Wrapping vs wrapping in pan

[husker3in4]

What is the verdict when it comes to wrapping meat in foil vs putting the meat in a foil pan and tightly covering the pan in foil? Which is better? Im mainly asking for sliced chucks and briskets.

 

[noboundaries]

It sounds like you're asking for the best way to wrap after a chuck or brisket is smoked/cooked. Is that correct?

Or are you asking what is the best way to wrap meat while it is smoking/cooking if your intention is to slice it when finished? If that's the case, the pan is a better way to catch the juices that you can use later for glazing, sauces, etc.

Both types of wrapping give similar outcomes for bark and tenderness. Using a pan is just a little more costly and takes up more room in your smoker.

 

[husker3in4]

Well I was asking best way to wrap it while it is still in the smoker and cooking to temp. How I usually do it, is have an alunimum pan on the rack under the meat, with a couple layers of foil in it, so when its ready I just drop the meat in the foiled pan and wrap it, then put the foiled meat back on the rack (TallBM trick). I always have a pan under the meat no matter what, just to keep the juices from getting all over inside the smoker. Just curious if there is an advantage or drawback from putting the meat into the pan itself and simply covering with foil when its at the 160 degree mark.

 

[johnmeyer]

I've only been doing this for a few years, but I see no upside to wrapping in foil compared to wrapping in a pan. The advantages of the pan are:

• The pan can be put under the meat during the smoke, and catch all the early drippings. So, you get more drippings.
  
• It is really simple, in my MES smoker, to get the meat into the pan because I just pull out the lower shelf that has the pan, and then slide the meat off the upper grate and down into the pan. I don't have to remove the hot meat, put it on a counter, wrap it, and then get it back into the smoker.
  
• It is easier to put foil over the top of a rectangular pan than around an irregular-shaped piece of meat (minor advantage).
• If you want to re-expose the meat to some smoke at the end of the cook (e.g., 3-2-1), all you do is pop the foil off the top of the pan.

The closeness of the foil, when wrapping, doesn't really affect the rate at which moisture evaporates because, when put in a covered pan, the humidity instantly goes to 100%. That's the same as if the foil was almost in direct contact with the meat, and the moisture loss is the same (actually, moisture loss is entirely a matter of temperature, as Cook's Illustrated has shown with tests they have performed).

BTW, if you want a great read about some of the science needed to get the most moisture in a brisket -- a common smoking staple -- check out this great Cook's Illustrated article:

How To Braise a Brisket

 

[SmokinAl]

I pan mine, it just seems easier, all the juices are already in there so you throw the meat in & cover the pan. If your careful & don't put any holes in the pan, they can be washed out & reused.
Al

 

[gmc2003]

I use to foil, but now I use a pan. It's simple to do, doesn't leak, and most of all it makes getting the meat back on he smoker quicker. So the meat doesn't cool down as much while your playing around with foil(especially when it's windy outside). No difference in taste between the two.

Chris

 

[Smoke23]

I dunno which is better but I use a pan and cover the pan with foil.

 

[husker3in4]

Sounds like the verdict is just putting it in aluminum pan and foiling the pan. With that in mind, what do you do when the meat is done and you need to rest it for 2 hours? Do you just take the foil covered pan and put that in the cooler with towels? or do you then wrap the meat itself in foil before putting it in a cooler with towels?

 

[noboundaries]

Once it is in the pan, it stays in the pan.

 

[johnmeyer]

Sounds like the verdict is just putting it in aluminum pan and foiling the pan. With that in mind, what do you do when the meat is done and you need to rest it for 2 hours? Do you just take the foil covered pan and put that in the cooler with towels? or do you then wrap the meat itself in foil before putting it in a cooler with towels?

I take the whole pan and put it in a Styrofoam cooler that I got when I ordered a ham online. My Costco aluminum pans fit perfectly. No need for towels, although I usually put a few strips of aluminum over the edges of the cooler to keep it from getting too dirty from the crud on the pan.

For many of your questions, you might want to look at Dirtsailor's list of recipe links:

Dirtsailor's Mega Mother of all Cooking links index

Jeff Phillips, who manufacturers and sells the AMNPS and other smoking trays and tubes, along with the pellets you use in the trays and tubes, has a really great recipe index that includes both recipes and techniques:

Recipe/Newsletter Archive

It is a wonderful resource.

[edit]I screwed up: Jeff has the great rub and BBQ sauce recipes, and Todd is the guy who makes the smoking contraptions and sells pellets. However, the links above are correct and are worth looking at.

 

[gmc2003]

I take the whole pan and put it in a Styrofoam cooler that I got when I ordered a ham online. My Costco aluminum pans fit perfectly. No need for towels, although I usually put a few strips of aluminum over the edges of the cooler to keep it from getting too dirty from the crud on the pan.

