Foiling meats, comp' cooking vs backyard and BBQ rant!!!

[Saucy Pig]

I foil pretty much everything that goes into my smoker. I prefer it.
Plus when I'm catering I just simply don't have the time to wait for it to get through the stall. When I can get briskets and pork cooked in around 6 hours with no massive difference in the end product to your average customer I see no reason not to.
Nick

[Pecker]

IMO you are right BARK is a crusty exterior delight, caused by the maillard reaction and I really don't think it has any relation to a rub or specific seasoning. My plain Rib of Beef has a bark and it's not seasoned at all. Bark is a delight to eat, but IMHO not essential to enjoying well cooked meat. I liken it to a trip in you dream car, it is still your dream automobile and gives you the same satisfaction (steady that's not what I mean) whether or not the switches are gold plated .

Bark is a loverly outcome of well cooked and prepped meat, it's not essential, nor rub/spice dependant but technique related.

Parachute on and ready to be shot down

Thanks Keith. For what it's worth (probably not much), that's my point if view too. But I know some people can be...protective about terminology, so it's always nice to ask others' opinions.

Steve W

[RobinC]

I'd go with the crusty exterior definition though tbh I don't spend much time thinking what does this or that mean when I could be cooking and eating

[keith157]

Umm maybe I'm old fashioned but I find myself able to think WHILST cooking & rating

[RobinC]

Umm maybe I'm old fashioned but I find myself able to think WHILST cooking & rating

but not when typing

[keith157]

no not when topping

[bencops]

We settled this at BBQ Fanatics with a side by side test. The results were
Third place: wrapped dry
Second place: no wrapping
First place: wrapped with wrapping mixture

So we always wrap now, but I must say there is a back taste that's there that I am beginning to dislike that you get with wrapping anything - the combination of injections and commercial rubs boiling in the bag with smokey meat gives this sort of artificial flavour that I came to know at the Royal and don't really appreciate for back yard cooking. You can't get the texture the same without wrapping, and its only after many many cooks that its beginning to bug me, but its there (for me).

Anyway, that said, my vote is for wrapping.

[Swindon_Ed]

the combination of injections and commercial rubs boiling in the bag with smokey meat gives this sort of artificial flavour that I came to know at the Royal and don't really appreciate for back yard cooking.

Is this more to do with the injection being used or are you still finding this when not using a phosphate based injection mix?

[bencops]

My guess is its steamed garlic powder and MSG or something? Could be the phosphates.

[gunman]

OK, daft newbie question time I'm afraid. Does foiling the meat make it cook any quicker? I cooked my first ribs last weekend, did 2.5 hours unfoiled, 1 hour foiled and 30 mins to glaze. would this have taken longer if they were left unfoiled for the whole cook?

I'm doing another pulled pork on Saturday and intend to foil this time after about 4 hours, Should I expect it to be done quicker? Last time it took 9hrs for a similar sized shoulder.

Thanks