brisket fat


 
S

Steve Petrone

TVWBB Diamond Member
After trips to two super wally worlds, I finally got my hands on a real "packer". Nothing wrong with flats...I just kinda felt like I was cheating or like cooking with gas instead of wood. To really do bbq, Texas style, real beef, must be a full packer cut brisket. So here goes my first effort with a whole brisket.
With flats, I have used bacon on top with the fat side of the flat down.

After reading how to trim a brisket from Chris, I decided to place the trimmed fat on top instead of bacon. Does anybody else do this?
 
I've never done it myself, but I saw it in a BBQ cookbook, Barbeque America, with a pix of some good ole boys in Texas piled fat on top of their briskets. Sounds like you're on the right track!
 
For the love of Bark. What about the Bark? How does piling all that fat ontop of the fatless side on the brisket effect the bark i wonder?
 
I think you'll find that all the fat piled on top isn't really necessary... if you cook it fat side down, then rest it for a few hours fat side up, you'll have a decent bark, a good smoke ring, AND a moist brisket. IMHO, you're better served by placing a generous portion of those fat trimmings underneath the edges of the brisket along the outside few inches of the rack, to catch the brunt of the heat that rises around the edge of the waterpan.

Keri C, smokin' on Tulsa Time (dba Hot Wire BBQ)
 
Keri, I had a good layer of fat. Anything over 1/3 inch seemed like overkill on the down side so I trimmed and placed it on top. Seems like I got good bark. Its in foil now.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Keri C:
I think you'll find that all the fat piled on top isn't really necessary... if you cook it fat side down, then rest it for a few hours fat side up, you'll have a decent bark, a good smoke ring, AND a moist brisket. IMHO, you're better served by placing a generous portion of those fat trimmings underneath the edges of the brisket along the outside few inches of the rack, to catch the brunt of the heat that rises around the edge of the waterpan.

Keri C, smokin' on Tulsa Time (dba Hot Wire BBQ) </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Excellent idea! My last brisket was ~15 lbs and I had to fold the tip under to fit on the grate. Packing some fat there just might be the trick to give it a buffer until the brisket shrinks enough to better fit on the rack. I'm going to give that idea a shot next time, thanks.
 
Oh my the packer is mighty fine. It takes a few briskets to get it right. This was my first packer and I do not think I'll use flats.

11 lbs. took 15 hours. This is just as good as that first really good butt.
 
I've tried the bacon strips and wasn't satisfied with the results (spotty coverage, discolored and un-even bark). Then I ran the beef trimmings thru a food processor and spread the resulting goop over the flat (this left an un-attractive residue).
Now I'm into rendering bacon or brisket trimmings and basting several times after the smoke has set.
My point throughout has been to seal the meat surface against undue moisture evaporation, and I believe that these latest techniques achieve this.
Of course, this deviates from the "traditional ideal" and the bark texture will be different, but it lessens the chances that you'll run into an overly dry brisket. Consider this one step short of foiling, and without the overwhelming enhancement of a traditional mop.
 
I can't take it anymore. It's BBQ not rocket science. Put rub on a brisket. Place brisket fat side down on WSM or smoker pit. Cook at 225 till internal temp of 188 is reached. Take brisket off and place on a sheet of Reynolds wide HD foil fat side up. Wrap up good and tight the seam ontop tells you that's the fat side. Place fat side up in a cooler lined with some towels for a minimum of 2 hrs 4 would be better. Unwrap, slice and enjoy a moist tender slice or two of brisket. Of course as always this is JMO.
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bryan S:
I can't take it anymore. It's BBQ not rocket science. Put rub on a brisket. Place brisket fat side down on WSM or smoker pit. Cook at 225 till internal temp of 188 is reached. Take brisket off and place on a sheet of Reynolds wide HD foil fat side up. Wrap up good and tight the seam ontop tells you that's the fat side. Place fat side up in a cooler lined with some towels for a minimum of 2 hrs 4 would be better. Unwrap, slice and enjoy a moist tender slice or two of brisket. Of course as always this is JMO.
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188 eh? I've been pulling at 180 and letting them sit not more than 30 minutes. I havne't finished soon enough yet to let them sit for 2-4 hrs. I'll have to work on that next time.
 
If I am cookin a brisket there is a butt on the top rack also. I have tried the bacon and still rest with the fat side up. For me it is just too dry unless I have a butt on the top rack. It still has good bark with the basting going on. That is just my $.02.
 
Perhaps the best solution is to cook two briskets...this one lasted thru lunch the next day.

Bryan do you only cook packers? Flats for me seem to dry easier....
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve Petrone:

Bryan do you only cook packers? Flats for me seem to dry easier.... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I usually buy my choice packers at Wal Mart and seperate the flat from the point before cooking. We don't eat the point so that gets wrappped up in foil with no rub on it for the cats.
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bryan S:
I can't take it anymore. It's BBQ not rocket science. Put rub on a brisket. Place brisket fat side down on WSM or smoker pit. Cook at 225 till internal temp of 188 is reached. Take brisket off and place on a sheet of Reynolds wide HD foil fat side up. Wrap up good and tight the seam ontop tells you that's the fat side. Place fat side up in a cooler lined with some towels for a minimum of 2 hrs 4 would be better. Unwrap, slice and enjoy a moist tender slice or two of brisket. Of course as always this is JMO.
icon_smile.gif
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey, you been spying on me? That's pretty much exactly how I do my briskets, too, including the 188* target temp. No flipping, basting, foiling, ovening, whatevering - just pull it at 188*, wrap it and rest it. It's just so easy it's hard to believe it's that damn good, too.
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