Wrapping vs wrapping in pan

[schlotz]

One thing to consider if wrapping a brisket in aluminum foil (no pan) is to not do it to early i.e. at the beginning of the stall (150-165º). Doing so can lead to the brisket tasting like pot roast. I wait until the IT in the thickest part of the flat has reached 180º before wrapping it in foil.

 

[Smokin Okie]

One thing to consider if wrapping a brisket in aluminum foil (no pan) is to not do it to early i.e. at the beginning of the stall (150-165º). Doing so can lead to the brisket tasting like pot roast. I wait until the IT in the thickest part of the flat has reached 180º before wrapping it in foil.

I would not wrap a brisket in foil. I'd either use butcher paper or not wrap at all.

 

[schlotz]

I would not wrap a brisket in foil. I'd either use butcher paper or not wrap at all.

Personally for the last number of years I only use butcher paper or nothing, but was trying to answer the OP's question regarding foil.

 

[Smokin Okie]

Personally for the last number of years I only use butcher paper but was trying to answer the OP's question.

I got that. I kinda thought OP was referring to pork butt or maybe ribs.

 

[Danblacksher]

Always foil boat and long rest briskets. I let them rest up to 10 hours on a pan with a rack, in a heating cabinet. anything over 10 hours I cover the top of the foil boat with foil. I use butcher paper and foil on ribs and pork shoulder and this has worked very well for me and my minimum rest on anything is 3 hours. I always cook briskets the day before serving. I use to use pans and cook in juice but found the taste to be more like pot roast and not as smoky,

 

[bill1]

I think you want the toil tight on the meat. Single thickness, put on quickly, then put in a pan in case you have a leak...belt and suspenders.
But I value the statement from years back that they can't taste a difference.

 

[primerib23oz]

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.

so would poking holes on top of the pan helps? This way the pan+foil method can breathe

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

This thread has me re-thinking. I started the pan after making a mess twice. Next I will try butcher paper and than putting in the pan. I have not had much luck on brisket or ribs without wrapping.

I recently ruined a ham. Put it in a pan with rack. Took it out at 145 and just left it for 4 hours. Temp went to 168. I had a ton of great ham juice but the ham sucked. Friend feed it to his dogs.

 

[Smokin Okie]

For me, it depends upon the meat.

I keep a pork butt on the offset as long as I can feed it sticks. I've gone as long as 10 hours. Then I wrap tightly in foil and go to the oven inside the house. I could put it in a pan and tent it with foil and probably get close to, if not the same result. But I would put it on a rack inside the pan to keep it up out of the juices. Wrapping in foil softens the bark some but since it gets mixed in pulled pork, it doesn't matter to me.

I wrap ribs after I've gotten the color I want on the ribs, the color tells me they've had enough smoke. I wrap tightly in foil and will finish in the oven. No need to put them back on a smoker if they're not gonna take on any more smoke. They do braize somewhat in the foil, but I don't mind that just have to be careful to not take them too far.

But brisket is another story. I wrap after the stall in butcher paper or occasionally I don't wrap period. I wrap to preserve the bark. I think bark is really important on brisket. Butcher paper will speed the cook up without softening the bark.

 

[Marknmd]

Interestingly, I ran across this vid last night which had just been posted and I was a little surprised:

 

[Smokin Okie]

Interestingly, I ran across this vid last night which had just been posted and I was a little surprised:

I don't know bout anyone else, but I'm worn slick with Goldees. I don't care what they do.

I'm beginning to care even less about what anyone does in Texas. The whole race down there now, is to be different from everybody else who are all basically doing the same thing.

There's probably 20 to 30 joints in Texas who Texas Monthly could've put at the top of their list. It made #1 because TM are journalists and Goldee's makes a good story and they need to sell magazines.

Same with the previous #1 Snows, Tootsie is a great story.

Same with the previous #1 Franklin, Aaron's backstory and national awards made him a great story.

 

[kermitrulez]

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.

You will still get some braising with foil as foil will not let any steam or liquid escape and the liquid that runs off the meat will generate steam wherever there is air.

Myron Mixon has a number of recipes for pork and beef where he pans the meat. The point of panning is to create a moist heat environment (basically 100% humidity) where the moisture on the surface of the meat cannot evaporate and thus cool the surface of the meat. Those of us that live in Florida know exactly how this works. Therefore, you push through the stall because the heat from the environment continues to transfer through to the inside of the meat. Which, by the way, doesn’t care one iota what heat method is applied, it simply cares what temperature and for how long. The outside of the meat does care, though, so if you want that perfect sugar crisp bark, a humid environment is going to make that difficult. I wonder if there is a reverse sear method where you can develop the sugar crisp after a moist environment roasting?

So, if you’re going to foil, panning works just as well. If you’re worried about the meat stewing in liquid and you’re not going to use that liquid as the basis of a sauce, then put it on a rack in the pan and you’ve got a perfect moist heat roasting environment. My favorite briskets have largely been panned but you do lose the sugar-crisp bark. I wonder if there’s a reverse sear method that can develop the bark after a moist heat environment?

Peach paper breathes but not perfectly so it’s a compromise. You’re still holding some liquid close to the skin as it’s not letting all of the water vapor out. I’m interested in the recipes where it advocates coating the peach paper with tallow and then wrapping. You’d think adding a fat to the paper would repel water and affect the breathability of the peach paper.

At some point, though, doesn’t it boil down to the best technique is the one that you can execute that produces brisket you like?