The Legendary Texas Crutch - Foil

Thread featuring the non foil process


No Foil Brisket

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109565

No Foil Ribs

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109504


No Foil Pulled Pork (Private thread on no foil Pulled Pork)


http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109492

Zin said:

Low and Slow temps 225-250 no foil needed, High Heat cook temps 250-350 foil needed to get to tender with out burning the outside.

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This, as proven many times in this forum, is unfounded and untrue. This is not opinion but fact. The fact being, in the proper hands (much like ONLY in the proper hands no foil is needed for low and slow cooking) a true Pitmaster will be able to get a great, juicy, product WITHOUT resorting to using foil - Not that there is anything wrong with that.

However, with that I realize that since not all my videos are back "online" there is not proof of this in the video without looking closely.

Incidentally, a deep UMBER Bark is NOT burning - although we do call the traditional Burnt ends, "burnt ends." I liken this thought to those who cover their grills with foil before grilling.

Here is the video, open now only for the brethren, from my old station, PopdaddysBBQ.

YouTube - ‪BBQ Brethren Member Barbefunkoramaque's Favorite Things List‬‏


At 38 seconds you will see an example of one of those "burned on the outside" briskets. This specific brisket came out of the smoker directly. Please tell me if you think it lacks tenderness? My pork butts (some 4,500 lbs cooked since I started recording for businesses) are deep umber too... no one EVER refereed to them as burned. Briskets, well I have cooked in the realms of enough to measure the weight of a house since about 1984) and there was this one lady, a Jaquie Simmons who when first she saw my brisket she exclaimed "I am not eating that - its burned!" (May 17, 2009). But her hubby literally grabbed off a piece and they then marveled at the taste. They had been used to sliced brisket.

Now there is a caveat.... while the poster used the word
"burned" incorrectly to describe his experience in cooking without foil, I DO wrap these things in either butcher paper or plastic wrap for quite long periods when I cook so much I cannot fit more than 60 pounds at a time in my smoker... these sit while the other's cook, however, as I have mentioned before, the side effect of my tri level rub is that once the product is lain back and unwrapped, the bark (probably due to the salt's affect along with malliard reaction on the meat) SNAPS back somewhat. I have tasted both side by side, and many experts have as well, and there is no "burned" taste. True Burned taste will not be masked by resting.

One more thing.... there is a so called great resturant called Sonny Bryants in Dallas. They literally slice off ALL of the bark and serve sliced brisket sans bark. Most popular dish.... burnt ends sandwich - made from guess what... all that bark.

sandiegobbq said:

To some Foiling=steaming.

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LOL and as I have said - foiling is the same as simmering because yes your eat simmers in there. But alas... didn't the FUNK cover the taboo of simmering????? I think it was there that the MYTH that simmering was at least more "traditional" than we give it credit for and when you say something like "one thing bbq ain't is simmering (or boiling) one has to pause... and think about our fore-fathers - not Mike Mills or Billy Bones Wall but guys like Walter Jetton that predate "packers." Of course the sandiego never said this so he and I are cool. Its the rest of you artseholes I worry about. :becky:

For more on this go here -

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75441&highlight=tabbo+of+simmering

However it is the OFFICIAL position that not foiling is just my preference and also I am an expert at it... and have taught it can be done with great results... but a guy once said in here.. BBQ is the end result.

Yes, I had these ribs called "Break's My Heart Loinbacks" now the thing there was I called them that because I needed a quick fix for loins and I had a friend that gave me an unbelievable low country recipe that was confrimed to be at least 120 years old. At least that was when it was recorded in a letter that was written from La. to a member of his family who had moved elsewhere.

Anyway it used tons of onions and peppers and strong chicken broth and bay leaves and spices and the ribs were simmered in this stock for a little bit. Then they were smoked on an open pit (grilled) while the sauce reduced and was strained. With the addition of some local honey or sugar as a sweetner the sauce was then slathered to moisten the ribs (and glaze them) as they cooked near the end. The damn things were done to perfection in 2 1/2 hours. Now I liked the process because after the simmering you could chill them... I would chill or freeze 20 racks. I would take maybe 6 racks on my trailer with a reduction of the sauce. If things got busy, I mean so busy I was worried about running out of food, or in a case maybe I did not braing spares to the event... like say that day ribs were not the special, well I could, at any point, slap those ribs frozen on the pit to thaw and smoke a good hour to hour and a half.

The ribs were featured in this video from Popdaddy's site

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

They are shown at the beginning ONLY.... they are shown after being tossed on the smoker and glazed 10 minutes before ( I did immersion glazing then) The whole time from freezer to plate was under 2 hours at the max.

Oh... why am I writing this here? Because foil was used to cover the pan they simmered in. LOL