Old timer told me I was wasting good fat trimming briskets

About 5 years ago a retired butcher named Earl watched me cube a brisket and said I was cutting off too much of the fat cap. He showed me how leaving a quarter inch on there helps keep the meat moist during the long cook. I changed my whole trimming style that day and my briskets came out way better. Any of you guys get a piece of advice that completely flipped your method?

3 comments

3 Comments

max_cooper218d ago

Man, Earl sounds like a legend. I gotta ask though - that quarter inch he showed you, was that on the point end, the flat end, or did he just say keep it even all over? I've had old timers tell me to leave way more on the point because it renders out slower, but then you end up with a fat cap nobody wants to eat. Curious if he had a specific reason for the quarter inch or if that was just his general rule of thumb from years of trial and error.

the_brian7d ago

Isn't it possible Earl just trimmed by feel and the quarter inch was his way of saying "don't overthink it"? @max_cooper21 I've heard the same thing about the point needing more left on it for rendering, but the real trap is trimming too far into the fat cap and wrecking the moisture in the meat. I bet his quarter inch rule is more about consistency across the whole thing so you don't end up with some strips drying out faster than others.

zara_sanchez7d ago

Wait, are you sure about the point needing more left on it? I mean, I've heard lots of pitmasters say the opposite, that you actually want to leave less on the point because it has more fat running through it anyway. Idk, maybe it's just different schools of thought but I always thought the flat was the one that needed more protection.