Watched a pitmaster in Kansas City trim a brisket and my whole approach shifted overnight

I saw him take off maybe 2% more fat than I usually do and then 6 hours later that same brisket had the most even bark I have ever gotten, so what is the actual rule for how much fat to leave on the deckle side?

3 comments

3 Comments

harper_wells8d ago

Man, that sounds about right. I tried getting way too precious with my fat cap for years until I watched a guy in Lockhart do the same thing. He told me you want it about a quarter inch, maybe a hair less, and you gotta be real with yourself about the thick spots. The key for me was realizing the rendered fat on the deckle side can turn into a weird soggy layer if you leave too much, but too little and it dries out. Now I just trim it to where I can barely see a little bit of meat poking through in the thin areas, and it's been way more consistent.

evah407d ago

You know what, that soggy layer thing is real... I messed up a brisket last summer leaving the fat too thick on the point end, and it came out like wet cardboard on the bottom. I started trimming the deckle side down to maybe a third inch, but I leave a little extra on the flat since that part dries out faster. A guy at a Franklin BBQ class told me to feel for the soft spots on the fat cap too, places where it's thin and almost see-through, and just leave those alone entirely. Now I trim before the smoke, let it rest in the fridge overnight, and it tightens up nice... way less guesswork.

ryan_kim636d ago

That overnight rest in the fridge after trimming is a game changer honestly. I started doing that after watching a YouTuber talk about how the fat firms up and makes it easier to see where you actually need to trim more. The soft spots thing from the Franklin class makes total sense too, I used to just hack away at the fat cap without paying attention to the thin areas and ended up with holes in the bark. Now I leave those see through patches alone and just focus on the thick chunks around the deckle and the edge of the flat. Another trick I picked up is to trim the brisket cold, like right out of the fridge, because the fat cuts cleaner and you dont tear the meat underneath. Its wild how much difference a little patience on the front end makes compared to just slapping it on the smoker.