Butcher Paper Brisket

Peach Butcher Paper Brisket – this recipe is a simple primer on how to make a prime grade brisket on my modified ugly drum smoker charcoal grill using peach butcher paper (rather than the traditional foil) to power the smoked brisket through the stall. We are also using the high heat method along with the butcher paper, which should make this cook a sub-six-hour affair. 

Is there a difference between the standard Texas Crutch and peach/pink butcher paper?

First, what is the Texas Crutch? It is aluminum foil and the quickest way to learn to master this ever so intimidating cut of beef. 

The peach/pink butcher paper method made famous by the James Beard Award Winner Sir Aaron Franklin (the reigning king of BBQ in the U.S. if not the world) is sort of the next level in terms of mastering the brisket. I’ve always relied on foil and it has given me tender juicy brisket but I’ve found the bark somewhat lacking after steam-resting for a couple hours.

I yearn for a bite of juicy tender beef with a bit of a crispy, smoky edge so here we go into our Butcher Paper Brisket recipe.

*** Editor’s Note ~ We delved into another trick that Sir Aaron Franklin is rumored to do with his briskets which is to add wagyu beef tallow to the brisket cooking process. It seems like such a small thing, but it is an absolute game changer. Also we have the ultimate burnt ends recipe.***

Should I wrap my brisket in butcher paper?

Wrapping in foil will yield an excellent brisket. Wrapping in peach butcher paper will make a better brisket but it is not like wrapping in foil makes garbage barbecue. The bigger issue is availability. I can walk into any grocery store in the country and find a dozen varieties and sizes of aluminum foil. I’ve seen butcher paper in some grocery stores but not many. Butcher paper takes a little more planning if it has to be ordered ahead of time. Does it make a better brisket? Yes, so order some now.

Peach Butcher Paper Brisket Ingredients:

• One 12-14 lb Beef Brisket
• Kosher salt
• Coarse ground black pepper
• Andria’s Steak Sauce (sub Worcestershire but Andria’s is highly desired-more on this later)
• Peach/Pink Butcher Paper (you could substitute white butcher paper but I’m following Mr. Franklin on this—just be sure the paper you select is not coated with anything)
• Oak wood chunks (I did not have access to Texas Post Oak, which is the preferred wood for brisket, but I did have oak chunks)

First things first, select good quality beef for the cook.

I would love to choose wagyu but the cost places it out of reach for the average backyard griller so I chose prime grade.

The retail price was affordable because this one came from one of those big club stores:

Another reason to choose prime:

Here’s a look prior to trimming and seasoning:

How to Trim and Season a Brisket

Next, most of the hard fat and any excess fat will be trimmed and a little shaping will happen.

Just a little shaping as this isn’t a competition cook and I’m certainly no meat cutter.

Simple seasoning next, kosher salt first. (After seeing my trim job again I think Mr. Franklin would likely chuckle then give me a big fat ‘F’!)

Then coarse ground black pepper is applied.

That’s it, as simple as it can be.

No complex rub, just want the beef and smoke flavor to come through.

How to Grill Butcher Paper Brisket

For this butcher paper brisket recipe, we call for water pan. Now it’s time to fire up the smoker and add the water pan. Water pan? Indeed, always best to cook with one to keep meat surface moist which attracts smoke. In this case I’m cooking on a rectangular version of an ugly drum smoker (UDS) so the water pan, while providing moisture, also acts as a deflector plate/heat shield for the direct heat.

Did I mention it also acts as a heat sink and moderates temp as well?

Basically, a win, win, win.

My plan is to cook this prime grade slab of beef between 325F and 350F degrees chamber temperature.

This is the so-called high heat method, and I’ve had good success with it previously.

Indeed, I much prefer the 6-hour cook versus a 16-hour cook.

Additionally, the high heat method has become popular among many competition cooks in recent years.Here’s my ugly drum smoker reading just shy of 350F

Brisket on!

Fast forward and an internal temp check on the Thermapen (which is a must have and an ideal gift for any backyard pitmaster) indicates we have plateaued and are thoroughly entrenched in the stall which is typically a good time to wrap.

At what temperature should I wrap my brisket in butcher paper?

Another look at the whole brisket that has picked up great color and some much desired bark.

The two bottles shown?

One is Andria’s Steak Sauce from which I extracted a spritz for the beef and the other is the cook’s lubricant.

*** Editor’s Note ~ I know what some of you are thinking. A spritz with a steak sauce? This is not a sauce you dunk dry and bland steak in to make it edible. Andria’s Steak Sauce is a brush on basting and marinating sauce that will simply blow your mind. We’ve been using it for decades. I’m not kidding. It’s unlike anything you have ever had and so incredibly versatile ***

Where do I get Peach Butcher Paper

Back when we did this recipe, butcher paper was not easy to find. I purchased the stand/cutter and 750’ roll of 24”peach butcher paper (lifetime supply) from an online restaurant supply company after unsuccessful local sourcing efforts. The products weren’t expensive around $41 for both but the freight was killer at $48. Luckily, now there are lots of other options that don’t cost so much or require such a large quantity.

