Fat Side UP or Down

[BBQ_MAFIA]

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]

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]

Re: RE: Fat Side UP or Down

There's been a lot of discussion on it.

To put it mildly

 

[Arlin_MacRae]

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!

 

[thillin]

http://bandera-brethren.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=90990&highlight=#90990

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

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[Bill-Chicago]

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]

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 :wink:

 

[BBQ_MAFIA]

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

 

[Solidkick]

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]

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

 

[Jorge]

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 8)

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]

. 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. 8) This is one way to ensure the fatcap basting mod really works.

Edited to correct my own dumbass Fatcap DOWN :roll:

 

[chad]

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.

 

[Ron_L]

I like to lay fat side up, but I snore too much that way... :shock:

For my brisket, its fat down with a coupl eof fatties or some bacon on the shelf above it (unless I am cooking a butt, then that goes on top.

 

[Bigmista]

Fat side down. You get a nice pretty ring on the top of the meat.

 

[txpgapro]

Face down! I mean fat down!

 

[Wayne]

This is an art, not a science. Different pits, and different pit masters can get good results with fat up or down. Today I cook it fat side down thil I foil or roaster the thing. Then I like to flip it do the fat will baste the meat. I have also started triming off a lot of the fat and have not noticed much difference.

 

[Qczar]

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.

UP and DOWN.

Second time I`ve done this. Came out great both times. 'Fold Mod'.