The Texas Crutch is a smoking technique that helps reduce the cooking time for large meats like brisket or pork shoulder, while still keeping them juicy and tender. Find out why this BBQ trick works and how to use it effectively with your next cook.
The term ‘Texas Crutch’ is something you’ll likely never hear outside of the smoking community, but as soon as you decide to step a toe into the world of smoking, it seems to become the one thing you need to know about and have an opinion on.
Large cuts like beef brisket, ribs, or pork shoulder can take hours to smoke, but using the Texas Crutch method reduces the smoking time while locking in moisture for a deliciously tender finish.
But what exactly is the Texas Crutch? How does it work? Why is it such a popular method on the barbecue circuit? We debunk some common misconceptions about it and guide you through a step-by-step process of the technique.
What is The Texas Crutch?
The Texas Crutch is a smoking technique that involves wrapping partially smoked cuts like ribs, pork shoulder, or brisket in aluminum foil or butcher paper. The method accelerates the cooking process, increases moisture retention, and helps the meat reach its desired internal temperature.
The Texas Crutch is primarily used to overcome the dreaded ‘stall,’ a point in the cooking process where the meat’s internal temperature plateaus and stops rising for a considerable amount of time. Wrapping creates a moist environment, helping to break through this stage and speed up the cooking time, compared to if you left your meat to overcome the stall without intervention.
Beyond speeding up cook time, the Texas Crutch also helps to tenderize the meat and lock in moisture that can be lost during the smoking process. Inside the foil or butcher paper, the high heat breaks down tough connective tissue, transforming it into melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. Meanwhile, the trapped steam allows the dry rub and smoke to deeply infuse the meat, resulting in that irresistible, smoky flavor.
The basic technique that the method is based on isn’t new. The idea of wrapping meat while cooking to keep it moist and tender is something that was seen way back in traditional barbacoa cooking where they would use banana leaves.
Our modern variation of this method has earned its name, the Texas Crutch, as it was reputedly first used in Texas. Regardless of its origin, the technique is often used by barbecue competition teams and is seen as a vital step in the smoking process by many.
The Science Behind the Texas Crutch
Understanding the science behind the Texas Crutch can help you better appreciate just how effective of a technique it can be and why it’s so widely used.
Understanding the Stall
A common phenomenon in barbecue, The BBQ Stall is a plateau in the cooking process where the meat’s internal temperature stops rising; this is an issue caused by evaporative cooling.
As meat cooks, moisture on the surface begins to evaporate. The process of evaporation requires energy (in this case, energy in the form of heat), which is absorbed from the meat itself. As more heat energy is pulled away from the meat to facilitate the evaporation, the surface temperature of the meat drops, which in turn slows down the cooking process and creates the stall.
How Wrapping Reduces Evaporative Cooling
By wrapping the meat, you create a sealed environment that significantly reduces evaporative cooling. With the barrier in place, any moisture that would normally evaporate from the meat’s surface is trapped inside the seal. The trapped moisture creates a steamy environment that helps to maintain a higher surface temperature, which then in turn allows the meat’s internal temperature to continue rising.
Pros & Cons of the Method
While the Texas Crutch is a widely used technique with several advantages, it’s important to weigh the potential downsides before deciding whether to use it.
Pros
Helps Overcome The Stall
Wrapping meat when it hits the stall partway through the smoking process helps to bring the internal temperature of the meat back up and continue to climb to its ideal range.
You can overcome the stall ‘naturally’ without wrapping the meat but this takes a long time and can add several hours onto a cook.
Unwrapped meat will eventually break through the stall once all the available moisture on the surface of the meat has evaporated (no moisture means no more evaporative cooling, and the internal temperature can continue to rise), but this loss of moisture does run the risk of the meat turning dry.
Keeps Meat Moist
Creating a sealed environment around the meat helps to keep a good amount of moisture in the meat and stops it from drying out.
Tenderization
Using the Texas Crutch keeps the internal temperature of the meat in the ideal range for breaking down connective tissue and collagen, turning it into gelatin, which can then spread through the surrounding tissue to improve flavor.
Cons
Softened Bark
Since the Texas Crutch method helps to retain moisture, it can lead to a softening of the bark created on the outer layer of the meat.
This issue can often be overcome by making sure you wrap your meat at the right time during the cooking process. The ideal time to crutch your meat is when you see the temperature starting to stall, which is usually around 160℉ – 165℉ (71℃-73℃). By this time, the bark should have developed nicely with a dark color and solid texture.
Texture Issues
If meat is wrapped too tightly or left for too long sitting in an excess amount of trapped moisture, the meat can go from being nicely tender to developing a mushy texture.
Debunking Common Myths and Misconceptions
The Texas Crutch has its fair share of myths and misconceptions:
The Texas Crutch Is A Cheat
Some smoking purists believe that the Texas Crutch is a shortcut or a cheat. While it does speed up the cooking process by helping overcome the stall, it’s still a method that requires monitoring and skill to get a good finished result.
It’s just one of a selection of methods and techniques that can help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a cook, rather than being a replacement of skill.
You Can’t Get A Good Bark When Using The Texas Crutch
Using the Texas Crutch method can soften the bark on a cook due to the amount of moisture it traps close to the surface of the meat, but it is possible to keep a good bark on your meat even with wrapping.
One option is to ignore the internal temperature readings and instead wait until you are happy with the look of the bark on the meat and then wrap it. The other option is to follow the normal process of wrapping when it hits the stall, and then once it’s reached the correct internal temperature, unwrap it and put it back in the smoker to help restore the bark’s crispiness.
There is no right or wrong way to go about it; it is completely personal preference and will likely mean a bit of trial and error until you find a way that gives you the best outcome for both taste and texture.
How to do the Texas Crutch
Now that you understand the science and benefits of the Texas Crutch let’s dive into the process.
One thing to decide before you start smoking your meat is whether you want to use foil or butcher paper for wrapping your meat.
Foil can create a tighter seal, which leads to faster cooking and more moisture retention, but because of that extra moisture, it has the potential to result in a softer bark.
Butcher paper doesn’t give as tight of a seal so can allow for more airflow, which could potentially result in a crispier bark, but this could in turn mean the cook time isn’t as quick as when using foil.
Texas Crutch Method Step-by-Step
- Smoke your meat. Prepare your meat with whatever rubs or sauces you want and place it in your smoker.
- Prepare your wrap. Whether you’re using foil or paper, it’s a good idea to double-layer to keep the wrap nice and secure.
- Watch for the stall. Keep a close eye on the meat’s internal temperature, taking regular readings so you can identify when the stall hits.If you’d rather not wait for the stall, you can prepare to crutch the meat when it hits an internal temperature of around 150-160℉ (65-71℃)
- Wrap your meat. Take your meat off the smoker once it hits the stall, and place it in the center of your foil sheets. If you’re adding liquid, use about ¼ cup to the bottom of the foil parcel without pouring directly onto the meat. Wrap the foil around the meat tightly, ensuring there are no gaps. Crimp the edges securely to prevent steam or liquid from leaking.
- Return your wrapped meat to the smoker. Place the wrapped meat back in the smoker and continue cooking until it reaches the required internal temperature. If you want to crisp up the bark you can remove your meat from the wrap and place it back in the smoker to help dry slightly.
