Showerthought: Hitting 500 briskets taught me the popular trimming method is overrated

Everyone online swears by the "competitive trim" where you take off all the deckle and shape it like a football. Last weekend I did my 500th brisket (kept a log since 2018) and realized my best ones were actually the ones where I left more fat cap on and just did a rough trim. The ones I trimmed perfect always came out drier. I'd rather have a little extra fat to render than a dry flat. Anyone else notice this or am I just unlucky?

2 comments

2 Comments

benbrown23d ago

@oscar390 nailed it. That perfect football shape looks real pretty on Instagram but I swear the meat knows you cut all its armor off. A little extra fat cap left on saved my last brisket from being shoe leather, and the fat cap on the point rendered down into this ridiculous buttery layer.

oscar39024d ago

Man that's exactly what I've been finding too. Our best briskets for the crew lunches were the ones I barely touched with the knife.