What is On the Menu for July 4

Give it a wrap: I used to wrap my brisket in aluminum foil (the so-called “Texas crutch”—practiced at the illustrious Snow’s BBQ). I wrap when the internal temperature reaches 175 to 180 degrees. Then I met Aaron Franklin, who smokes the best brisket on the planet. Franklin wraps his brisket in pink unlined butcher paper. The advantage of butcher paper over foil is that it breathes, holding the moistness in the meat, but without making the bark (crust) soggy. Once you wrap the brisket, there’s no need to continue adding wood to your charcoal.



Please overcook: Here’s another trick from Aaron. Conventional barbecue wisdom tells you to cook the brisket to an internal temperature of 190 to 195 degrees. Aaron takes it to 200 to 205 degrees. This higher temperature makes the meat significantly more tender. But as Aaron explains, the best way to judge a brisket’s doneness is by feel. Put on a pair of insulated food gloves and touch the brisket. Does it feel soft and jiggly? Can you worm your finger easily between the point and the flat? Is the meat so tender, you can push the handle of a wooden spoon through it without too much resistance? That’s what you’re looking for.



Give it a rest: OK, so it’s been 12 hours and your brisket is ready to come off the smoker. You’re not done yet, because the next step is the most important: place the wrapped brisket in a clean insulated cooler, cover with thick towels, and let it rest for 1 to 2 hours. This “relaxes” the meat and redistributes the juices, making for a more tender, succulent brisket than if you served it hot off the smoker. Save the juices that accumulate in the butcher paper and the bottom of the cooler for spooning over the sliced brisket.


I let mine rest in the past for an hour or so, but this time for 4 hours, and I filled the dead air space with towels.