Brisket prep and trim

[rick953]

Should brisket be rinsed and dried before trim?
How long before trim should the brisket be rinsed and dried?
Should brisket be placed in refrigerator to dry?
Should it be covered with plastic wrap if placed in refrigerator to dry?
Once it has dried, the trim could commence.
What is maximum time between trimming and beginning cook process?
If I trim brisket night before cook, I would place back in refrigerator until start of cook.
What is your opinion of bringing meat to room temperature before starting cooking process?
I will be using a pellet grill.
I apologize to the purists

 

[bregent]

Just rinse and dry with paper towels, then proceed to trim. Once you remove the brisket from the cryovac, you should use it within a few days. You should not leave it on the counter overnight - if you are waiting a long time between trim and cook, keep it in the fridge.

 

[SmokinAl]

I take the brisket out of the cryovac & rinse it. Then put it on a cutting board & trim it up. Then dry it & put on olive oil or mustard & my rub. Next wrap in plastic wrap & put in fridge overnight. Sometimes I inject the brisket with a combo of beef stock, melted butter & garlic powder, and then wrap in plastic & let mellow in fridge overnight. I go from fridge to smoker, no resting on the counter. Hope this helps, & let us know how it turns out!
Al

 

[sandyut]

Brothers SmokinAl and bregent have given you what you need. Good Luck!

 

[JC in GB]

Harry Soo has some great instructional videos on meat trim and prep.

JC

 

[thirdeye]

Should brisket be rinsed and dried before trim?
How long before trim should the brisket be rinsed and dried?
Should brisket be placed in refrigerator to dry?
Should it be covered with plastic wrap if placed in refrigerator to dry?
Once it has dried, the trim could commence.
What is maximum time between trimming and beginning cook process?
If I trim brisket night before cook, I would place back in refrigerator until start of cook.
What is your opinion of bringing meat to room temperature before starting cooking process?
I will be using a pellet grill.
I apologize to the purists

The USDA and many food experts do NOT recommend rinsing any raw meat in your sink due to the potential cross contamination issues. The cryopacked briskets usually contain purge, and it's big piece of meat to be moving around and rinsing.... so these things amplify the cross contamination risk. Here is a link that bears this out: USDA . Now, the purge is yucky looking and slick.... so I use a bus tub to hold the brisket and remove the cryo, in it, then blot as much of the purge as possible with paper towels, then use a spray bottle with water and a little vinegar to mist and blot the brisket a second time. Then I move the brisket to a large cutting board and fully sanitize the bus tub.

I generally trim a couple of hours before going on the pit, and I keep it refrigerated at all times, uncovered. If I trim the day before I will cover it until cooking day.

I don't leave meat on the counter, especially long enough to bring to room temperature, which might take 5 or 6 hours with a brisket. It's an invitation for bacteria to multiply. Also, a smoke ring stops forming around 140° so I want a cold brisket going into the pit.

EDIT: I see that JC in GB posted a Harry Soo video, which is excellent. He mentions not rinsing a brisket in the sink as well.

 

[bregent]

The USDA and many food experts do NOT recommend rinsing any raw meat in your sink due to the potential cross contamination issues.

You're right, and that's a good point. I don't think I've ever actually rinsed a brisket - it's just too unwieldy.