Fat Side UP or Down

BBQ_MAFIA · 08-13-2005, 10:02 PM

Up until today, everything I read tells me to cook brisket fat side up.
Today I picked up Paul Kirk’s book Championship Barbecue. His recipes call for the brisket to be cooked fat side down.
What are you guys doing and what do you think of Paul Kirk’s approach.

tommykendall · 08-13-2005, 10:10 PM

Lotsa guys here have moved to the fat side down, much depending on the cooker you're using. i just tossed my third one of the day on the WSM - cap down. Check the roadmap at the top of the forum or do a searc on the subject. There's been a lot of discussion on it.

icemn62 · 08-13-2005, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommykendall

There's been a lot of discussion on it.

To put it mildly

Arlin_MacRae · 08-13-2005, 10:17 PM

Skippy.

I think the best one I saw was from someone that said cook it fat side down and then cook something on a rack above it to keep it basted. A couple of fatties or ten, would do it!

thillin · 08-13-2005, 10:27 PM

http://bandera-brethren.com/index.ph...ghlight=#90990

Take a look at my post about another article, and the other replies.

BBQchef33 · 08-13-2005, 10:39 PM

i do fat side down now.. started doing it that way last year and have been very happy withthe results. Stops the naked side from drying out by being exposed to the "heat shadow' that builds up below it.

BBQchef33 · 08-13-2005, 10:40 PM

i do fat side down now.. started doing it that way last year and have been very happy withthe results. Stops the naked side from drying out by being exposed to the "heat shadow' that builds up below it.

Bill-Chicago · 08-13-2005, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBQchef33

i do fat side down now.. started doing it that way last year and have been very happy withthe results. Stops the naked side from drying out by being exposed to the "heat shadow' that builds up below it.

I agree with my post pumping friend.

I was an advocate of fat up, to render fat back through the meat, but after a few highly specific posts by Jim Minion here, the fat as protection from the heat on the downside, is much more important for me.

kcquer · 08-14-2005, 12:56 AM

BBQ Mafia, I too found conflicting info when I got serious about reading up on brisket. I'm now a very strong proponet of fat cap down (to say the farking least). Why? Because I cooked a few each way and to me there's no comparison.
If the opinions you read here don't sway you, and even if they do, cook a pair of briskets (one each way) and see what you think. At worst, you'll have brisket sammiches for lunch all week or extra to put in the freezer for the chili pot when the cool weather rolls around

BBQ_MAFIA · 08-14-2005, 07:08 AM

Thanks for the feed back. This weeks brisket is on the smoker fat stde down. Can't wait to try it.

Solidkick · 08-14-2005, 07:59 AM

I shouldn't speak for another brother, but I did read in another forum that since he started cooking fat cap up, he's been in the top 10 in brisket most every event this year. He stated that it helped his bark.

I've always started my comp. briskets fat cap up, cook 4-5 hours, then turn the brisket over and cook fat cap down. when i wrap, then it's fat cap up again. I agree that I think it sets the bark better, and also helps with the amount of smoke the meat takes. Until this last BoCo cook off, which was less than ideal conditions, and the possibility that our entry went to the toughest table of judges, our brisket in local events had never placed worse than 2nd place.

tommykendall · 08-14-2005, 01:21 PM

Sheet - I'm gonna try mine fat cap sideways once and see what happens.

Jorge · 08-14-2005, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommykendall

Sheet - I'm gonna try mine fat cap sideways once and see what happens.

Make a rack, similar to a rib rack, out of foil

I've done both, and have seen and tasted the merits of both. Maybe it's tradition, or the desire to reduce cleanup but more often than not I still cook fatcap up. I'll also consider what else I happen to be cooking. I had a pork loin under a fatcap down brisket that I know benefitted from those drippings.

kcquer · 08-14-2005, 04:22 PM

Quote:

. I'll also consider what else I happen to be cooking. I had a pork loin under a fatcap down brisket that I know benefitted from those drippings.

I love cooking on the cimarron, but one of the things I missed about cooking brisket in the BSKD was cooking briskets in pairs both fatcap down, switching which was on top every couple of hours. It's nice to have the vertical mod working again in the FE.

