Serious question, is everyone overcomplicating brisket trimming?

I used to spend an hour on each one, but last month I tried just taking off the hard fat cap and leaving the rest. Cooked it at 225 for 14 hours and it was the juiciest brisket I've ever made. Am I crazy, or has anyone else had luck with a simpler trim?

4 comments

4 Comments

jenny_lane123d ago

Oh man, that's exactly what I've been doing too... I got so sick of spending forever trying to make it look perfect and then it still came out dry. Last summer I just hacked off the hard cap, left maybe a quarter inch of fat on the rest, and threw it on the smoker. Best brisket I've ever made, hands down. The fat rendered down way better than when I used to trim it all fancy, and the bark was still great honestly. People act like you need to do all this precise surgery on it, but the meat knows what to do if you just give it time and heat.

paul_ramirez1mo ago

Taking off the hard fat cap and leaving the rest" is a bold move. I find a more detailed trim helps with bark formation and getting that fat to render properly. Leaving too much fat can lead to a greasy finish and uneven cooking.

thomasgonzalez1mo ago

Well, my last brisket was so greasy it could've lubed up my floor install van.

xenas161mo ago

My neighbor's smoker always smells amazing, but his briskets have that same slick finish. People just don't trim enough fat.