Larding a Brisket

[M D Baldwin]

I was reading a recipe for smoking a fat-off brisket that suggested putting bacon strips over the brisket as it smokes to prevent drying. I am familiar w/ larding i.e. placing bacon strips over wild/lean game to prevent it from drying out w/cooking. Has anyone tried this? It sounds interesting.

 

[Jeff T Miller]

I have tried putting bacon on a brisket to help keep it from drying out. It was OK. I have found that taking it off when it is tender instead of by temp makes a big difference on having a dry brisket. Also a nice pork butt over top basting it works nicely also.

 

[K Kruger]

I'm with Jeff. The other issue: Covering with bacon--though it provides a heat shield and reduces some evaporation--doesn't do a thing for bark (if bark is important) and doesn't baste as efficiently as one would suspect. Basting by means of drippings from above, as Jeff suggests, or providing a heat shield by foiling (for trimmed flats I suggest foiling in the low 160s; for not-so-trimmed flats as soon as the plateau is broken or the mid-160s) works better, imo. The foil also reduces evaporation.

 

[tjkoko]

Some chef's supply houses will offer a barding needle which will allow you to place a very thin strip of fatback onto it. The needle is then inserted into the lean meat and then withdrawn - leaving behind the thin strip of fat.

 

[tjkoko]

Larding needles can be seen here:

http://www.hormel.com/kitchen/glossary.asp?id=37267