I tried hanging a brisket at 150 instead of wrapping it...

Usually I wrap in butcher paper around 165, but last Sunday I decided to just let a 14 pound prime packer ride at 150 degrees unwrapped. It stalled for almost 5 hours at 172 and I thought I ruined it. It came out with this bark I have never got before, super crunchy but not burnt. Has anyone else played with unwrapped finishes and gotten that kind of texture or did I just get lucky with this one cut?

2 comments

2 Comments

cameronf8811d ago

Man I've been down that exact road with a prime packer last fall and it was a total game changer. I had this 16 pounder that I just let ride at 155 unwrapped the whole way because I was too lazy to get up early and foil it. That thing stalled for like six hours around 170 and I was sweating bullets thinking I was gonna serve my guests shoelace meat. But when I finally pulled it at 203 the bark was this deep dark brown almost black crust that cracked when you bit into it, totally different from the soft soggy bark you get when you wrap. I think the key is letting that moisture evaporate slowly over time so the sugars and rub really caramelize instead of steaming. I've done it three more times since then and each one came out with that same crunchy shell, so I don't think you just got lucky.

garcia.tyler11d ago

Has anyone considered how the fat renders differently when you skip the wrap at those lower temps? The extra time in the stall at 170 lets the intermuscular fat break down more gradually, which means it gets absorbed into the meat instead of pooling up in your paper. That alone might be why you got that crunchy bark without the burnt taste, since there's less liquid to steam the outside at the finish.