Just switched my opinion on wrapping ribs in foil vs butcher paper after watching a comp in Kansas City last weekend

I used to be a hardcore foil guy because Myron Mixon swears by it, but I saw this pitmaster from Texas named Jesse take home first place using only pink butcher paper for his spare ribs. He let me taste a sample and the bark was way more intact, didn't get that mushy steamed texture I always end up with. The smoke ring went deeper too, maybe 3/8 inch instead of just a thin line. Anyone else notice a big difference in bite resistance when they made the switch?

3 comments

3 Comments

viola_lopez306d agoTop Commenter

Yeah I used to be a foil guy too because of Myron but that "mushy steamed texture" you mentioned is exactly what made me switch. Tried paper on a brisket last month and won't go back now.

pat7816d ago

Heard that loud and clear. Switched to butcher paper a few years back after ruining a rack with foil - that steamed meat flavor is the worst. The bark stays way crunchier and the bite through is totally different, like the paper lets it breathe but still keeps it moist. Plus I noticed the rendered fat doesn't just pool up and turn into jelly, it actually gets absorbed into the meat more. My only issue is learning to spray it more often so the paper doesn't tear, but thats a small trade off.

elliotm576d ago

Yeah, the spraying thing took me a while to figure out too. I was going through way too much apple juice at first because I'd hit it every 20 minutes and the paper would get all soft and tear when I tried to wrap. What worked for me was just doing a light mist every 45 minutes instead, and making sure to let the paper dry out a bit before I actually wrapped. Also, if you fold the paper over itself a couple times where you grab it, it holds up way better.