Warning: I laughed at Franklin's brisket method until I tried it myself

For years I swore Aaron Franklin was just hype. I mean, wrapping in butcher paper at 165? Seemed like extra steps for no reason. Last month I finally tried his exact temp and wrap routine on a 15 pound prime packer from Costco. That bark was the crunchiest I've ever gotten and the fat rendered like butter. Has anyone else gone from skeptic to believer on a specific pitmaster's technique?

2 comments

2 Comments

theagarcia29d ago

My buddy Matt spent YEARS making fun of the paper wrap thing. Called it "brisket origami." Then he tried it once on a whim for a Super Bowl party and his neighbors asked if he'd secretly taken a class. Now he won't shut up about it.

the_robin29d ago

Did Matt ever tell you what finally made him give in and try it? Was there one specific thing that cracked his stubbornness, or did he just get bored of the running joke one day? I'm curious because I know a couple of those stubborn types who trash talk a method for years, and usually it takes a buddy actually cooking a killer brisket right in front of them to make them cave. Sometimes it's the little details like the paper letting the bark set better than foil does, or maybe he just got sick of wrapping in foil and dealing with that soggy mess. Either way, it's wild how fast people flip from hating on something to preaching about it once they see the results for themselves.