Butcher Paper Wrapped Brisket

OK, a middle of the night thought that popped into my head last night. (While you young guys are soundly sleeping, us old guys are awake thinking of chit like this for your benefit.:biggrin: -- well and going to the bathroom too.)

Does the butcher paper act like a blotter and absorb the juices thus drying the meat out more? Or does the breathability or the paper make it so no juices want to come out?

I know some people even go so far as to wrap with saran wrap before they foil to rest the meat in order to prevent moisture loss, so the blotter issue seems to come into play.
 
My understanding is that butcher paper wrap will help the bark retain it's firmness. It's on my list.

There is information on one of the forums that explains that the use of butcher paper was first used to keep the meat from being oversmoked.
 
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HeSmellsLikeSmoke said:
Does the butcher paper act like a blotter and absorb the juices thus drying the meat out more? Or does the breathability or the paper make it so no juices want to come out?

I know some people even go so far as to wrap with saran wrap before they foil to rest the meat in order to prevent moisture loss, so the blotter issue seems to come into play.
Click to expand...

I think the breathability is the key thing here. The meat and bark does not sit and steam and get mushy.

Quoting from the book Extreme BBQ and the guy who uses this butcher paper method, Bruce Schatte says "Foil seals the steam inside and boils the briskett, and it's like mush. The paper breathes, and it doesn't trap all the hot steam and oil. It help you not ruin a $25 to $30 piece of meat."

So I think the paper must help keep the juices and flavor in. I am not sure about the cooling process as far as leaving in the paper only or if it might help in cleanup if you foiled over the paper. I don't think it would steam since it would not be heated from the fire.

Also he says to use a 6' piece of paper and wrap it tightly. So that would mean it is getting at least a double or triple layer of paper. I don't think I did that when I used paper, I think mine was only about 3' long. Gonna try more paper next time, 1000' will last me awhile, lol.

I have used paper on ribs instead of foiling also and they came out pretty darn good.
 

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I think one of you Central Texas Brothers ought to go on over to Lockhart or Taylor to specifically check out the butcher paper usage. Ask some questions like where do they get it? do they use it to wrap while cooking ever? or to hold? Do they use a liner to keep it from wicking like they seem to do at Luling City Market?

I know this is a lot to ask, but someone has to do it. :grin:

I just didn't pay enough attention to that aspect when I was there.
 
ok.. I know this thread is killing me but damn interested.. Again the question is can you wrap with the butcher paper and then put it back on the smoker or you only use it when you finally take the brisket off.. Inquiring minds would like to know.
 
smokinajs said:
ok.. I know this thread is killing me but damn interested.. Again the question is can you wrap with the butcher paper and then put it back on the smoker or you only use it when you finally take the brisket off.. Inquiring minds would like to know.
Click to expand...

The Extreme BBQ recipe has you wrap it with butcher paper and then put it back in for the last 5 hours. I haven't heard anyone else say the same thing and haven't tried butcher paper at all yet.

Hope someone hops in and clears this up.
 
Put the brisket, butt or ribs back on the smoker.
When I did the ribs I used the 3-2-1 method and the ribs cooked in the paper for 2 hours.
Same with the brisket, I wrapped in paper when it hit 165 and put back on the smoker until it hit 195-200.

I don't recall where I bought my roll of paper, I know it was online and will have to search a bit to find out. More on that later.
 
Barbarian said:
Put the brisket, butt or ribs back on the smoker.
When I did the ribs I used the 3-2-1 method and the ribs cooked in the paper for 2 hours.
Same with the brisket, I wrapped in paper when it hit 165 and put back on the smoker until it hit 195-200.
Click to expand...

And this was done in one of your drums, without any burning of the paper due to cooking directly over the charcoal?
 
HeSmellsLikeSmoke said:
I think one of you Central Texas Brothers ought to go on over to Lockhart or Taylor to specifically check out the butcher paper usage. Ask some questions like where do they get it? do they use it to wrap while cooking ever? or to hold? Do they use a liner to keep it from wicking like they seem to do at Luling City Market?

I know this is a lot to ask, but someone has to do it. :grin:

I just didn't pay enough attention to that aspect when I was there.
Click to expand...

I could swear we have been over this already.

ANSWERS ARE

Pink
A local paper products distributor
yes (some do)
yes
a wax paper barrier is used at times

Now foil can cause Alzheimers from the heavy metals interacting with the food and salt.

