Trimming fat

I trim off some of the big chunk of fat and cook the brisket fat side down. I place the trimmed fat on top of the brisket...keeps it from drying out.

I smoke at 225 until the IT hits 140, then drop the smoker to 195 for about 12 hrs...then I crank the smoker to 250 to finish. Gives me a moist brisket with great bark.

I did PB using the same method for Easter dinner. Same great result.

Depends on the intended use. If I'm prepping a brisket for competition, I'll remove the fat knob on the nose as well as the kernal...the hard white fat found between the flat and point. The outer fat is trimmed down to 1/4 inch. The goal is to have turn in slices with just a bit of outer fat topped with bark produced from rub.

An "at home" brisket I pretty much smoke as is except for removing the kernal.

quote:

Originally posted my MaxQ:
The goal is to have turn in slices with just a bit of outer fat topped with bark produced from rub.

Had this conversation at the last contest with a friend(Master Judge/Cook), after we received an entry with too much fat on it. It looked nasty!

We both had a good chuckle about the old myth that fat is flavor, when both of us decided we would never taste a piece of fat, oh well!

I'm no expert,but the guys that tried to teach me were big on just cook it.The fat is much easier to remove after it is cooked.

The experienced cooks above gave good tips on their approach,for their needs.

Sounds like you are cooking for home consumption and not the six slices for a comp box.

Your neck of the woods ,many restaurants will serve wet,or dry,chopped,or sliced when you order.

Many will serve a slice thru point and flat with the fat between it,and let the diner cut off what he wishes.

Think of a guy cooking 30 packers a day.Cleaning it up after cooking is the logical approach.

If it was good to you,then it sounds like you are doing it the way that works.

quote:

Originally posted by cal:
..when both of us decided we would never taste a piece of fat, oh well!

Now I KNOW this isn't a judge saying you're not tasting "as presented"

For home use? I never trim, as Tom said, I can just trim at the end. I don't season the fat, so it's not a huge loss.

But some people LOVE the fat. I trimmed off the fat in a class and someone actually came up, asked if they could have it, and went back to the table to taste it. Yes, really.

Now I will trim the point if I'm making burnt ends. I won't trim all the fat off but it will trim and thick pockets of it.

I am one of those who like the fat, that is where a lot of the flavor is!! I trim a packer only lightly, leaving a good layer of fat.

quote:

Originally posted by Tom:
I'm no expert,...

Oh, and Tom, you'll remember, but you have been declared a Brisket Expert so quit saying that.

Quit being modest, you're an awesome brisket cook.

Yeah Smokin'!

I know it isn't right, BUT he got a comment card on how nasty the fat looked. Which was more than the other judges done for the young cook.

When trimming a brisket, I think of the fat as insulation and what areas need more or less insulation.

I won't get into how we might trim and present our brisket boxes,but with the folks out there,I have almost been yelled at when helping do boxes for folks that present a straight six slices with the SR on the top and the 1/4 inch fat across the bottom.

They don't have Cert. bbq judges , they just take regular locals and give them a quickie class. Then finals table can be some experienced cooks-kinda like chili cookoffs.

The experienced cooks looked at me like I must be "from N Y City" and I slunk away with my tail between my legs.

There are a couple old time cooks, that this forum references constantly,from out there that use fat layers in their KCBS boxes as well.

I've had a business partner for decades that eats steak/prime rib or fried porkchops twice a day and eats every scrap of his fat and mine.

Thus,if I grill,I don't trim anything from his.

But,back to the question of trimming.

I can close trim a raw 16 lb packer in about an hr.

The same one cooked,because I slow cook and render most of the fat and break down the collagen,I run my gloved hand between the flat and point to separate them,scrape off the soft fat with the back of my knife,turn the point around so the grain runs the same as the flat,lay point on flat,slice with my 12 inch Forschner Granton edge slicer and serve.

I may spend five mins with the fat.

As ,Fishboy up in KCMO says"easy,peasy".

quote:

Had this conversation at the last contest with a friend(Master Judge/Cook), after we received an entry with too much fat on it. It looked nasty!

We both had a good chuckle about the old myth that fat is flavor, when both of us decided we would never taste a piece of fat, oh well!

I have seen brisket at comps with a large layer of fat. I did try a small bite of brisket, as presented, including the fat. I can tell you that fat takes on a lot of flavor from both rub and smoke (think bacon). I do not think it is a good presentation however as most people find a layer of fat unappealing.