Watched a guy trim brisket at a competition and it totally changed how I do it

I was at a small comp outside Nashville last month and this pitmaster actually let me watch him trim a whole packer. He must have taken off a good two pounds of fat, way more than I ever do. Turns out I was leaving too much hard fat on mine, which was keeping the rub from sticking right. Has anyone else had a trim session totally shift how you prep your meat?

3 comments

3 Comments

leo_fisher14d ago

So you leave it thicker where it cooks slower, do you trim it different for hotter spots on the smoker?

michael_jenkins3914d ago

You mentioned "a good two pounds of fat" which sounds about right for a full packer. But I gotta say, you might be overthinking the hard fat issue just a little. The real trick isn't just about removing fat for rub adhesion, its about getting an even quarter inch layer across the whole flat and point. I used to take off too much from the top and ended up with dry spots. Now I leave a little more on the thicker end of the flat where it cooks slower. That fat renders down and keeps things moist through the stall.

julia54913d ago

Oh man, that "even quarter inch layer" thing you said really hit home for me. I was doing the exact same thing - taking way too much off and wondering why my flat came out dry. @leo_fisher, that point about the hotter spots is exactly what I started paying attention to too, it makes a huge difference on my offset.