Salt box experiment gave me a better crust than I expected

Had a slow Tuesday last week so I tried hanging a brisket flat in the walk-in with just kosher salt, no rub, for about 30 hours. Pulled it out expecting a mushy surface but the crust was actually super even and crackly after I threw it on the pit at 225. I always thought you needed pepper or sugar for bark, but the salt drew out moisture and the surface dried way better. Anyone else run a straight salt-only cure on a beef cut like that, or was I just lucky with the humidity that day?

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noah_black12d ago

Three briskets ago I would've called you crazy for skipping the pepper, but after trying a salt-only dry brine on a chuck roast last month, I get it completely. The surface came out way more even than my usual rub, and that crunch held up for hours. I'm honestly rethinking my whole seasoning approach now.