I used to wrap my brisket in foil, but a trip to Lockhart, Texas flipped that on its head

For years, I'd wrap my briskets in foil after about 4 hours, thinking it kept them moist. Then I ate at Smitty's Market and saw they just let them ride in the pit, unwrapped, for the full cook. I tried it at home on my offset, and the bark I got was way better, even if it took a couple more hours. Anyone else switch from the Texas crutch to going naked after a certain point?

3 comments

3 Comments

pipera503mo ago

My uncle runs a small butcher shop in Kansas City and he told me the same thing about ten years ago. He said all the old timers he learned from never wrapped a thing, they just trusted the fire. I see this everywhere now, like how people overcomplicate their coffee with gadgets but the best cup I ever had was just grounds in a pot. Sometimes the extra step we add is the thing holding the final product back.

the_val1mo ago

That bit about "trusted the fire" really sticks with me. Because here's the thing nobody talks about - those old timers probably had a deeper understanding of what was happening on a chemical level, even if they couldn't explain it. They just knew from years of burned fingers and good eats. But we've flipped it around. Now we think buying equipment replaces that hard won knowledge. Like how people buy a smoker with a digital control panel thinking it'll make them a pitmaster overnight. The gadget becomes a crutch so you never actually learn the craft.

taylorcarr3mo ago

Wait, your uncle's shop is in KANSAS CITY? That's wild, @pipera50, because their barbecue is all about the low and slow smoke, not just blasting meat with fire! Those old timers must have had some serious skill. You're totally right though, we keep adding steps until the simple joy is gone. My neighbor bought a five hundred dollar coffee thing and it makes worse coffee than my dented pot.