My buddy Aaron over at Smokin' J's changed my whole view on trimming briskets

Honestly, I always trimmed my briskets super lean, like taking off almost all the fat cap. Then Aaron watched me do one last Saturday and said, 'You're throwing away all the flavor, leave at least a quarter inch on there.' Tried his way on a 15 pound packer and the bark came out way better and the meat didn't dry out. Anyone else get schooled by a pitmaster on something they thought they had down?

3 comments

3 Comments

holly_price10d ago

Whoa, hold up. Quarter inch is good advice, but let's be real, Aaron might have been talking about a thick trim for a specific cook like a competition or something. For most of us doing a regular backyard cook, leaving a full quarter inch on the whole fat cap is gonna give you a weird, greasy bite after the render. Honestly, I'd say go for like an eighth of an inch thick on the fat cap, and really focus on squaring it up nice and making sure the fat is even. That way you get all the flavor and a solid bark without it turning into a mess.

elizabeth_bailey2610d ago

Ask you this, have you ever tried leaving the quarter inch and then just really cranking the heat at the end to get that extra render? I'm curious if thats a real game changer or if you just end up with a burnt fat cap instead of a greasy one. And what about the point end, you trim that the same eighth inch or do you go even thinner since it already has so much fat between the muscles? I feel like everyone talks about the flat but forgets the point is where the real fat control matters.

viola_butler10d ago

Honestly, "weird, greasy bite" sounds like the name of my ex's cooking blog. But yeah, I'm with you on the eighth inch, unless you're trying to turn your brisket into a butter bath.