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cbagby64 01-31-2010 08:39 AM

Trimming Brisket
 
Questions: Do you trim all the visible fat off or do you keep it on?

I have always kept most if not all of the fat on the brisket but in watching BBQ Pitmasters and looking at some other blogs I see that a lot of cooks trim all the visible fat off.

What are the pros/cons of taking all the visible fat off?

Rich Parker 01-31-2010 08:41 AM

What are you going to be cooking on?

I heard a discussion before that Myron Mixon does it because of the high amount of steam in his pit.

cbagby64 01-31-2010 08:43 AM

I cook on a XL BGE and a 22.5 WSM

HeSmellsLikeSmoke 01-31-2010 08:44 AM

Here is a great video by Bigmista which should be helpful.
http://www.thesurvivalgourmet.com/?p=162

cbagby64 01-31-2010 08:46 AM

Thanks Jim

Ron_L 01-31-2010 08:47 AM

The main heat source in my pit is from the bottom, and I cook my brisket fat cap down as a bit of a shield from the heat source, so I leave about 1/4" of fat on that side of the brisket. Otherwise I trim the hard fat and most of the fat between the plat and the point to make it easier to separate them later. On the other side of the brisket I do trim off as much as i can so i have more meat for the rub to adhere to.

Is all of this right? I don't know. Are there other ways to do it? Yep! But this has worked well for me.

Rich Parker 01-31-2010 08:48 AM

I take it down to about a 1/4 inch and then trim off whats left off after its done.

You will find many people doing it differently so you will just have to try and see what works best for you and your cooker.

Chipper 01-31-2010 08:50 AM

What he said.^^^^^

Captain Dave 01-31-2010 10:58 AM

What they said^^^^^. I trim all I can, except a thin layer at the fat cap. I too cook with fat cap down to protect from the direct heat. I think the fat cap also holds some of the juices in like a big cereal bowl. Now, that has been disproven by some side by side cooks, but it still works in my mind.

River City Smokehouse 01-31-2010 11:51 AM

The fat that you need on a brisket is on the inside. That's why a choice or better is best. They will have a lot more fat on the outside. Some folks like to keep fat on the bottom so to have a barrier and not burn the bottom while cooking. By trimming it, it allows the penetration of the rub and helps to form more bark surface. The rub will not penetrate the fat. Everyone does their own thing. You can expirement and see what you like best. I was in Huntsville, TX and visited with the owner at the Church of the Holy Smoke (New Zion BBQ restaurant). He doesn't trim anything off of the brisket there. I have tried that here at home and didn't like it so much, it seemed more fatty than juicy. One of the other things I have tried is to trim all the fat and place the fat bove the brisket in the cooker and cover the fat with rub. That's supposed to baste the brisket with rub flavored fat and keep it moist. I don't think that helped any. I have done better by trimming the fat outside and in.

h20loo 01-31-2010 12:19 PM

I'm going to buy a brisket to do on the egg. Anyone have thoughts on what is best for an egg? I have been cooking low and sslow on the UDS and prefer to cut all but a thin layer off for that. Same as RCS sez- I like the juice but not the greasy fat. The indirect egg should smoke a little different than the UDS.

greg of the BGE 02-01-2010 12:30 PM

I have tried all sorts of methods on my BGE and imo it is more the cut of meat than anything. If I get a good brisket, they are tender and juicy. If I get them from the local grocery store, they suck.

Fat side up, fat side down (I prefer fat side up with a place setter under it or fat side down with no place setter)
I do not trim anything from my briskets. I let the temp and time melt it all away. The 2 times I trimmed them, were the 2 driest briskets I have made so far.

If I took the fat off, I would want to cook it partially in foil or a pan to get some moisture back in.

kurtsara 02-01-2010 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbagby64 (Post 1163213)
Questions: Do you trim all the visible fat off or do you keep it on?

I have always kept most if not all of the fat on the brisket but in watching BBQ Pitmasters and looking at some other blogs I see that a lot of cooks trim all the visible fat off.

What are the pros/cons of taking all the visible fat off?

Some of them on tv are using Waygu beef also, maybe they can get away with trimming that much off

BRBBQ 02-01-2010 06:07 PM

Advantage of leaving some fat on it. Beef jerky otherwise, hehe!
http://www.google.com/images?q=tbn:A...iX2B8e10u-N88=

ssbbqguy 02-01-2010 06:23 PM

It has always been my practice to trim all exterior fat and count on what was inside. Fat blocks smoke flavor and seasonings from reaching meat. Wrapping or panning keeps things nice and juicy. Steve.


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