Paper or foil?


 

Hawk Redhawk

TVWBB Member
Newbie here to BBQ & Smoking. I’ve watched a lot of Videos and read a lot different stuff to ty to speed up my learning curve. I’ve noticed at some people wrap with aluminum foil and other wrap with butchers paper. Is there a particular reason why one chooses one over another? Do you use paper with some meats and foil with others. What are the pros and cons of each?

Thanks in advance for your replies and thank you all for being so forthcoming with information for us.
 
Sometimes the paper us softer on the bark. Foil being a bit harsher. Of course foil can be useful in holding fat and loquid. Even usi g a pan and covering it with foil.
 
Foil I've seen most used for pork recipes in order to somewhat "braise" the meat. It will help keep it moist and hold liquid, but will soften any bark created. Good for use with 3-2-1 ribs or finishing a pulled pork butt. Foil is also best if you want to add any liquid to the wrap like honey, butter, or apple juice.

Butcher paper used most for beef products like brisket or beef ribs. The paper lets the meat "breath" and the bark will hold up better, while still speeding up the cooking process. I wouldn't recommend adding any liquid when wrapping.

I supposed you could used butcher paper for ribs or pulled pork but I wouldn't add anything before wrapping.

Hope this helps!
 
One thing to be aware of with butcher paper. Some are coated. If it's a high temp coating like a silicon, it may be okay to use in a smoker. If it's waxed, I would not use it in a smoker at all. Personally, for brisket, if I wrap, it's in "peach" uncoated paper (halfway between kraft packaging paper and bond printer paper.) The TVWBB Overlord started a thread here on butcher paper recently.

Edit: https://www.tvwbb.com/threads/3-way...-paper-from-the-substitutes.81755/post-903203
 
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I really wished I'd taken paper camping with me last weekend. I prefer to use paper when camping for the one fact that I can burn it when done. The foil I have to pack out.

At home it really depends on what I'm cooking and the method that I am going to use. I use pink/peach paper when I do. I use foil mostly when I plan on adding more liquid to the cook.
 
I really wished I'd taken paper camping with me last weekend. I prefer to use paper when camping for the one fact that I can burn it when done. The foil I have to pack out.
I really hope you're referring to cooking...;)

Hawk, if you want to try paper you can use a regular brown paper shopping bag as long as you cut out any inked or glued areas. It'll give you an idea of what to expect with paper without having to invest in a roll.
 
I really hope you're referring to cooking...;)

Hawk, if you want to try paper you can use a regular brown paper shopping bag as long as you cut out any inked or glued areas. It'll give you an idea of what to expect with paper without having to invest in a roll.
NOW, I see the thread!! Actually I wondered about that, got a few paper bags around but they're all "branded" with the name of the grocery store. Did go to Running's to try to get some since they have a lot of stuff for making sausage, jerky, etc. Asked for butcher paper, they take me down an aisle and show me tolls of freezer paper. I tell them I said "butcher paper" and he says, they're both the same. I asked why they have different names and he looks at me like a fish flapping in the water.

Not only are we limited in meat choices here, the only store you can find anything for outdoor cooking are the big box stores. Gawd I'd kill for a specialty BBQ store to walk around in with eyes and wallet wide open. I wonder how many of you guys have that and just don't appreciate how great that is!!
 
Parchment paper (for baking) would work better than freezer paper, IMO. And freezer paper should be coated on one side, not necessarily heat proof. Or use foil until you can lay in a supply via mail order.

I just don't have a BBQ supply outlet around here either. I get charcoal from local hardware stores, meat from Costco as a rule, and built my own smoker. Butcher paper, cure #1, pepper corns, etc...... all mail order.
 

 

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