The day I found out you can reverse sear a brisket in a cooler

So I was at this competition last summer in Austin and ran out of holding time on my brisket. This old pitmaster saw me panicking and said 'just wrap it in towels and toss it in a cheap cooler for two hours.' I thought he was messing with me but I tried it. The bark actually got better and the fat rendered down perfectly while it rested. Has anyone else tried the cooler hack or am I late to the party?

3 comments

3 Comments

dylan12418d ago

I actually watched a Meathead Goldwyn video where he tested this myth and his temp probes showed a cooler holds heat way better than a cambro for long rests. The trapped steam really does soften up that bark without making it soggy, which surprised me. Have you ever tried wrapping in butcher paper versus foil for that method?

max38818d ago

@dylan124, did the bark actually stay crisp with foil in the cooler or go soft?

perez.cole18d ago

Honestly butcher paper is the way to go if you want bite through skin, foil just traps all that moisture and turns the bark into mush. Ngl the whole cooler trick is overrated anyway, you're better off just letting it rest on the counter for an hour.