What is foiling supposed to do to my brisket?


 
M

Mark (markx3)

TVWBB Member
I see plenty of pros and cons to foiling while the meat is on the the Q, but I'm still not sure what's best.

I understand foiling after you take it off, but why when it's still on the Q after the bark formed? I know Harry Soo does it so it must be the right technique.

Thoughts?
Thanks!
 
I'm still trying to figure that out myself. I did the foiling 3-2-1 on three racks of loin back ribs and they came out like mush. I should have just boiled them. I will never foil ribs again. I get great bite and texture without foiling.
 
I have another thread started about my first brisket I'm doing tomorrow. I'm going to foil for sure and let it rest for at least 1 hr when I take it off the Q but I don't know why I should foil it after the 5lb brisket has been on for 4+ hrs? I want the bark on the outside but I want it to be moist on the inside.

Can I have my cake and eat it too?
 
To start with - there's:

FOILING DURING COOKING
Little to no smoke will get at your meat while doing this, so you may as well toss it in the oven. However, for some meats (like well-trimmed brisket flat), letting the meat spend some cooking time in foil prevents the juices from cooking-off. Instead, the meat "steams" within its own juices. If the meat you're cooking has high fat content, and if you're doing a low-and-slow cook, you probably do not need to do this.

POST-COOK FOILING:
A lot of the stuff you will cook on a WSM may benefit from this for several reasons.

Time - Timing of barbeque can be difficult. You can "ballpark" it with time and experience, but generally, "it's done when it's done". In this case, for large chunks-o-meat, I recommend planning so that the meat can be done up to two hours before you need to serve it. If you wrap your brisket or butts in foil and place them in a cooler, lined with old blankets, they will stay nice and hot for several hours - allowing you to pull or slice and serve when needed.

Juiciness / Evenness - The post-cook foiling, even if only for about half an hour, gives the meat a chance to re-distribute the juices within.

So far, I like post-cook foiling for butts and brisket flats.
 
Scott,
3-2-1 is really more for Spares as the meat is tuffer and requires more effort to tenderize. I'm still getting the hang of it myself, but I can say for sure the if you want to foil BBs, you need to adjust the time frame down. I think I did 2-1-1 last time but I neglected to write it down so I'm not totally sure.

Maybe someone could chime in on this?

Brett

PS - My wife likes sparerib mush so I tend to over tenderize anyway.
 
You're going to get as many opposing answers to this question as whether to put water in the pan.

Last weekend I followed this Brisket Recipe

Previously I had foiled. This time I did as was written. It came out consierably less mushy with much more bark on the outside (good). I will not foil brisket again. I believe ribs on the otherhand benefit from foiling.
 
Thanks Ron!
What is the purpose of foiling in the middle or 2/3 of the way through the cook? For example, I've been reading about a 5lb brisket being on the cooker for 4 hrs, then being wrapped in foil for at least another hour or 2 while still on the cooker?

Thanks!
 
Foiling traps the moisture which facilitates heat transfer.

Good and bad.
Good, helps speed up cook.
Bad, too much heat, overcooked and ribs fall apart.

Foiling 2/3 of the way tries to get the best of both worlds. You get some smoke and your cook gets finished sooner.
 
It's worth learning about foiling. It can be done - or not - depending on the circumstances of the cook. The approach used can be altered based on the variables at hand - foiling need not be done the same way every time. It's a tool that can be employed - or not - but, again, worth knowing how to use and keeping in your arsenal.
 
Cooking in foil is braising which is nothing new. Julia Child may have made it more mainsteam in the US as a way to slow cook tougher cuts of meat. Her Boeuf Bourguignon or Beef Burgundy is an example.

With brisket, (which by nature is not tender) I believe it was introduced as a way to provide a more tender finished product when all one had was a select type of quality piece of meat.

By exposing the meat to the smoke environment first (without foil) the meat will absord the smokey flavor and give a visual smoke ring that many people enjoy and then finishing in foil especially with liquid (wine, juice, broth, water), mirepoix or sofrito adds additional flavors.

Yes bark (crustyness) will likely suffer, so if that's a priority don't foil, on the other hand to maximize tenderness and flavor foiling is usually the more reliable alternative.

I would even suggest using a large rondeau pot if one is available, but foil is a suitable alternative. Could even try parchment between the top of the meat and foil to enhance moisture.

Probably more info than anyone would want to read .... Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking and The Curious Cook: More Kitchen Science and Lore", states that starting a braise at 200°F and then raising the temperature to 250°F after two hours is ideal. This allows for the collagen of the connective tissues to melt into gelatin, while keeping the drying up of the muscle fibers at a minimum. Molly Stevens, (All About Braising) explains that this gentle simmer keeps the meat "constantly based in flavorful juices," as the gelatin of the meat melds with the aromatics of the cooking liquid.

John
 
Ribs: some folks (like my wife) enjoy ribs that are very much FOTB, falling off the bone. Me, I like to use my teeth, bite and chew. But the 3-2-1 method gives you very soft, FOTB ribs. So, if you like 'em that way, make 'em that way. Who's to say?
 
I use foil because I try to keep my bbq from getting too dark. Black BBQ doesnt appeal to me. If your Q gets mushy you had it foiled too long.
 
....Before totally abandoning "foiling", adjust your time in foil,... experiment, find what gives you the finished product you desire
icon_smile.gif
Most would agree that "3-2-1 Ribs" can be as much as 2 hrs overcooked, in many cases...
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Cooking low and slow,(no foil till post cook), my experience is that I'll occasionally have a brisket that ends up a little dry in the flat. That's why I smoke briskets at 275 and foil soon after the flat reaches 160, a method I got out of a book by Ray Lampe. You could always remove the point at the same time and cook seperately for crusty burnt ends, but I've been pretty happy with the bark when using this method.
 
I totally agree with J Reyes.
Foiling is converting from slow cooking to braising. Braising is one of the most effective mean to break down connective tissue and collagen.
As far as smoking, meat is too tight at about 140 to absorb much smoke.
 
Meat really doesn't 'absorb' smoke, contrary to popular belief. Smoke particulates are adsorbed, i.e., they stick to the meat's surface, not absorbed, i.e., taken into the meat's structure. Any absorption that occurs in a typical Q session would be minimal.

If one does not add liquid to the foil it doesn't become braising until enough liquid is exuded by the meat for the meat to be cooing in liquid. Regardless, prior to that point the foil is trapping moisture in the solid form and, significantly, as steam. This makes heat transfer much more efficient, as Russell notes, as this efficiency results in more even cooking.
 
Originally posted by K Kruger:
Meat really doesn't 'absorb' smoke, contrary to popular belief. Smoke particulates are adsorbed, i.e., they stick to the meat's surface, not absorbed, i.e., taken into the meat's structure. Any absorption that occurs in a typical Q session would be minimal.
Click to expand...

That makes sense, but then why does poultry always taste so smokey after removing the skin?
 
Ya absorb is probably not the right word, but whatever word that best describes the smokey flavor attaching to the meat is what I meant.

John
 
The skin isnt meat. I understand what you meant Justin but chicken just seems to take on more smoke easier than other meats. Just like a meatloaf seems to take on more smoke. Pork butts "for my taste" cant get enough smoke because the middle doesnt get any.

Size DOES matter. lol
 
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