Nothing is more saliva-inducing than watching juicy slides of briskets fall on top of each other when slicing. Or the waft of deep smokiness from the slides glistening with juice and rendered fat. Oh my! Once you taste juicy, well-smoked brisket, you’ll never go back!
What does trimming have to do with juicy slides, you ask?
It’s the difference between dry, burnt barbeque and biting into a sumptuous piece of meat. If you want the latter, then trimming is the first step to a juicy smoked brisket.
Below I’ll share the best tips and tricks in this brisket trimming guide for perfect juicy slides. Plus, you don’t have to be a certified Pitmaster to get these results. This guide is great for any beginner smoking their first brisket.
Brief Brisket History
Decades back, the noble often discarded brisket due to its muscular texture. However, brisket became popular among grillers after a brave soul learned that cooking brisket low and slow would result in juicy, tender meat.
Since then brisket has become a staple barbeque meat that has gotten more popular as more folks use pellet grills and smokers at home.
One of the most important steps for cooking juicy brisket is the trimming process.
3 Reasons Why You Should Trim Brisket
Here are a few reasons why brisket trimming is so crucial.
1. Trimming levels the brisket for uniform cooking
Untrimmed brisket will be uneven with a large, round fatty section called the point and a thinner flat section called the flat.
If you grill or smoke an untrimmed brisket then the brisket will cook unevenly.
Typically the flat will cook faster while the point will cook slower since it is thicker. Uneven meat thickness will lead to either burnt and dried-out meat or an undercooked section.
This is why trimming a brisket is critical to ensuring that the meat is cooked uniformly so it is not under or over cooked.
Make sure to trim the brisket where there is still 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch of fat remaining. Remember – fat is flavor so do not remove too much fat.
Word of Caution When Trimming:
Exercise restraint when trimming and take off a little at a time. Fat is what leads to a flavorful and juicy cooked brisket so removing too much fat is a bad thing.
You can always remove more fat but you cannot place trimmed fat back onto the brisket.
2. Trimming removes hard fat
Untrimmed brisket will have fat that will not render or melt when cooked. In fact, the hard fat will remain hard and unpleasant on a cooked brisket.
So trimming not only helps make a brisket uniform but it also helps remove undesirable hard fat.
However, save any trimmed fat, including the hard fat, as this can be used to create tallow.
Tallow is the rendered fat from all the trimmings. To create tallow from the trimmings, simply toss the excess fat into a pan and slowly heat the pan so that the liquid fat can separate from the hard cartiledge.
Once the extra fat is rendered down, use a strainer and save all the strained fat for future meals or add this tallow back onto the brisket.
Personally, I pour tallow back onto my brisket before wrapping my brisket and throwing it back on the smoker so it can baste in all the rendered fat. This helps the brisket stay juicy as it cooks.
3. Trimming enhances airflow and smoke penetration
Trimming the edges of the brisket not only ensures that all sides are evened out but also allows for more smoke to penetrate the meat.
Removing the hanging pieces of meat or fat that would dry out during cooking gives the brisket an even and smooth shape. This smoothness allows heat and air to flow around the meat during cooking.
As the air and heat flows, the smoke and seasoning penetrate into the meat which creates that smoky flavor and crispy bark.
Now that you know the 3 reasons why you should trim a brisket, let’s cover whether or not to purchase trimmed or untrimmed brisket and how to prepare a brisket for the smoker.
Should I buy trimmed or untrimmed brisket?
Trimmed or untrimmed brisket will both lead to a great finished product on a smoker. However, I recommend getting an untrimmed brisket since it allows you to collect extra fat for tallow and will ensure that the brisket is trimmed correctly.
A pre-trimmed brisket may have too much fat removed where the meat will dry out during the cooking process.
Remember that fat prevents the meat from burning and drying out while smoking.
However, if you prefer to buy trimmed brisket then ask your butcher for a “packer cut”.
Check our tips for selecting the right size brisket for ideal flavor.
