Butcher Paper


 
D

DennisT

TVWBB Member
in my short BBQ experience I have used foil when wrapping ribs etc. - have not done a brisket yet. Read allot about foil vs butcher paper. Wanted to hear your thoughts and if butcher paper is there a brand you prefer over another.
 
Everybody does what they do .............. here's what I do.

I only wrap brisket in butcher paper, if I wrap at all. Butcher paper will preserve the bark because it still breathes. Foil will make the bark mushy as it almost braizes the meat. Last brisket I did on my Masterbuilt 560 and I did not wrap and it was really good.

Ribs I wrap in foil. I'm not concerned with bark on ribs.

Pork butt gets foil, while the foil makes the bark mushy, it really does not matter because the bark is gonna get mixed in with the meat when its shredded.

As to brand of butcher paper, don't think it matters, just don't get paper with a coating. Some of it comes with some type of parafin like coating, especially the white variety , but I really think that's rare. Just get pink butcher paper.
 
image.jpg
this is what I use with good results. It was a gift but I believe it came off Amazon.

Over the last 9 months or so I have been seriously comparing the difference between wrapping in Paper vs Foil. For me I have found that I prefer almost everything wrapped in paper. With that said I should mention that I only use dry rubs and don’t finish anything with sauces including pork ribs. Once I wrap (foil or paper) I finish and then pull place in towels and a cooler and rest.
Brisket HH & LS, chuck roast, beef ribs, and pork butt in my opinion were better in the paper. The pork ribs were better in foil. The reason for this is I like to sprinkle brown sugar to the ribs when I wrap. In foil in a way it makes a bit of a stick sauce however in paper the sugar just clumped up into hard brown sugar cube like pieces. Wasn’t good.

not sure why this is but once the meat has rested it seems meat wrapped in the paper has retained more moisture than in foil.

Anyway, I’d say give it a try yourself and see what results you prefer.
 
Up until my last brisket about a month ago I never wrapped anything but after reading the Franklin book I decided to give the method a shot and have to say I do like it. I picked up a roll of this from Amazon and tried the method on a Prime brisket from Sams. I let the brisket get over the stall then wrapped it and put it back on the smoker until 205 or so. It was one of the juiciest briskets I've ever cooked but the bark was just a juicy which was different. Still very good so I would say give it a shot.
 
Lynn Dollar said:
Everybody does what they do .............. here's what I do.

I only wrap brisket in butcher paper, if I wrap at all. Butcher paper will preserve the bark because it still breathes. Foil will make the bark mushy as it almost braizes the meat. Last brisket I did on my Masterbuilt 560 and I did not wrap and it was really good.

Ribs I wrap in foil. I'm not concerned with bark on ribs.

Pork butt gets foil, while the foil makes the bark mushy, it really does not matter because the bark is gonna get mixed in with the meat when its shredded.

As to brand of butcher paper, don't think it matters, just don't get paper with a coating. Some of it comes with some type of parafin like coating, especially the white variety , but I really think that's rare. Just get pink butcher paper.
Click to expand...
Thanks Lynn for the great info
 
Lynn's reply is interesting because somewhere recently I read where someone said they wrap pork in foil and beef in butcher paper. My personal feedback won't help you because 1) I run naked throughout the entire cook much of the time and 2) which wrapping I use depends on my mood.
 
if you're new to the butcher paper craze or simply wanna try it, cool. :cool:
i got some tips for ya...

tip #1
shop around for the best deal, including shipping costs (if not purchased locally). they have what you want and it's hot. even Weber got involved in it now complete with their patented kettle grill logo printed all over the roll.
if you think you're only gonna use a little bit, you're wrong. you'll use it cuz you got it. so so buy the shortest roll to save on dough (cash). yes, the smaller the roll, the more money you fork out. i believe it comes in two widths: 18" and 24". i fancy the wider 24" version....
ok, here are a few things to ponder.....

