Stop trimming the fat cap off brisket like it's a competition

I watched three guys at the shop last Saturday shave a packer brisket down to a quarter inch cap before smoking. That fat cap is your insulation, you strip it thin and you get a dry flat every time. Why are we trying to win a beauty contest when the meat needs to eat?

2 comments

2 Comments

jesse_west21d ago

You're missing the point if you think a thick fat cap is doing anything but shielding the meat from smoke and bark development. A quarter inch is plenty to keep moisture in if you cook right and don't let your temp swing all over the place. The whole "insulation" thing gets thrown around like fat is some magical heat shield, but it's mostly just grease that renders out anyway. Ever notice how competition guys still nail moist brisket with thin caps? That's because they focus on cook temp, wrap timing, and rest period instead of leaving a half inch of unrendered slime on the top. Are you getting dry flats from a thin cap or from pulling the brisket at 180 degrees like some folks do?

anthony42621d ago

Damn @jesse_west, preach. Thin cap crew checking in. Fat that don't render is just wasted real estate on the smoker.