Turning meat?

[Oldschoolbbq]

I always leave my fat up on anything, especially if it is all the same meat. Gather like sizes,compute time with the largest,cook at 200*F to 225*F and leave the lid shut until time is up or a probe shows IMT of the average one is 200*F.
I feel if it is cooking, why lose heat and time
Just MHO,hope it helps and rememberto>

[Sean "Puffy" Coals]

The few briskets I have attempted have been cooked fat-side up, but that article is making me re-consider.

On a side note, when cooking fat side up, doesn't scoring the fat cap just create a pathway for the juices to run off the sides of the meat? I wonder if it would make a difference if you made little pot-holes in the fat cap, perhaps with a spoon or something? Or penetrated the fat cap and down into the meat with a big fork or something and spread the holes open for the rendered fat to run into? I dunno, just spit-ballin...

[Randbo]

I just did my third brisket. I trimmed all of the fat down to 1/4" thickness. I cooked it with the fat side up 10 hours at 225 to 250 then 2 hours in foil, and I opened up the vents to stay above 250. When I foiled it I put in 1 cup of water with 1 teaspoon of beef bouillion. It came out very tasty.

[Randbo]

[Chezmatt]

I've only done a few briskets, so I'm no expert, but here's my take on this: In a WSM (or any other vertical water smoker), the water pan is supposed to act as a barrier between the coals and the meat, and the dome temperature is often higher than the grill temperature. Given those two factors, isn't it likely that the higher temp is actually ABOVE the brisket? And if so, shouldn't the fat cap be up both to baste the brisket and to protect it from the higher temp?

[S M O K E]

there are a lot of contestants only one winner. what do the winners do?
Aaron Franklin (Franklin's BBQ Austin Tx) Fat side up. Me? Fat side up.

[Ron_L]

Originally Posted by S M O K E

there are a lot of contestants only one winner. what do the winners do?
Aaron Franklin (Franklin's BBQ Austin Tx) Fat side up. Me? Fat side up.

Holy thread resurrection, Batman!

[martyleach]

This is an emotional issue for many people but I don't know why. Cookers are all different. I have had my best briskets (WSM and BGE) by cooking fat side down until the bark gets nicely developed and pretty. Then into foil until done.

[nmayeux]

Yeah, I stumbled onto the roadmap again yesterday, and both enjoyed some of these old threads, and seeing a bunch of posts from the old timers.

Anyway, fat side down is the way to go! :)

[Tsevg9]

Originally Posted by Hankster

I'll try it fat side down next time, but I tell ya, if you've got a side fire box, it really shouldn't matter!!!

I would agree with you. If your heat comes from the side, it shouldn't matter. For me, when I cook on the UDS it always goes fat cap down to protect from the direct heat.

[Monty1204]

<----- Hey Look I GOT WOOD

I agree with Tsevg9 fat down on UDS.
I also agree with Chezmatt, in my vertical water smoker you have that barrier between the heat source and meat. Most of the heat is in the top of the smoker where it escapes via the vents. That said Fat side up.

It all depends on your cooker and your preference.

I have cooked a few briskets and have never needed to turn them. Just low and slow until I get the desired bark and then foil.

[legendaryhog]

I have done both, and have had good success with either. However, I've gone to fat side down mostly because any fat rendered on a fat-side-up cook doesn't go into the meat, but rather runs down the sides to the lowest point and takes some of the rub with it along for the ride to the bottom of the pit. I've had better bark with fat side down.