rowan2•27d ago

I finally tried wrapping my pork shoulder in butcher paper instead of foil

I've been doing pork shoulders in foil for about 5 years now and always got decent results, but last weekend I decided to try butcher paper based on a recommendation from a guy at my local BBQ supply shop in Austin. I figured it wouldn't make much difference, but I was totally wrong. The bark came out way crispier and didn't turn soggy like it sometimes does with foil. I ran it at 250°F for about 12 hours on my offset smoker until it hit 203°F internal. The only thing I noticed is it took about an hour longer to finish than when I use foil, which threw off my dinner timing a bit. Has anyone else made the switch and seen a big difference in bark quality, or was it just a one-off good cook for me?

2 comments

2 Comments

foster.charles27d ago

Paper works fine if you want a dryer bark but I've actually gone back to foil on most of my cooks. That extra hour or so of cook time with paper really messes with my meal planning especially on weekdays. Foil gives me a good enough crust and I honestly can't tell the difference once I pull it and mix it all up with sauce anyway.

murphy.barbara27d ago

Same thing happened to me! The bark was night and day better with paper. Took longer like you said but totally worth it for that crunch.