:D This is one way to ensure the fatcap basting mod really works.

Edited to correct my own dumbass

Fatcap DOWN

chad · 08-14-2005, 04:31 PM

Fat down. For me it helps protect the bark which is very important to the appearnce - it doesn't get dragged across the grates.

2. The fat doesn't pentrate the meat at all and winds up in the bottom the cooker anyhow.

3. The fat does provide a protective layer betweent he usable meat and the heat.

Just my opinion.

08-13-2005, 10:02 PM	#1
BBQ_MAFIA somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 07-10-05 Location: NORTH BERGEN, NEW JERSEY	Fat Side UP or Down Up until today, everything I read tells me to cook brisket fat side up. Today I picked up Paul Kirk’s book Championship Barbecue. His recipes call for the brisket to be cooked fat side down. What are you guys doing and what do you think of Paul Kirk’s approach.

08-13-2005, 10:10 PM	#2
tommykendall Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 08-13-03 Location: Long Beach, CA	RE: Fat Side UP or Down Lotsa guys here have moved to the fat side down, much depending on the cooker you're using. i just tossed my third one of the day on the WSM - cap down. Check the roadmap at the top of the forum or do a searc on the subject. There's been a lot of discussion on it. __________________ tk PitBitch

08-13-2005, 10:17 PM	#4
Arlin_MacRae somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 04-14-04 Location: Choctaw, OK	RE: Re: RE: Fat Side UP or Down Skippy. I think the best one I saw was from someone that said cook it fat side down and then cook something on a rack above it to keep it basted. A couple of fatties or ten, would do it! __________________ Arlin MacRae Primo Oval Junior, Traeger Model 075 Pellet Pooper, Big Chief, Kingfisher Kooker 14" gas/wood combo, PBC Brethren Edition, Pit Boss NASCAR Tailgater Home Brewer, Murderer of Squirrels, Armadillo Inspector Flaming Pig Head Mod Certified KCBS Master BBQ Judge

08-13-2005, 10:27 PM	#5
thillin somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 07-21-04 Location: Keller, Texas	http://bandera-brethren.com/index.ph...ghlight=#90990 Take a look at my post about another article, and the other replies. __________________ Med Spicewine-adopted 3/13/10 *CL Score* 2 Large BGEs(pimped out w/Thirdeye Eggcessories)-hatched 6/4/07 & 4/20/11 Med BGE-adopted 2/2/08 *CL Score* -SOLD Mini BGE-adopted 1/31/08 *CL Score* Traeger 075-adopted 12/3/11 CL Score Weber 1 touch *CL Score* Weber Spirit 500 *CL Score* Weber Smokey Joe Silver *CL Score* BLUE & RED Thermapens Klose 20x42-SOLD Paddlin Pigs BBQ Ty

08-13-2005, 10:39 PM	#6
BBQchef33 Grand Poobah and Site Admin Join Date: 08-11-03 Location: Long Island, NY Name/Nickname : Phil	i do fat side down now.. started doing it that way last year and have been very happy withthe results. Stops the naked side from drying out by being exposed to the "heat shadow' that builds up below it. __________________ Site Administrator and Grand PooBah CBJ with a Fuzzy Blue Hat, 18 Foot Competition Trailer, Customized Klose BYC, Custom Built Shirley built to feed our Veterans(A.K.A "Abrams"), 1 Double Barreled Lang 84, 1 Heavily Modified Bionic Bandera, 1 Custom Super Medium Stickburning Spicewine w/stoker, 2 XL BGE, 1 Mini BGE, 2 Pit Barrel Cookers, 3 WSMs, 3 Weber Kettles, an NB Hondo, A Modified Brinkman Horizontal, DCS 48" Grill, a Broilmaster P3, a Blackstone 36 and 17, a covered, pellet pooping FEC100, and our duck died. :( News Flash: "A mans worth is judged by the weight of his integrity " You know your getting older when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy Smoke on KC. WWW.BBQ-BRETHREN.COM

