I used to think you had to trim all the fat off a brisket

I watched a YouTube video from a competition pitmaster last week who said he leaves a quarter inch fat cap on the point side. I always thought you had to take every bit off or it would come out greasy. He showed how the fat renders down and keeps the meat moist during a 12 hour smoke. I tried it on my last brisket from the local locker in Billings and it was the juiciest one I've ever made. Any of you guys leave fat on or do you trim it all off?

3 comments

3 Comments

diana51229d ago

And that's the thing about cooking, you think you know the rules until someone shows you it's actually the opposite. It's like how I used to think you had to peel cucumbers completely or they'd be bitter, then I found out the peel has most of the nutrients and the bitterness goes away if you salt them first. We get so stuck on these "must do" things from watching our parents or reading old cookbooks, but it's usually just one way to do it, not the only right way. That fat cap trick is gold though, I've been leaving a thin layer on my pork shoulders too and it makes a world of difference in the texture.

william_harris29d ago

Next thing you know someone's gonna tell me I don't need to wash my chicken either. That one's gonna be a hard sell though.

the_ruby29d ago

Right? Next you'll tell me I don't actually have to burn my toast to make it "rustic.