Butcher paper is the paper you wrap a brisket, pulled pork or a rack of ribs in once the crust has set. It's untreated and porous, so it lets moisture and steam through instead of trapping them. That gets you through the phase where your core temperature stalls for hours without steaming the crust you've waited so long for back to softness. This sheet measures 61 x 100 cm, plenty for a whole brisket.
Why butcher paper and not aluminium foil
Foil seals everything off. That's faster, but the moisture that's released stays pressed against the meat and softens your crust. You gain time, but you lose crust. Paper lets the steam escape slowly through it. You cook slightly less fast than in foil, but you keep the texture that makes the difference between a good and an exceptional piece of meat.
- Untreated and porous, so no steaming effect against the crust
- Crust stays firm and keeps its bite
- Catches fat and meat juices without leaking through
- Large sheet of 61 x 100 cm, suitable for a whole brisket
- Also useful for resting or transporting meat
How to wrap your meat
Only wrap once the crust has set and the colour is right, usually around the point where the core temperature barely climbs anymore. Lay two sheets crosswise over each other, place the meat on top and roll it up tightly like a parcel, with the seam facing down so the weight of the meat keeps it closed. Then put it back on the kamado and cook through to your core temperature.
Resting and serving
After cooking, let the meat rest wrapped in a cooler box or an oven that's switched off. The paper holds the warmth in while letting enough steam through, so the crust doesn't soften again in that last hour.
For a long cook, it's best to measure along with a thermometer from the thermometers, and you choose your smoking wood flavour at the bbq smoking wood. You'll find the rest of the tools for long cooks at bbq tools.