I will warn... that your results will vary from temp style to temp style and pit to pit. All the people that use this technique for cooking after the stall are what you call in the hot and fast category. In addition, aside from keeping the meat from mushing up and ruining the bark, most of the benefits are going to be economic and convenience... like the fried chicken place that writes its orders on the same paper bag they dump your order in.
One thing I did not tell you was that foil can cause Alzheimer from the heavy metals interacting with the food and salt.
 
barbefunkoramaque said:
I could swear we have been over this already.

ANSWERS ARE

Pink
A local paper products distributor
yes (some do)
yes
a wax paper barrier is used at times

Now foil can cause Alzheimers from the heavy metals interacting with the food and salt.

I will warn... that your results will vary from temp style to temp style and pit to pit. All the people that use this technique for cooking after the stall are what you call in the hot and fast category. In addition, aside from keeping the meat from mushing up and ruining the bark, most of the benefits are going to be economic and convenience... like the fried chicken place that writes its orders on the same paper bag they dump your order in.
One thing I did not tell you was that foil can cause Alzheimer from the heavy metals interacting with the food and salt.
Click to expand...
:biggrin:
 
Hey Jazzspot, yes this was done on my UDS. No the paper did not catch fire. Did a little google research and it seems the flashpoint for paper to burn is Fahrenheit 451, just like the books title.
 
Barbarian said:
Hey Jazzspot, yes this was done on my UDS. No the paper did not catch fire. Did a little google research and it seems the flashpoint for paper to burn is Fahrenheit 451, just like the books title.
Click to expand...

Big thanks Jerry!! That clears up the questions that I had whether I can use the paper wrapping process in my drum. I just need to remember to double-wrap the meat.
 
Barbarian said:
Hey Jazzspot, yes this was done on my UDS. No the paper did not catch fire. Did a little google research and it seems the flashpoint for paper to burn is Fahrenheit 451, just like the books title.
Click to expand...

ooouuuhhh, there's a little bit of science for ya.....and a cool sci-fi reference. See the stuff you can learn at this place....
 
Meat Burner said:
Hey Paul, thanks now I don't feel so bad about knowing nothing about this subject. Memphis in May coming up soon bro? You and your lovely bride ready for a party down there?
Click to expand...

This is the first I've ever heard about it. Ya, we are excited. We are going to go visit a team that is nice enough to let us behind the tables. That will be a blast. We are ready to relax a bit as well.
 
i got a big ole roll that has been sitting in my garage for 11 years:shock:

i am gonna give it a shot on my next smokes:-D
 
Great, now I have to go get a brisket this week and try this stuff out. I love this site, why I haven't spent more time here is beyond me. Awesome stuff guys.
 
I just check the price it cheap compare to foil . I'm going to try it Brown paper poke (bag) work great to rest your meat in or keep warm in a cooler
 
barbefunkoramaque said:
Okay, I am not saying butcher paper is better, just different.

There are several reasons some use paper.

Paper can be both a wrapping for the brisket to rest, smoke when its stalled to quicken the pace (like foil) but you don't have to worry about mushing up your well defined bark as much. There should be no liquids used.... the brisket has enough in it at stall. Plus anyone cooking the brisket at its zenith of tenderness and that is concerned with OVERCOOKING might prefer paper over foil. I am not saying foil will overcook... thats more up to the cook, but you have to fret about it less because there's less of a seal.

Paper is better to wrap in to rest and cool because there is no reaction to the meat (like when the meat eats through the foil, which can leaches aluminum into the brisket then into the body, which can cause Alzheimers)
I used paper sacks because I had 300 at one time. great until you try and retrieve one and it falls through. Butcher paper won't do that as much.
Foil can leach aluminum into the brisket then into the body, which can cause Alzheimers.
I also like it because I can grab one without pads or gloves.
Whereas foil can leach aluminum into the brisket then into the body, which can cause Alzheimers
Butcher paper also is a great serving platform. So if you have it around (ITS WAY CHEAPER) it works out well.

Basically it steams less but still confines the heat in the paper (depending on how tight you wrap it [wrap once with folds up, then again with folds down and the meat resting on it to close it]. You can even fold it a bit like foil. Only thing is foil can leach aluminum into the brisket then into the body, which can cause Alzheimers.
Click to expand...

Now that's funny
 
I was just sitting here chewing on a piece of aluminum foil, wondering about the risk of getting a paper cut from red butchers paper and having the red dye leach into my bloodstream. Should I be concerned?
 
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