Last Updated on April 14, 2024 by Shari Mason
In addition to its traditional purpose as a wrapper for meat, butcher paper, also known as kraft paper, has diverse applications. It can serve as a substitute for a baking sheet, assist in the smoking of meat, and even be utilized as wrapping paper for food.
If you’re new to cooking and saw butcher paper in the market, you might be curious about how to use it.
Can you put butcher paper in the oven? Let’s find out.
Can You Use Butcher Paper in the Oven?
Yes, butcher paper can be used when cooking meat in the oven. However, butcher papers might stick to the meat juice and ruin the flavor.
Other types of butcher paper: Pink butcher paper, used to wrap brisket and smoke meat. White butcher paper, used as a sandwich wrapper or table cover. Wax paper is used as baking sheets in pastries.
Most pastries, like cookies, are placed on baking paper. But wax paper or butcher paper with the wax coating is not recommended in cookies as it may catch fire in intense heat. [1]
Is It Safe To Use?
Yes, butcher paper is safe in the oven. Butcher papers are made of caustic soda and wood pulp, making them stronger and heat resistant, but they might burn with direct heat contact.
All butcher papers are food-grade and FDA-approved. They’re recommended by food specialists to use. Before buying one, you should know which kind of butcher you need for cooking. [2]
Other paper types with wax can’t withstand high temperatures like inside the oven. This type of paper is only ideal for meals inside the fridge. Always note the fire hazard factors before using butcher paper as part of your cooking method.
But can you broil in an oven without a broiler?
Is Using Butcher Paper in the Oven Cost Effective?
The short answer to this is yes. Butcher paper is cost-effective in various ways, especially for grilling steaks. Instead of using foil, which is more expensive, utilizing butcher paper in the kitchen will save you more money.
You can buy butcher paper at an affordable price, plus it is easier to find in any grocery store or market.
There are other types of butcher paper for different dishes; one is pink butcher paper. It is an unbleached butcher paper that is heat resistant and can withstand direct contact with high heat, unlike bleached butcher paper.
Is It Similar to Parchment Paper?
No, butcher paper and parchment paper are two different types of paper that have a variety of uses in the kitchen. But for butcher paper vs parchment, it’s butcher paper that is oven safe.
Parchment paper is non-stick, making it ideal for lining baking and cake pans. It is also perfect for wrapping chickens and fish to make sure that it doesn’t stick to the pan.
In contrast, butcher paper doesn’t have a non-stick surface but is thicker than parchment. It is ideal for wrapping briskets or other meat you want to cook. But why doesn’t parchment paper burn?
Why Use Butcher Paper in the Oven
It Serves as a Protective Barrier
Pink butcher paper is the type of paper that can protect the food from high temperatures when cooking.
You can use it instead of aluminum foil to wrap ribs or meat in the grill. The steam quality that it can provide provides extra tenderness to the steak.
Bakers also prefer butcher paper for their baked goods because it is thicker than other papers and the most affordable paper on the market. But can toothpicks go in the oven?
It Helps Retain Moisture
When grilling, it is better to use pink butcher paper because it is moisture resistant. The moisture from smoked meat is trapped inside and doesn’t wet the outer part of the paper. That’s why the white one is used in wrapping sandwiches.
Unlike the regular butcher paper that sticks to the meat juice, pink butcher paper is like a foil that locks moisture and adds tenderness to the meat.
It Can Speed Up Cooking
The smoke in the steam helps in cooking the food thoroughly. Locking steam and smoke from the grill inside the paper wrap is a big help for cooking.
For smoking meats, butcher papers are better because the porous state of paper lets the smoke penetrates and speeds up the cooking process with the internal temperature as the heat source.
How To Use It
If you want to cook meat, just wrap the paper around the beef and place it on a grill. Parchment papers are best used when cooking in pans because they don’t stick to the surface.
For baking, place the paper on the baking pan before the cookies. Either foil or butcher paper, the wrapper should cover the food in any cooking process.
Read: How Long To Use Oven After Using Easy Off
FAQs
Is butcher paper flammable?
Yes, butcher paper is flammable because it is made of paper pulp. It could quickly burn when in contact with fire.
The white tissue-like paper wrapped in sandwiches is a type of butcher paper that is very thin and could catch flame easily. Butcher papers used in baking are also flammable.
Can you use butcher paper as baking paper?
Yes, butcher papers are also baking paper. But since they are a bit thicker, bakers use parchment paper for its non-stick properties. Other chefs use wax paper in cooling food but not in heating.
Summary
The type of butcher paper that is safe and can go in the oven with our food is pink butcher paper. It is also ideal for grilling food because it is stronger and thicker. Still, always use precautions.
The other food papers like parchment paper and wax paper are not ideal when you want to cook meat in high heat or direct fire.
References:
- https://ask.usd.agov/s/article/What-is-wax-paper
- https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/nctr-publications/2018-nctr-research-highlights
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