Trimming brisket

[ultramag]

I saw this elsewhere and thought it would be a neat reference for the new and a good reminder for the old hands as well. It shows a full packer cut brisket before and after trimming. You can spin it around, flip it over, and swap back and forth between trimmed and un-trimmed.

Virtual Brisket Trim

 

[meowey]

Very Cool!

 

[larry maddock]

yo dude,
way cool!

 

[bwsmith_2000]

Chad,
Good site! It's good to see how somebody else does it just to compare methods. (I think I'm pretty close.) Thanks for the referral.

 

[Dutch]

Good info Chad. I've made this topic a *sticky* so that it will be easy to reference.

 

[smokyokie]

8) Way cool site, but why trim the fat before you cook? Can't you leave all the fat on to flavor the meat while cooking, and then trim it before serving?

( there I go having ideas contrary to the mainstream again )

 

[Dutch]

Tim, I just leave the fat on and smoke the brisket "fat side down". The fat comes off easier after it's smoked.

 

[smokyokie]

Once again, great minds work alike.

We usually leave it fat side up for 2 hrs(to help baste, if you will), flip it for an hour (for bottom side smoke penetration), then fat side up and foil. Oh yeah, this is in a foil pan.

To slice it, we separate the point from the flat, peel off the fat with a boning knife, split the flat into two chunks (right where the grain changes), then slice.

We've never had anyone complain that the meat was greasy. In fact, most of the time, I think a little more fat might make it better.

People have just become way too scared of fat these days!

 

[Dutch]

Homer's mantra is "Hmmm Beer", mine is more like "Yum. . .fat", no wonder I can't lose any weight.

 

[smokyokie]

When the food supply dries up, and the skinny guys die of starvation, we'll still be around, huh?

8)

 

[ultramag]

Dickeydoo I sometimes don't trim any fat depending on what I'm gonna do with it. If I trim them they are gonna be sliced. I leave more fat than on the one in the tutorial because I also could be in the Yum fat club. If it is to be pulled or saved for chili or baked beans I don't touch the fat until it is done and then it just rakes off the meat with a gloved hand.

 

[icemn62]

I trim the fat, I find it makes for a shorter cooking time. Then once I figured out that my times were so much shorter than most peoples, it just becomes habit.

I always wondered what would happen if I left it on...How long does a full packer take you non trimmers to cook? I trim it to death, and cook in about 6 - 10 hours.

 

[smokyokie]

This might be a worthwhile association to form. It might give us lobby power w/ IBP, John Morrell, etc., to breed the fat back into the pork.

Maybe we could could call it the Anti-Llipophobia League, or ALL for short. What do you think? I bet Dutch would join.

Iceman,
8-10 hrs between 225*-250* (or as close as possible)12#-13# briskets.

 

[ultramag]

DDBBQ-I'm in for ALL. I'll join almost anything that promises to get us back to the way things were before we "improved" everything. A skinny pig, who'd have ever thunk?

Iceman62,

Anywhere from 12-20 hours @ 225* on cooks this last summer. Briskets anywhere from 12-16 lbs.

Six hours seems very fast for a packer cut even if there was no fat left on it period. Was this high temp in a WSM with temp spikes and all or what kind of temps? Also, what size brisket?

 

[smokyokie]

Chad,
I believe that 6 hrs could produce a sliceable brisket in well done condition. I think if you sliced it really thin, or chopped it you could end up with fare that's superior to what most restaurants serve, but not what I'm accustomed to serving. Maybe w/ a flat cut, but then again, we never do flats cuz we think the meat needs all the fat that comes on a whole packer.

As for ALL, the more I think about it , the more I think it might be a worthwhile org. Let's see what Dutch thinks about it. I bet almost everyone here would want to join!

How bout it Dutch, can we start the organization w/ a sticky?

 

[icemn62]

I usually get between 11 - 13 pounds. I use a WSM and do not have temp spike problems. I cook in the 220 - 230 range. After my 1st brisket I have never cooked a bad one.

 

[smokyokie]

What happened w/ your first one?

 

[ultramag]

I figured I would tag this in this thread since it is already a sticky. It should help with trimming for those who want to and is also an excellent "How to" for seperating a point from a flat. Hope this is of some use.

Seperating the Point and Flat--Trimming Brisket

 

[peculiarmike]

I'm all in on the "ALL" thing!

 

[deejaydebi]

I've been splitting m briskets like that for awhile now. Seems to make much better pastrami with alot less fat. You also don't have all the grains running in 10 directions!