tip #1a
...if you say, "well, i WON'T use very much cuz i don't wrap very often..." well, guess what? it also makes great tray and table liners, placemats, book covers (now i'm showing my age), geez, you can even line your kitchen cabinet shelves with it. got youngin's? instant coloring/artwork paper! tear off a piece, fold it over and place your wet boots on it to keep the housecleaner happier...
yet many many other uses for this amazing fad.

tip #2
you can use it for pork butt as well as brisket. can be cheaper than parchment so divide your burgers with it...works great. wrap fresh meat for the freezer if you have no vacuum seal machine.

all this from me and you think, "I'll bet he doesn't even use it..."
au contraire, i do and soo much, this roll was twice as fat as it is now AND i went further to shelf it in an antique meat market butcher paper tear-er off-er.
(no, the police scanner did not come with it)

butcherpaper.jpg

so don't be afraid to buy some butcher paper. it's cool. :cool:
 
I've been interested in this topic as well, going to have to give it a try. I would like to use it to line serving baskets to make clean up easier also.
 
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I'll also suggest that about 6' torn off the roll makes the cats very happy, compared to newspaper, it's nearly indestructible.

Wrap if you want, don't wrap if you don't. As noted, it's semi-permeable so some of the moisture will be driven off, you'll get a better bark than with tin foil. Avoid coated, I sure don't want to be eating melted wax or plastic films.
 
Years ago, when butcher paper was first gaining mention for barbecue, and when finding a packer brisket meant a trip to the butcher shop. I would ask the butcher for about a 6' sheet and he'd always just give it to me.

Nowadays, you can get butcher paper in lots of places. Here in Texas, we just get it at the grocery store.

Jeff

ButcherPaper by Jeff Hasselberger, on Flickr
 
Picked up a huge roll from Webstaraunt years ago, I still have a bunch, shipping is brutal but in the long run I think it’s a good deal.
I wrap butts and brisket in paper and love the bark I get!
 
I've got a big 'ol roll I bought from Webrestaurant store back when this became a thing. I've found a ton of uses for it as well. One key to it working well is to try to wrap up your meat as tightly as possible. I put my meat fat side up after I wrap as you'll have paper underneath to protect the meat from the heat and the fat can sometimes stick to the paper when it's face down.
 
Dustin Dorsey said:
I've got a big 'ol roll I bought from Webrestaurant store back when this became a thing. I've found a ton of uses for it as well. One key to it working well is to try to wrap up your meat as tightly as possible. I put my meat fat side up after I wrap as you'll have paper underneath to protect the meat from the heat and the fat can sometimes stick to the paper when it's face down.
Click to expand...
Dustin this is good to know on keeping the fat side up I’ll have to remember that next time. As for wrapping I have been “double wrapping” like I would with foil. What say you? Double or single wrap with paper?
 
I’m definitely in the butcher paper club. I love how it not only preserves the bark but also how it maintains temperature once it rests or is put in cooler. It’s a little messy so you need to be careful when removing it. I don’t always wrap and when I do it is late in the cook or to help push through a long stall. I got some huge sheets that are meant for whole packers or large shoulders from Fruiata Wood that are very convenient.
 
I put my meat fat side up after I wrap as you'll have paper underneath to protect the meat from the heat and the fat can sometimes stick to the paper when it's face down.

This is a good tip -- fat side up to avoid sticking.

I always put the meat fat side up on the paper when I start to wrap. But I then I lose track of which side is which after doing all the turning and flipping to do the wrap. Such a simple thing, but I make this same mistake again and again....
 
So more things to add to the arsenal! Paper and a roll cutter 24” of course.
Those cutters have gotten stupidly expensive, I remember getting a couple when I worked at the art store, they were maybe 25 bucks, they have gone way up from what I’ve seen. Darn It!
Well, allow me to correct my statement, roll dispensers are under $40.00 so, I’m just being really cheap I guess! Just put both on my wish list not an immediate need but, I see plenty of uses for the stuff!
 
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I switched over to butcher paper in December and I haven't looked back. 24" wide is what I went with and like it a lot. I use scissors and 2 pieces for each piece of meat..... In my opinion it's better to use too much vs. too little.
 
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