There are many goals when cooking meat.
Among the most popular goals when smoking meat is:
- Flavor
- Tenderness
- Appearance
Folks just want to set a temperature, toss meat on a smoker, come back 6 hours later, and have this perfect BBQ. Sadly it just doesn’t work this way if you want a really good BBQ.
So why wrap your BBQ Meat?
- Can make your cook shorter
- Can make your meat more tender
We will touch on these subjects below so read on…
Table of Contents
Flavor
For flavor, your cut of meat is the most important. When smoking meat you want to select cuts of meat with a good amount of fat that can be rendered. Among the most popular cuts to smoke are:
Beef:
- Brisket
- Ribs
- Chuck Roast
Pork:
- Pork Shoulder
- Pork Butt
- Ribs
Other Misc Types of Meat:
- Whole Turkey
- Whole Chicken
- Salmon
- Lamb
We smoke meat because we like the flavor. But smoke dries out the meat by pulling the moisture out. So we need to replace the moisture the smoke pulls out.
Tenderness
Wrapping your meat mostly affects the tenderness of the meat so we will give the most details on this.
Breaking down the collagen protein is what tenderizes the meat.
Beef can be dry aged, but since we cook brisket all the way through, there is no need to dry age a brisket; just steaks.
Pork needs to be cooked all the way through so we don’t dry age it.
When cooking, the heat and moisture break down the protein causing the meat to be tender. The longer you cook with heat and moisture the more you break it down, hence the term low and slow.
Low – so you don’t overcook.
Slow – more time.
Fat is a big helper in this, as it melts it separates the lipids from the water, the lipids drip to the bottom, and the water evaporates into the air, creating moisture.
Adding a bowl of water can help, but that isn’t enough. 80% of the smoker’s surface would have to be water and 20% meat for this to work on its own (like our planet).
So how do we create an environment where we can have good flavor and the meat be tender?
After about 3 to 4 hours, you will max out the smoke flavor (or will you?) Once a good bark is formed, there is no additional smoke, it won’t penetrate.
If done right, the meat starts to break down and the fibers separate, the smoke and juices will penetrate the meat more.
3 Methods for Making Meat More Tender
- Wrap – This method is known in BBQ circles as the Texas Crutch. Either foil or butcher’s paper is usually used to wrap the meat. When you wrap the meat it confines all the liquids making the meat more tender. So as the fat melts the oily lipids stay and the meat cooks more. As the fat breaks down, the lipids go back into the meat.
- Slow Cooker – Instead of wrapping the meat you can move it to a slow cooker. You want a slow cooker that has a variable temperature and settings of less than 250 degrees. When using a slow cooker the lipids won’t go back into the meat. They instead collect at the bottom of the cooker. So find a way to elevate the meat a little.
- Spray- After your meat has developed a bark it’s best to use this method. You don’t want to spray too early as this will just wash away all your seasonings on the surface of the meat. It’s safe to start spraying your meat after 2-3 hours or when you touch the surface of the meat and no seasonings come off. You can use just about any type of liquid but among the most popular are:
- Beer
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Stock (Beef, Chicken, Vegetable)
- Juice
- Water
Appearance
Now most people (me included) do not care about appearance as long as the food tastes good. But you can’t have flavor, tenderness, and a great appearance without doing a little work.
As long as you pay attention to your BBQ and take the necessary steps the majority of your food will also look great.
You will have a nice bark and a nice smoke ring, and the meat will be juicy. All these factors will not only make your meat look great but taste great as well.
Why Wrap Your BBQ Meat Closing Thoughts
When people think of great meat they imagine a tender evenly flavored morsel of food.
Wrapping your meat can not only shorten your cook but also help keep your meat moist. So is any method better than another? To put it simply no.
Everyone has different tastes so what one may like another won’t. My suggestion is to try all the methods discussed above to see what suits you best.
Most experienced people also use a combination of the methods. Don’t be afraid to play around as long as you stick to the basic fundamentals you will be fine.
