Understanding Peach Butcher Paper for BBQ Enthusiasts

Forget foil, the hottest BBQ accessory right now is peach paper. Here’s the total breakdown of what exactly it is, and what makes it so special.

BBQ enthusiasts are known to be obsessed with meat quality, smoke flavour and various temp gadgets, but no one expects them to flip out over a roll of paper, yet that’s exactly what is happening in the barbecue world. Orders for this stuff are placed from all over the globe despite prohibitively high shipping fees, and rolls are smuggled back in suitcases, incurring overweight luggage charges, so that people can get their hands on this magical wrap. So, with barbecue already being a crazy expensive hobby, why are these people going to these exorbitant lengths for a roll of tree pulp?

So what exactly is peach paper?

Here’s when things get tricky. Peach paper is the popular term used for the tinted paper we see used at barbecue joints. However, within the paper industry, “peach paper” refers to a variety of stake paper. Technically speaking, the barbecue pit masters we know, love and are trying to emulate are actually using pink paper. Or more specifically, pink butcher's paper. Let me shut down another rumour real quick: neither pink nor peach paper contains any peach essence; it’s simply that the pink colour denotes a natural base, whereas white butcher's paper is bleached.

Why wrap in the first place?

Pit masters wrap meats either near the end of the cook time or at the end, mainly to protect the meat from drying out and losing moisture as it rests and is held at a lower temperature during service. It can also be employed if the cook has gone quicker than expected, to try and retard any further darkening of the bark/exterior crust.

Ok, so why paper, not foil?

Wrapping in foil is known as the “Texas crutch” and is more frequently used for pork ribs than for beef barbecue. Foil is non-porous (meaning, it doesn’t breathe or allow air in/out), and so when a meat is foiled, any additional smoke cannot penetrate, stopping the smoking process in its tracks. BUT, foil actually reflects heat down onto the meat (radiant heat), and, since metal is conductive, it will retain heat for a lot longer, so whatever you are wrapping will continue to cook to some degree. The biggest downfall of using foil is that when hot meats are wrapped, the steam cannot escape and turns to condensation, which in turn wets the surface of the meat, ruining any crusty bark that has formed during the cook and turning it to mush. Between you and me, let’s just say there is validity to the argument that if you’re foiling your meat longer than you’re smoking it, you’re pretty much just making a roast which is flavoured with a hint of smoke, so why even have a damn barbecue? Rant over, the point is that paper solves most of these issues because it allows the steam to escape the parcel and doesn’t make the exterior of the meat soggy, all while keeping the contents protected from the full assault of the smoker. And because it doesn’t retain or reflect heat like foil, you don’t have to compensate for any extra cooking time.

What's the difference between butcher's paper and steak paper, then? Both have treatments for strength, but butcher's paper is more porous for smoking, while steak paper is denser for display and retail use.

Well, let’s start with the similarities. Both butcher and steak papers have something called “sizing” added, which is basically a treatment that dictates the wet strength of the paper, which, as the name suggests, is what keeps it from falling apart when it gets wet. Neither of them has a wax coating; it’s an internal treatment of the product that, based on the formula, determines the paper's moisture or vapour barrier. Butcher paper is designed for same-day use – because you buy your piece of meat, carry it home, and then discard the paper – so it’s more porous. Steak paper is made for retail display and is therefore designed to be more robust and to let less air reach the product (because it discolours the meat). Steak paper is far denser than butcher paper and is manufactured using more hardwood fibres, resulting in a more rigid product.

• Always use a food-grade product. While cheaper options like Kraft might seem tempting, knowing that food-grade paper ensures safety can make you feel more confident about your barbecue choices and trust in your tools.
• Food grade doesn’t automatically mean it’s ok to use in the smoker, either. Freezer paper, for example, is designed for use with food, but it has a layer of polyethene plastic that will melt at a 180f.
• If you do get your hands on some butcher's paper, you can actually also use it in the dry ageing process. Just change the wrap every few days.