Fat on Brisket


 
C

Chuck D

TVWBB Member
I will be picking up a packer brisket next week. Is there a rule of thumb of how much fat to leave when smoking it?
 
Chuck, Bobs' link is an excellent source. I also cut the "korn"(?) on the top off. It's that hard piece around where the flat and the point join. I take it out all the way down till I see red meat. It's kind of like gristle so it's not going to shrink with cooking
 
Great link and suggestions. I will be working at trimming the fat next Saturday morning before putting on a kosher salt and pepper rub. I will put in the refridgerator for approx 12 hours before starting my first smoke.
 
Chuck, I leave ALL the fat on during the smoke. After it's finished I do some fat trimming where see it needs it. The fat gives it the flavor, so do plenty of homework before you take too much fat off. Just one more idea of many out there.

Good luck.
 
As Paul pointed out, trim out the hard fat on the side. Besides that, I don't recommend trimming too much. Everyone has their own ideas on it, but since the wsm is a vertical smoker and heat rises, I only trim any really thick areas of the cap to make it a more consistant thickness.

I don't trim anywhere close to the end of the flat since it will be over the hot outer edge of the grate, and I save a couple of the thicker trimmings to lay on the grate under the end of the flat.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dave Russell:
I save a couple of the thicker trimmings to lay on the grate under the end of the flat. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Great idea! Thanks!
 
Don, thanks, but I can't take credit for that idea.

It's just one of the MANY helpful tips that Keri C. (from the Tulsa, OK area) mentioned back when she used to post here. Around the time I was thinking about a wsm, I used to do some topical searches and became so impressed with her practical input that I started adding her name to the searches and learned A LOT...besides just her recipe for baked beans.
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