Hot take: resting brisket in a cooler vs. my old towel method

I used to wrap my finished brisket in a beach towel and toss it in the oven with just the pilot light on. Last month at a backyard cook in Austin, I tried the preheated cooler with hot water dumped out first. The temp stayed above 150 for 4 hours instead of dropping to 130 in 90 minutes. Now I'm wondering if I was over-complicating it or if the towel method actually gave a better crust. Has anyone else switched and seen a real difference in moisture?

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robinc6624d ago

That line about the temp dropping to 130 got my attention. My buddy Dave in San Antonio went through the same switch last spring. He swore by his towel and oven pilot light method for years. One day he did a brisket for his daughter's graduation party and tried the cooler trick. He said the meat was still steaming when he sliced into it three hours later. The bark was a little softer, sure, but the slices held together better and the juice was still there. He told me he'd never go back to the towel unless he needed the cooler for beer.