For many of your questions, you might want to look at Dirtsailor's list of recipe links:

Dirtsailor's Mega Mother of all Cooking links index

Jeff Phillips, who manufacturers and sells the AMNPS and other smoking trays and tubes, along with the pellets you use in the trays and tubes, has a really great recipe index that includes both recipes and techniques:

Recipe/Newsletter Archive

It is a wonderful resource.

I think you mean Todd Johnson not Jeff Phillips.

Chris

 

[johnmeyer]

I think you mean Todd Johnson not Jeff Phillips.

Chris

Oops. Thanks for the correction. I added an "edit" at the end of my post above to note my error, although I left the text above the edit the same so that your comment will still make sense.

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

I've never considered wrapping anything other than chicken in a foil pan. I always thought that the foil needed to hug the shoulder or brisket for it to be of any real effect. Thanks for another good suggestion. I may just try this with my next pork shoulder. I'd love to catch those yummy juices for after it's pulled.

George

 

[Bearcarver]

I started wrapping in double foil, 9 years ago.
That was great until one sprung a leak & I lost all my juices.
I don't have to be told twice, been using a Pan & covering in foil ever since!!!

Bear

 

[gmc2003]

Oops. Thanks for the correction. I added an "edit" at the end of my post above to note my error, although I left the text above the edit the same so that your comment will still make sense.

Don't worry about my posts making sense. My brain works faster then my fingers can type and quite a few need a Dick Tracy decoder ring to decipher. Although they make perfect sense to me when I reread them.

Chris

 

[primerib23oz]

I've only been doing this for a few years, but I see no upside to wrapping in foil compared to wrapping in a pan. The advantages of the pan are:

• The pan can be put under the meat during the smoke, and catch all the early drippings. So, you get more drippings.
• It is really simple, in my MES smoker, to get the meat into the pan because I just pull out the lower shelf that has the pan, and then slide the meat off the upper grate and down into the pan. I don't have to remove the hot meat, put it on a counter, wrap it, and then get it back into the smoker.
• It is easier to put foil over the top of a rectangular pan than around an irregular-shaped piece of meat (minor advantage).
• If you want to re-expose the meat to some smoke at the end of the cook (e.g., 3-2-1), all you do is pop the foil off the top of the pan.

The closeness of the foil, when wrapping, doesn't really affect the rate at which moisture evaporates because, when put in a covered pan, the humidity instantly goes to 100%. That's the same as if the foil was almost in direct contact with the meat, and the moisture loss is the same (actually, moisture loss is entirely a matter of temperature, as Cook's Illustrated has shown with tests they have performed).

BTW, if you want a great read about some of the science needed to get the most moisture in a brisket -- a common smoking staple -- check out this great Cook's Illustrated article:

How To Braise a Brisket

Thank you! A pan makes so much sense for so many reasons. All the YouTubers and bbq pros, can’t find anyone who uses a pan.

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

I also a pan user and also put meat on a rack. Somehow keeping the meat above the liquid works better for me.

 

[Smokin Okie]

I would think that wrapping in a pan covered with foil is braizing .

Wrapping the meat TIGHTLY in foil is important because you don't get braizing. This is the idea behind wrapping a brisket in butcher paper, the meat does not braize or steam, it still breathes. Its also the idea behind wrapping after the meat has come out of the stall, the juices have evaporated during the stall. The purpose for wrapping is the meat has taken on enough smoke, it has good color and bark, and ya want to preserve that while bringing the IT up to doneness.

Braizing could make your meat very tender, but also make it mushy. The meat is cooking in its own juices. It creates a different texture. Braizing would also destroy your bark.

 

[Smokin Okie]

I also a pan user and also put meat on a rack. Somehow keeping the meat above the liquid works better for me.

In the past several weeks, I've double smoked two spiral cut hams.

I sit these hams in a half pan and use my Masterbuilt GF. I glaze the hams at the end of the cook so the pan prevents a huge mess in the bottom of the smoker.

I did not use a rack in the bottom of the half pan on the first ham, I smoked a few weeks ago. The half pan almost filled with juices from the ham. ( btw, the mixture of aus jus and glaze makes for delicious )

This past Saturday, I put the ham on a rack inside a metal half pan and there was very little juice left, it appeared to have burnt up, it looked scorched in the bottom of the pan. I was surprised by that, cause the reason for using the rack was to get the ham up out of he juices .

Difference could've been the hams, one just had more fat the other. One was a Smithfield and the other was a Kretchmar.

 

[jcam222]

I’m a pan guy, it’s easy and just works. When done I slide them straight into the Cambro. Those things are so nice vs trying to smash the pan down into a cooler. They pop up on FB market from time to time at reasonable prices.