trapping moisture.

Parchment paper will definitely hold in moisture, that is why it is used when cooking fish in paper with vegetables, "en papillot" style steaming the fish in it's own juices. I would think that it will soften the bark for sure.

mikemci · May 12, 2015

SpartaChris said:
Does wrapping in butcher paper also help speed up the cook?

Yes.

AlwaysSmokey · May 12, 2015

I used to be pretty hard core butcher paper only. Now, this is another thing I don't care as much about anymore. I like BP and Foil. Never used parchment. I like to go unwrapped too. Just depends on how full the moon is, and how heavy my beer is, and if the dog is scratchin' alot.

In all seriousness I like them all. I find a use for each one at different times. Heck, even the foil pans. I did a pulled brisket not to long ago that went in a pan after it had been on awhile. Sure,. it ended up braised. But that's what I was after... best damn tacos ever!

robert-r · May 12, 2015

I've used parchment paper to wrap a brisket. The biggest problem with it is that it only comes in 15" rolls, so you have to use several pieces for the wrap. The stuff is much tougher than foil which makes probing difficult. Ended partially unwrapping to probe. It sure braises the meat, though - it was swimming in juices and I hadn't added any before wrapping. Makes for some good sauce. The brisket was rather soggy, so I put it back in the cooker to dry it off & finish. The meat came out good, but I doubt I'd do it again.

I prefer butcher paper.

JS-TX · May 12, 2015

SpartaChris said:
Does wrapping in butcher paper also help speed up the cook?

I haven't noticed this, it might but for me not by much if any.

mahenryak · May 12, 2015

Hello. FWIW I use 40 lb weight, food-grade butcher paper, as opposed to foil, when I wrap to preserve the integrity of the bark, as previously mentioned by another poster. It is important that there is no wax on either side. I purchase the 24"-wide rolls just to make things a little easier for larger cuts of meat. Color of the paper is not important--white is fine.

lennitt · May 12, 2015

I tried butcher paper on the last rack of baby backs I did instead of foil. They were the best ribs I have cooked to date. But the smoker was running a little hotter than usual (270 vs 250), I used a slightly spicier rub and maybe it was just a really good rack to begin with. I guess it will take some more experimenting to figure it out. One of the great things about BBQ!

Wampus · May 12, 2015

Butcher paper.
I like the bark better, plus it's a LOT cheaper!
I find that it still speeds up the cook rather than not wrapping.

whiterockque · May 12, 2015

Tons of good comments here. I'll just add one more vote for butcher paper.

For me, I find foil speeds up the cook too much and the bark is mushy which is kind of gross.

I bought a huge roll of it from a restaurant supply store a year ago and I am only half way through.

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