Just realized I was wrong about wrapping brisket after a trip to Lockhart

I visited Kreuz Market in Lockhart, Texas last month and saw they don't wrap their brisket at all. I've always wrapped mine in butcher paper after 4 hours, thinking it was the only way to keep it moist. Their brisket was just as juicy, maybe even better, with a bark that was way more solid than mine ever gets. It made me think I've been rushing the process and steaming out the crust. I'm going to try a full no-wrap cook on my next one. Has anyone else switched from wrapping to going naked and seen a real difference in the bark?

3 comments

3 Comments

blaker752d ago

Man, that no-wrap brisket at Kreuz is a game changer for sure. I started going naked after watching some of those old school Texas joints and it's wild how much better the bark comes out. The trick is to really keep your temps steady around 225-250 and don't even peek for the first 6-7 hours. That crust just sets up like armor and the fat renders down enough that you don't need the wrap to keep it from drying out. Plus you don't lose any of that rendered fat in the paper like you do when you wrap early.

logansullivan2mo ago

Yeah that's funny, I had the same thing happen after trying some brisket in Austin. Made me totally rethink my whole setup, I was using way too much wood before that.

nathang672mo ago

Totally get that... it's crazy how a single bite can show you what you've been missing. I was doing the same thing, just drowning everything in smoke because I thought more wood meant more flavor. Turns out you just end up tasting bitter creosote instead of the meat. Now I use like two small chunks for the whole cook and the difference is night and day. It's all about that clean, thin blue smoke.