A burnt brisket at a backyard cook turned my whole process around

Last Sunday I was helping a buddy run his offset smoker at a family gathering in Fresno. He pulled a 14 pound packer off at 195 and it sliced like dry cardboard, everyone looked bummed. His uncle walked over, grabbed a piece, and said this thing rested too short, wrap it tighter and give it 2 hours in a cooler next time. That one tip about extended resting and holding in a towel-lined cooler fixed my next attempt completely. Has anyone else had a single comment from a spectator change how you finish your cooks?

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alice99113d ago

Betting that same uncle has cooked a few briskets in his day cause that cooler trick is straight gold. But heres the thing nobody talks about, the real game changer is wrapping in butcher paper instead of foil when you do that long rest. Foil steams the bark soft, paper lets it breathe while the meat still pulls heat down slow. I started doing 3 hours in a cooler with a probe in it just to watch the temp drop, and my last brisket came out stupid juicy even at 10am the next morning sliced cold. That old dude probably learned that from his grandpa back when offsets were all they had, kinda humbling honestly.