Smaller quantities of this particular paper are available on Amazon.

Just make sure there is no coating on the butcher paper: 

What temp should I wrap brisket?

Wrap the brisket when it hits between 160F-180F, which is essentially when the brisket hits the stall and the temps level off for what seems like an eternity. Wrapping the beef in the butcher paper will accelerate the cooking process and move through the stall faster. Notice that temp range is pretty large at 20 degrees. That’s because this isn’t a hard and fast rule. It’s more like a guideline

While Scott held my beer I pulled the brisket from the ugly drum smoker and headed to the wrapping station:

Here’s how to turn Andria’s Steak Sauce into a spritzing sauce. Andria’s contains a lot of ingredients (I call them flavor grenades) which are too thick to run through the spray bottle.

I strained the steak sauce and simply retrieved the liquid portion which spritzed perfectly. Problem solved!

Then, wrap the brisket in butcher paper to make the tastiest Christmas present you could ever give:

Ready to head back to the smoker in search of 203F degrees internal temp.

Then the Peach Butcher Paper Brisket goes back on the ugly drum smoker:

How long do I cook brisket in peach butcher paper?

It’s not really about how long but how hot. After the internal temp hits 203F (maybe a few degrees hotter if it is prime grade with a lot of marbling), remove the brisket from the grill, paper and all.

Furthermore, don’t bother unwrapping the paper to do a temp check. Just poke a hole right through the paper and into the brisket. 

Do you remove butcher paper when resting brisket?

No. Place the butcher paper wrapped brisket in an unlit oven, microwave that’s off, an empty cooler, or a Cambro. Leave it in the butcher paper. This will allow the beef to slowly cool down and redistribute those juices.

Unwrapped! How does that look?

I sure hope the taste matches the eye appeal:

Onto the cutting board.

Many brisket recipes or competition photos illustrate tenderness by showing a slice of brisket folded over a finger or the back of a knife blade.

It’s called the bend test.

Well, how about the bend of the entire brisket?

Time to slice the Butcher Paper Brisket

Let’s take a look at the brisket sliced.

Juicy indeed!

How does this slice look?

That perfect “beginning to pull apart stage”.

Butcher Paper Brisket Recipe Summary

So, how did we do with this butcher paper brisket recipe? The beef flavor came through with a delightful oak smoke kiss. The bark was an improvement over the foil method. The salt and pepper seasoning ( I used 50-50 mixture) was a bit heavy on the salt side for my taste. Thus, I would likely adjust that mix to 70-30 next time and perhaps add granulated garlic or garlic powder. Indeed, the Andria’s Steak Sauce spritz was the icing on this tender meat cake that brought it all home!

Would I cook this again with the butcher paper? Absolutely, but I would suggest that anyone wishing to attempt this method that they be sure to master the foil method first. If you haven’t been getting good results with the foil crutch method then the butcher paper ain’t gonna make it happen for you either.

If you have any questions or comments about this method, feel free to leave them below or send me an email.

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Recipe Card

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Butcher Paper Brisket

Butcher Paper Brisket: Brisket, simply seasoned with salt and black pepper, spritzed with Andria’s steak sauce and wrapped in peach butcher paper

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time6 hours hrs

Total Time6 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Brisket, Entree, Main Course

Cuisine: American, American Fare, Barbecue, BBQ, Brisket, Grilling, North American, Traditional American

Keyword: #Smoked, Andria's, Andria's Steak Sauce, Barbecue, BBQ, Beef, Beef Brisket, Brisket, Brisket Flat, Brisket Packer, Brisket Point, Charcoal, Charcoal Grill, Drum Smoker, Lump Charcoal, Smoked Brisket, Smoker, Ugly Drum Smoker, what temp to wrap brisket

Servings: 12 People

Equipment

• Peach butcher paper

Ingredients

• One 12-14 lb Beef Brisket
• Kosher salt
• Coarse ground black pepper
• Andria’s Steak Sauce sub Worcestershire but Andria’s is highly desired
• Peach/Pink Butcher Paper you could substitute white butcher paper but I’m following Mr. Franklin on this—just be sure the paper you select is not coated with anything
• Oak wood chunks I did not have access to Texas Post Oak, which is the preferred wood for brisket, but I did have oak chunks from Bob’s Smokin Hardwoods which is the best smokewood on the planet, hands down

Instructions

• Trim the brisket of the hard fat
• Season with salt and pepper
• Prepare the smoker for 325-350
• Place the brisket on the grill
• When the brisket hits 160-175, lay on a couple layers of butcher paper and spritz
• Wrap the brisket in the paper and place back on the grill
• Once the brisket hits 203, remove from heat, wrap in a towel and put in a microwave or unlit oven for at least an hour and up to 3 hours
• Slice across the grain in long, thin strips
• Serve

Greg Thomas

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This article was initially published on: January 10, 2018