How to Wrap a Brisket or Other Cut of Meat

To make a mean beef brisket, there are a few little things to know. And… you know, you can always count on me to reveal all my secrets and techniques. 😉

So today I’m talking about how to cook a great brisket, and more specifically, how to wrap it perfectly and with love. (And I’m talking about brisket specifically, but my wrapping tips are just as good for chuck roast, ribs, or pork shoulder, for example. 🤓)

Let's face it, brisket is the bomb. What makes it even more incredible, however, is when its bark is as beautiful as if it came down from the sky. When that happens, you know you have a piece worthy of a king in your hands. 🙌

Before I give you all the details though, I want to remind you that when you start cooking a brisket, you have to be patient. It is cooked "low and slow", generally at 225-250 °F, or even, rarely, at a temperature higher than 275 °F. And, as they say, with BBQ, you know when it starts, but never when it ends!

To serve a fire brisket, I recommend that you first coat it with Booster BBQ Québec flavor enhancer , then with Texas BBQ Québec dry marinade . After it has cooked slowly on the BBQ at 250 °F for about 6 hours, when it has an internal temperature of 160-170 °F and has a nice caramelized crust, that's when the packaging happens.

You remove the brisket from the BBQ and place it on a large sheet of butcher paper. (If you are using a roll of butcher paper, such as the BBQ Quebec butcher paper roll , I recommend cutting it after the meat is placed on it so that you can properly measure the amount of paper you need.) I say "large sheet" because I recommend that it be about 4 times the length of your brisket.

FYI, I'm talking about butcher paper and not aluminum foil because butcher paper will keep the moisture inside your piece of meat and preserve its crust, juice, fat and flavor. Aluminum foil will "soften" the meat, which will make its "bark" not very pretty in the end. And, as you know, when we eat, we eat with our mouths and eyes! 👀

So, once the brisket is on the paper, you need to wrap it up, like a Christmas present. (Sure! That's quite a gift you're giving yourself! Mmmm , brisket! 🤤) So you start by folding the paper over part of the brisket.

Once that's done, then fold both ends of the paper towards the center of the meat.

Then, turn your brisket 180° so that it is completely covered in paper.

Then slide the meat towards the end of the paper.

Turn the meat over again so that it is wrapped in an additional layer of paper.

Fold the excess paper over the brisket.

Then continue to roll the brisket up on itself, making sure to place all the excess paper under the piece of meat.

When the entire brisket is wrapped, cut off the excess paper.

Finish wrapping, making sure everything is tight, then prepare to send the brisket to the BBQ.

Warning! As I just said, when you wrap, make sure to wrap your piece of meat tightly with the paper. This is not a submarine, so it doesn't need to be "airtight" or vacuum sealed, but you get what I mean. Ideally, the paper should be in contact with the meat as much as possible. 👌

Finally, when you have your nice package of meat wrapped up, it is super important that you place it in a BBQ that is still heating at a low temperature. Otherwise, your foil could burn and the meat could then "steam" too much and become soft, or, on the contrary, it could become dry and not taste very good... So make sure that your appliance is still at a temperature between 225 to 275 °F.

When everything is nice, then put your wrapped brisket on the BBQ and let it cook for about 2 to 3 hours, or until it has an internal temperature of 200-210 °F (200 °F if you want to slice it or 210 °F if you prefer to shred it).

By the way, if you ever want to give your meat a super "glaze", you can even brush it with Érable Pikanté BBQ Québec sauce when you take it off the BBQ. ("OMGGGG"! 😍) Finally, once your "brisket" is ready, insert your knife and slice it as if it were a block of butter or use the BBQ Québec Shredder (or forks) to shred it.

And… it’s that simple! All you have to do is serve and enjoy!

Happy BBQ and… enjoy your meal! 🔥