How to Wrap Brisket (or another piece of meat)
TO MAKE A MEAN BRISKET, THERE ARE JUST A FEW THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW. AND… AS YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON ME TO SHARE ALL MY SECRETS AND TECHNIQUES WITH YOU. 😉
So, today I’m explaining how to cook a great brisket and, more specifically, how to wrap it perfectly. (And I’m talking about brisket specifically here, but my wrapping tips work just as well for a chuck roast, ribs or pork shoulder, for example. 🤓)
Let’s face it, brisket is the bomb. What makes it even better, though, is when the bark looks like it dropped down from heaven. When this happens, you know it, you’ve got a king-worthy piece on your hands. 🙌
Before I give you all the details, I want to remind you that when cooking a brisket, patience is key. You cook it low and slow, usually at 225-250°F, rarely higher than 275°F. And, as they say, when it comes to BBQ, you know when it starts but never when it’s going to end!
To serve up a dynamite brisket, I recommend first coating it with the House of BBQ Experts Booster flavor enhancer, then with House of BBQ Experts Texas Spice Mix and rub. After being slow cooked on the BBQ at 250°F for about 6 hours, or when it reaches an internal temperature of 160-170°F and has a nice caramelized crust, that’s when the wrapping happens.
Take the brisket off the BBQ and place it on a large sheet of butcher paper (if you are using a roll of butcher paper, like the House of BBQ Experts Butcher Paper, I recommend cutting it after you’ve placed the meat on it, so you can measure the amount of paper you need). I say “large sheet” because I recommend it be about 4 times the length of your brisket.
For the record, I’m talking about butcher paper and not aluminum foil because butcher paper will lock the moisture inside your meat and preserve its crust, juices, fat and flavor. Aluminum foil, on the other hand, will “soften” the meat, which will leave the bark looking not so great in the end. And as you know, when you eat, you eat with your mouth and eyes! 👀
So, once the brisket’s on paper, you need to wrap it up like a Christmas present.
(No doubt, you’re giving yourself quite the gift here. Mmmm, brisket! 🤤). You start by folding the paper over part of the brisket.
Once that’s done, fold the two ends of the paper toward the middle of the meat.
Then turn your brisket 180°, so that it is entirely covered with paper.
Then slide the meat to the edge of the paper.
Turn the meat over again to wrap it in an extra layer of paper.
Fold the excess paper over the brisket.
Then continue to roll the brisket over itself, making sure to tuck any excess paper under the meat.
When the entire brisket is wrapped, trim off the excess paper.
Finish by tightening the wrapping, then get ready to send the brisket off to the BBQ.
Careful! Like I just said, when wrapping, make sure you seal your piece of meat tightly with the paper. It’s not a sub, so it doesn’t have to be airtight or vacuum sealed, but you know what I mean. Ideally, the paper should be touching the meat as much as possible. 👌
Lastly, once you have your nice package of wrapped meat, it’s super important that you grill it on a BBQ still heating at low temperature. Otherwise, your paper could burn, and the meat could oversteam and get mushy, or, alternatively, it could dry out and taste lousy… So make sure your appliance is still at 225-275°F.
When everything looks good, throw your wrapped brisket onto the grill and let it cook for about 2 to 3 hours, until it reaches an internal temperature of 200-210°F (200°F if you want to slice it or 210°F if you prefer to pull it).
In fact, if you ever want to give your meat a great glaze, you can even brush it with House of BBQ Experts Maple Pikanté Sauce when it comes off the grill (OMGGGG! 😍) Finally, once your brisket is ready, stick your knife in it and slice it like butter or use large forks to pull the meat apart.
And it’s that simple!
Happy grilling… and eating! 🔥
