I finally let my brisket rest the full time

Anna Perez · 2026-02-27T18:55:57.084465+00:00

I used to think resting meat for hours was not needed. Last week, I left a brisket wrapped in a cooler for four hours after smoking. The juices stayed in and every slice was perfect. Now I always plan for that long rest.

leor867mo ago

Remember arguing with my dad about resting a pork shoulder. He said just leave it wrapped on the counter for an hour, but I pulled it straight to the board once. It looked like a crime scene, juice everywhere, meat was dry. Next cook I did what he said, let it sit wrapped in towels for two hours, and it was totally different. The whole thing stayed moist and just fell apart perfectly. Changed my whole game for big cuts.

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the_blake7mo ago

Sometimes the old ways are right even when they seem slow.

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sage_jackson567mo ago

I argued against long rests too until I tried it.

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anthony_brown397mo ago

Read a blog post once that broke down why resting works so well. Kinda like what @leor86 said about his pork shoulder, it's all about letting the juices settle. They said the meat fibers relax after cooking and take the moisture back in if you give it time. Now I never skip the long rest, especially for brisket, since it makes such a huge difference. Totally worth the wait, no more dry meat disasters.

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