Appreciation post: the pitmaster at a joint outside Lockhart taught me to wrap brisket in butcher paper, not foil
Was driving through central Texas back in March and pulled into a small spot just outside Lockhart with a line out the door. The pitmaster was this older guy named Ray working a 1,000 gallon offset, and he noticed me watching him wrap. I asked why he used butcher paper instead of foil, and he said foil steams the bark soft while paper lets it breathe so it stays crisp. He handed me a slice off a 14 hour packer and the bark was like glass, still snapped when I bent it. I went home and tried it on my next two cooks and the difference in bark texture was real, no more soggy bottom. Anyone else made the switch from foil to paper, or do you still ride with foil for the braise?
The whole "foil steams the bark soft" thing hit home for me. I was team foil for years, swore by the crutch, and honestly I thought paper was just hipster bs until I tried it. First cook with paper and I was like oh, ok, I get it now.