Brisket question....
 

Woke up way too early, fired up the Egg and started to prep the brisket.
I have seen what looks like silverskin-ish sort of thing - perhaps just a membrane - how far do you go to remove it or do you even worry about it?
http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...J/IMG_0278.jpg

Gave it a nice rub in some Dizzy Pig Cow Lick - and onto the Egg it went.
http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...J/IMG_0282.jpg
The ribs are prepped.... now the waiting begins....

I've seen the silverskin looking stuff before too, but never bothered to removed it.

San't wait to see some finished pron!:cool:

Unless it comes off easily I ignore it. I've done more damage to the meat trying to get it off than it is worth. You're going to slice the brisket to serve so the amount of it on the edge of slice is nothing.

We always remove it. It's pretty painstaking, as you don't want to remove a lot of meat. But if you're applying rub to that surface, don't you want the rub to directly contact the meat?

Thanks for the replies folks -
Diva - you remove it all the time or just for competition?

I am not clear whether that silver skin is on the fat cap side or not?

Meaty looking Ribs!

If you are getting in practice for a pageant where you are using this technique or you are actually doing this for a pageant then do it. While removing the sinew has two somewhat cogent reasons for removal on a set of ribs (judge preference and flavor penetration) it has a very small contribution on brisket. In pageants, where not only every little thing you do pay off on points at times, doing a bunch of little things can add up.

Popdaddy always says; the little things like this done to a rack or a lump of meat are like whether or not your best girl shaves at all, or all the way up. No matter how bushy, she is still your best girl.

Popdaddy continues, "Now in a pageant where all those little things add up to a great presentation this matters a great deal. Much like in Porn where a model has to be perfect (like Mindy Vega) because you cannot touch her. But when its time to get your fattie wellington all larded up and greasy and dirty, you want your money's worth; you would care less cuz you're gonna be so close to it its outta focus, right?"

I would not sweat the sinew on the briskey too much. You are going to get the flavor anyway. It will penetrate. It will. Don't you get the same penetration whether its shaved or not? I find the cleaner it is the more it loses moisture on the sheets and lingerie anyway.

Ditto.

I may not do as good of a job for backyard briskets, but I shave it off for comps.

Opposite of fatcap

In all actuality it is all over the place. It is most notable on the underside of the flat. There is some between the point and flat layers but we don't really notice because by the time we are seeing it, it is all gooey from cooking.

Sinew is is harder to penetrate the flavor HOWEVER it also holds in moisture. AS a non wrapper I want every advantage for moisture I can get... High Heat (which also takes care of my flavor penetration deficit) reduces the time subjected to drying out.

I know people saw this on Myron Mixons thing but I think his Wygu had more to do with a win than sinew trimming IMHO. Of course leanne did it too I think.

However, since at a pageant you have lots of time to fret over a single brisket anyway, toiling over the skin here is cool. Normally a brisket would be the lowest labor item you place on the smoker. So have at it for comps.

Thanks all -
I am strictly a back-yarder - that competition stuff looks way too much like work!
And yes - that is a picture opposite of the fat cap.

I'm liking what I'm seeing.........I can't wait for an update!! I don't mess with that skin, but I do try remove as much of that slippery fat as possible.

I tried to remove it many times and have had minimal success, bear in mind I am lazy. So I do not remove it now. I suppose if DivaHerself removes it, then for a competition I would remove it.

Just pulled the brisket and the ribs - put the pork trimmings on for a little cook, in about an hour I will throw on the chicken wings. They have been hanging out in the fridge wearing a coat made of Plowboys Yard Bird.

I will create a new thread for the finished product - my BIL marshman is hooking us up with some fresh bread and home made butter for supper - now you know why we invite the outlaws for Sunday dinner...:biggrin: