Texas Crutch now, who actuality doesn't use it? lol


 

Paul Chan

TVWBB Member
For consistant cooks, its foil for me...

I haven't had any better results without, and have had far better cooks with.

Assuming all meat stops absorbing smoke @ 140 anyways, I see no point not to, especially when you can just unfoil to finish at the end anyways.

I figure its just braising, but why not? You could even introduce another element of flavor during this process.
 
I tried it on ribs once and didn't care for the texture and haven't tried it since. The next time I cook pork butts I might try it again.
 
The only time I foil is at the end of the cook after I pull it and before it goes into the igloo for a rest. If you like mushy BBQ i say foil away.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Paul Chan:
For consistant cooks, its foil for me...

Assuming all meat stops absorbing smoke @ 140 anyways, I see no point not to, especially when you can just unfoil to finish at the end anyways.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

From what I've read this is not a correct assumption. The chemical reaction causing the smoke ring itself stops at 140, but the meat will continue to take on the smoke flavor for as long as exposed to the smoke.

Absolutely true that foiling allows the introduction of other flavors...a major reason I use it for things like chuck.
 
I use foil for ribs using a 3-1-1 method. The last hour unfoiled firms everything up nicely. I've done good ribs without any foil, but I just feel like a 3-1-1 method is so consistant and repeatable; for me anyway.

I always use foil for briskets as I do the high heat method. 4 -5 hours and the brisket is done is really nice.

Pork butt never gets foiled.
 
Below are my thoughts on foiling posted July 12, 2009 04:41 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">To foil or not to foil... I've done it both ways with most cuts where foil is commonly used. I prefer foiling. But, foiling is not a requirement and good barbecue can be done without foil. I'm guessing that, if all barbecuers had an in-depth knowledge of the chemical process of collagen breakdown and of the latent heats of water, most would choose foiling.

What I find interesting is the often repeated argument that foiling is somehow cheating and is not true to original barbecue. That's one of those areas where, if a person wanted to stay true to original barbecue, they would likely find themselves in search of a cooked dead animal found in the aftermath of a forest or brush fire started by lightning. That's a likely scenario for the true, original barbecue.

Anything else that has developed since is not true to the original tenets of barbecue. That would mean: No modern meat market or grocery store. No porcelainized steel smokers. No manufactured charcoal--lump or briquette. No thermometers. No matches or piezo starters. On and on and on.

I think it's a shame for folks to close themselves off from any advancement in technology and/or process that may make their barbecue better. And, of course, what constitutes better is as variable as the preferences of those eating the barbecue. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

As long as Reynolds keeps making aluminum foil, I'll likely keep using it--when appropriate.

###
 
My personal preferences are:
Ribs - no foil. for me, the extra work involved isn't worth it. Ribs are fine for me without using foil.
Chuck and brisket - always foil
Butts - never foil, although I haven't tried foiling a butt yet, I like the results too much without foiling to change
Just my $.02
 
foil works well for me when i use it on my big offset trailer smoker. putting a sheet of foil on top of the meat keeps the ash from the fire from creating a layer of junk on the brisket.

i dont like the results from wrapping meat in foil like a baking potato and cooking it like that. might as well use liquid smoke and your oven...
 
Foil.. To me is a nice little tool to use when I'm short on time, or to add another flavor, or reserve drippings.

Tim
 
I feel like I'm wasting when I double wrap more than one rack of spares in foil. If it's just one, I'll do it, and love the results. If I'm cooking for a group, I leave 'em, and usually love them too.
This weekend I think I perfected the Kruger method:
Let the ribs go at 275 until they have a nice, deep color.
Wrap 'em up for 45 minutes.
Unwrap 'em and get a little sauce on while they firm back up a bit.
Sweet success, along with my best butt to date. I'll snap some photos one of these days.
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I'm with you. Foil if you like. No objection here. So far, I only foil when the meat comes off the WSM. The last brisket I did was Midnight Brisket http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brisket2.html). I smoked it with a full water pan, which steams as it smokes and speeds up the cooking, so crutching wasn't necessary. I started the 13 + lb brisket at 9 pm at 235*F, finished exactly 12 hours later, just after my shower and shave, foil-free. At that time, I foiled and (the hardest part) waited a couple hours. It was great.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Foil.. To me is a nice little tool to use when I'm short on time, or to add another flavor, or reserve drippings. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Exactly.

I typically foil stuff because I rarely have enough time. I guess most times I have to choose foiling or not bbq'ing.

being able to save the drippings is also a major plus.
 
For me, foil is a tool and like any other tool I use it when I need to. 70% of the time I use foil to hurry up a smoke because I have poor time management skills when it comes to cooking, except when smoking Brisket. I've always planned on more than enough time when smoking a Brisket.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Larry Wolfe:
Butts - No Foil
Brisket - Foil
Ribs - 50% foil 50% no foil
Chucks - Foil </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ditto
 
I foil chucks everytime, ribs most of the time, but usually only for 45 mins or so. Butts never get foil, although I can't say I don't like the results because I never have foiled one. If I were ever short on time, I'm sure I could foil it and be fine with the results. Briskets I do HH, so those get foiled as well. Its one more tool in my Q cabinet.
 
whatever works for each person is all good imho.

For pork butts I foil them after they have hit the 195-200 degree range after I have pulled the off the smoker, and before I toss them in a sealed cooler for a few hours.
 

 

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