Getting a consistent bark on brisket took me two whole years to figure out

I thought I had the rub and smoke down, but my bark was always too soft or flaky. The real fix was spraying with a mix of water and apple cider vinegar every 45 minutes, not just when I felt like it. I also had to stop wrapping it in foil and use butcher paper instead, which let more smoke through. Who else has a trick for that perfect crunchy bark?

2 comments

2 Comments

finley_clark2017d ago

Spraying every 45 minutes is a serious commitment. How do you even keep track of that without messing up the cook? I usually just eyeball it and spray when the surface looks dry. Do you use a timer or something, and does opening the smoker that often mess with your temperature stability?

barnes.shane17d ago

Oh man, @finley_clark20, that reminds me of the time I got way too into timing sprays on a pork shoulder and completely forgot I had bread baking in the oven. The smoke was fine but my kitchen smelled like a charcoal briquette for a week. I use my phone timer now, but yeah, you lose a ton of heat each time you peek.