An old pitmaster in Kansas City told me I was choking my brisket and it changed everything

I was at a comp in KC last fall and this 70 year old guy named Earl walked by my setup while I had a brisket wrapped tight in butcher paper on the smoker. He said 'son, you're suffocating that meat, let it breathe a little or it'll taste like a steamed ham.' I loosened the wrap just a bit and left a small opening at one end, and that brisket came out way more tender with a better bark than any I'd done before. Has anyone else gotten a weird tip like that from an old timer that actually worked out?

2 comments

2 Comments

linda_butler286d ago

Yeah I had a similar thing happen with ribs once. Old timer told me to stop tinkering with them every 20 minutes and just let the heat do its job. Hardest part is not messing with it when you're used to checking everything. Did you notice a difference in the smoke flavor too?

rowan_wells676d ago

Totally AGREE, it really does concentrate that smoke ring and flavor.