The Texas BBQ Forum

Now before you say get a rope hear me out. I read an article about wrapping brisket with plastic wrap and then a layer of foil over the plastic to catch the leakage if any. Just wonder what the results would be. I would suspect a very moist and tender brisket, maybe to tender to slice after the rest. Also, the crunchy bark would be lost. This I think is an old idea that never caught on or intended to be used for eating brisket only. What are other opinions about using plastic. Just throwing this out there.

papajim

I'm not perfect... just like to share my $.02 on the internet

I reckon if you like pot roast tasting brisket or steamed beef it would work just fine. One thing to remember is some of theses crazy techniques have derived from some cooks not knowing how to properly cook a Brisket and ribs too for that matter. Thinking that a Brisket is done when it reaches XXX degrees or I cooked it for y hrs per lb at XXX temp. why is it tough and dry. The big light bulb goes off and the brisket is steamed or Braised and success is attained sacrificing the bark and BBQ flavor in the process to getting tender. I'm not saying don't wrap but these two mediums ( foil & plastic wrap will not give you the best results give butcher paper a try during the cook. Plastic does have its uses like wrapping a properly cooked brisket that needs to be refrigerated for latter. Placed in to a covered pan and reheated it keeps the brisket fresh however the bark needs to firm up for a while after unwrapping,

+1 with the Dawg.

Never wrap mine at all, comes out super tender. Everybody has their own method, I just keep mine real low and real slow, from 18-22 hours total. I also lay it in an open cheap aluminum pan and pour 1 Shiner Bock under it, flip it fat side up after about 10-12 hours, and then finish it out of the pan on the open rack for the last 3 hours or so to crisp the bark up.

I would worry big time about temperature spikes melting the plastic onto the meat, not to mention all the chemical stuff leaching out of it.

Thanks guys. I kinda answered my own question. I learned along time ago about pot roast brisket. Never used plastic, left my brisket in the foil tooooo long. Took Jmoney's advice and now a proud paper user.

papajim

I'm not perfect... just like to share my $.02 on the internet

Mine goes in a foil pan as well, and tent wrap with foil. Have used the plastic wrap while putting the cooked brisket in a cooler, works good as well.

+2 with Dawg

Tried it several years ago, and haven't even thought about it since.

I cooked a brisket last week that was rubbed with SPG from sucklebusters. Then wrapped in cling wrap overnight. But I did remove the wrap then on to the pit. Turned out super good. CF

Plus 4

Heard of plastic wrap but it was for Butts and ribs in a high volume vending environment
Cook day before and then reheat when you just have to cook more than you have room for

One of the reasons for the sudden interest may be from at least two of the BBQ shows last year- the documentary-type; not Pitmasters, it's become a game show- that highlighted a team at the Jack who does it, and the other one I thought was at the World Food Championships, but I may be wrong. Anyway, I know of several national KCBS teams that do this as well. But what gets me is, what does it do that a tight foil won't? Space is space, and since both are non-porous, what's the difference? I know that cling wrap can provide for a slightly tighter seal, but what are we talking, a half-cup's juice extra? I sure wouldn't go to the trouble for that. I don't foil, I've had amazing results with paper, but I truly like to see both sides to an argument. It just seems like a weak one for saran wrap.

This may make for nice reading on the subject of Wrapping with and without plastic.

http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/impor ... t/page/0/1

saran wrap for leftovers (if you happen to have them)
foil for wrapping smoking wood chunks (in a vertical)
butcher paper for other people (not me)

The only thing I wrap my brisket with is my five fingers...just prior to shoving it in my mouth !!

+5 for Blu...
done the butcher paper a few times,
foil= gray steamed meat with little smoke not appealing to me
plastic wrap is for the fridge..
just my opinion, every one has different opinions and taste preferences.
at $5 a pound for brisket bad cooks must be few and far in-between.

Plastic wrap has its place. As long as it is covered with foil and temps are not over 425 degrees it will not melt. BUT, I don't think plastic has a place during the cookin process. It is great for holding moisture in meats once the cookin is done and temps are falling.

I have tried wrappin briskets in plastic and then foil during the cooking process. The plastic will seal when heated and creates a virtual sealed bag around the meat. This doesn't even braise the meat...it effectively steams the meat and really shortens cookin times. It will be moist but the bark will be gone and all that purdy mahagony smoke color will vanish into a nasty lookin gray color. Will be good eats BUT won't be visually pretty good eats and unless you time it right the brisket will be mush. Won't win a competition IMHO.

Most BBQ place wrap in plastic or butcher paper before placing in a warmer to hold. I recently tried this on 100+ pounds of brisket and 15 whole chickens. Keep them in a cooler for 12 hours and they were very moist. This will be my new best practice.