I finally tried that new brisket spot in Memphis and the bark was insane

I was at Smokey Joe's Rib Shack yesterday and they had a brisket with a crust so dark and thick it looked like meteorite. The pitmaster told me he uses a specific 16/8 pepper ratio in his rub and smokes over pure hickory. Do you think the wood choice or the rub makes more difference for getting that kind of bark?

3 comments

3 Comments

lee_grant972mo ago

Man, that pepper-heavy rub is the real game changer, isn't it? I had a similar one in Austin where the crust was pure crunch. The wood gives the smoke flavor, but that thick rub is what builds the bark itself.

lilychen2mo ago

Right, @lee_grant97, that bark is everything.

jake_martin162mo ago

Honestly people get way too deep into the details. Good bark just needs enough rub to form a crust and a clean fire, not some magic pepper math.