08-13-2005, 10:40 PM	#7
BBQchef33 Grand Poobah and Site Admin Join Date: 08-11-03 Location: Long Island, NY Name/Nickname : Phil	i do fat side down now.. started doing it that way last year and have been very happy withthe results. Stops the naked side from drying out by being exposed to the "heat shadow' that builds up below it. __________________ Site Administrator and Grand PooBah CBJ with a Fuzzy Blue Hat, 18 Foot Competition Trailer, Customized Klose BYC, Custom Built Shirley built to feed our Veterans(A.K.A "Abrams"), 1 Double Barreled Lang 84, 1 Heavily Modified Bionic Bandera, 1 Custom Super Medium Stickburning Spicewine w/stoker, 2 XL BGE, 1 Mini BGE, 2 Pit Barrel Cookers, 3 WSMs, 3 Weber Kettles, an NB Hondo, A Modified Brinkman Horizontal, DCS 48" Grill, a Broilmaster P3, a Blackstone 36 and 17, a covered, pellet pooping FEC100, and our duck died. :( News Flash: "A mans worth is judged by the weight of his integrity " You know your getting older when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy Smoke on KC. WWW.BBQ-BRETHREN.COM

08-14-2005, 12:56 AM	#9
kcquer Lives in Spirit Join Date: 02-17-04 Location: Wherever there's Sweet Blue	BBQ Mafia, I too found conflicting info when I got serious about reading up on brisket. I'm now a very strong proponet of fat cap down (to say the farking least). Why? Because I cooked a few each way and to me there's no comparison. If the opinions you read here don't sway you, and even if they do, cook a pair of briskets (one each way) and see what you think. At worst, you'll have brisket sammiches for lunch all week or extra to put in the freezer for the chili pot when the cool weather rolls around __________________ Brinkmann Smoke King Deluxe Brinkmann Cimarron Deluxe FE-100 Fast Eddy by Cookshack They give me shivers when they bounce around, buckled up or draggin' on the ground, I like big....Joe Walsh

08-14-2005, 07:08 AM	#10
BBQ_MAFIA somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 07-10-05 Location: NORTH BERGEN, NEW JERSEY	Thanks for the feed back. This weeks brisket is on the smoker fat stde down. Can't wait to try it.

08-14-2005, 07:59 AM	#11
Solidkick somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 10-21-03 Location: Bandera Owner in Missouri	I shouldn't speak for another brother, but I did read in another forum that since he started cooking fat cap up, he's been in the top 10 in brisket most every event this year. He stated that it helped his bark. I've always started my comp. briskets fat cap up, cook 4-5 hours, then turn the brisket over and cook fat cap down. when i wrap, then it's fat cap up again. I agree that I think it sets the bark better, and also helps with the amount of smoke the meat takes. Until this last BoCo cook off, which was less than ideal conditions, and the possibility that our entry went to the toughest table of judges, our brisket in local events had never placed worse than 2nd place. __________________ Mr. Kick ------------------------------------------------ *Belly Brothers BBQ Team* "Sister Flame" Spicewine Trailer Smoker,Modified Bandera, Uni-Flame Chicken Cooker with a Spicewine Thermometer mod,Kingsford Barrel cooker and a super fast RED thermapen KC always said "fat cap up!!

08-14-2005, 01:21 PM	#12
tommykendall Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 08-13-03 Location: Long Beach, CA	Sheet - I'm gonna try mine fat cap sideways once and see what happens. __________________ tk PitBitch

08-14-2005, 04:31 PM	#15
chad somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 08-13-03 Location: Clearwater, FL	Fat down. For me it helps protect the bark which is very important to the appearnce - it doesn't get dragged across the grates. 2. The fat doesn't pentrate the meat at all and winds up in the bottom the cooker anyhow. 3. The fat does provide a protective layer betweent he usable meat and the heat. Just my opinion. __________________ Dave Southern Brethren BBQ Competition Team "It's all about getting paid!" - Myron Mixon "I love being hated in my hometown!" - David Hair KingFisher Gator Rotisserie cooker (RIP), WSM (RIP), Stainless 5 burner with IR gas grill (RIP), Turkey Fryer, Weber JD Commemorative grill (RIP), Masterbuilt 40" insulated ELECTRIC smoker (new heating element), Pit Boss Tailgater pellet pooper.

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