Preparing To Trim Brisket
Trimming brisket is an art perfected over time with practice. So don’t stress out if you make mistakes early on as you get better. Your brisket may turn out slightly uneven or charred your first time but it will still taste great.
Just make sure to follow this guide and pay attention while trimming so you know what to do and what to avoid. Soon enough, you’ll gain the knowledge and experience to make the juiciest smoked brisket among your friends.
Use the right tools
The right tools will make trimming a brisket much easier, faster, and safer.
Here are two important tools you should have when trimming a brisket:
1. Boning or fillet knife
A boning or fillet knife will make trimming a brisket much easier than other knives.
These knives will cut through the meat quite easily so you can trim off just the right amount of fat. Ensure that the boning or fillet knife is sharp and at least 7 inches long to effortlessly cut through a brisket.
Pitmasters like Aaron Franklin swear by curved boning knives over straight blades. He finds it easier to use curved knives for trimming briskets.
2. Large cutting board or flat surface
Briskets are usually large and heavy cuts of meat that range from 7 to 16 pounds. Use a large cutting board or flat surface in order to trim a brisket safely.
Place the brisket on the cutting board or surface so you don’t have to keep moving or adjusting the brisket while trimming.
I recommend investing in quality butcher block. It’s sufficiently thick and heavy so it won’t slip around while you’re trimming the brisket.
Prepare the meat
Brisket is easier to trim when it has been stored in the refrigerator. Room temperature brisket will be harder to trim since the meat and fat will move as you slice into it. The fat may also feel stickier when cutting into a brisket at room temperature.
According to Pitmaster Aaron Franklin, refrigerating cools the brisket’s fat so that it is easy to manipulate when trimming. So make sure to refrigerate the brisket until you are ready to trim.
Unwrap the meat, blot out any moisture with a paper towel, and inspect it. You’ll notice that the brisket is uneven and irregular in shape.
- One side of the brisket is long and thin called the flat. Some parts may be smooth while others may be rough or discolored from processing.
- The other side of the brisket is an angular end called the point. Trimming helps level the layer of fat from the flat to the point to cook evenly and create a good bark.
One side of the brisket will be mostly covered in a layer of fat, also known as the fat cap. The fat cap is where the brisket will be trimmed the most to create a ½ inch or ¼ inch layer of fat above the meat.
The other side of the brisket will have meat with some silver skin and some marbling.
Now that you’ve inspected the brisket, let’s begin the 4 easy steps for trimming brisket to get perfect juicy slides.
5 Easy Steps to Trim a Brisket
Here are 5 easy and basic steps for doing a standard trim on a brisket. With experience, you can determine where and how much to trim.
After all, trimming is an art form and some folks prefer fattier brisket while others prefer leaner brisket. So feel free to adjust your trimming over time as you figure out what leads to a brisket that’s perfect for you.
1. Remove the silver skin on underside
Silver skin is the shiny connective tissue on the brisket. Remove these tissues and any fatty membrane that makes the brisket uneven when placed on a flat surface.
The goal of trimming is not to cut off large chunks of meat at once. Exercise restraint. It’s better to go over each side repeatedly than to hack off big chunks of brisket where you’ll only be left with a tiny slab of meat.
2. Remove excess fat
Starting at the point, work your knife between the fat and meat and begin slicing the excess fat off. Use your free hand to hold onto the fatty piece. Keep trimming until the point levels with the flat part of the brisket.
It is important to get this step right because an uneven brisket will not smoke uniformly.
Quick Note: You can smoke a brisket with a flat and a larger cap. However, the flat will cook faster which means you can separate the flat from the point so that the point can remain on the smoker longer. However, trimming the point so it is more even with the flat will allow the entire brisket to be removed at the same time.
3. Trim the edges
Trim along the edges. Cut a thin strip from each edge to create smooth edges with rounded corners. Remove any loose fat or meat because they catch air and will dry out or char during smoking.
Also remove the discolored or rough edges that had been treated and processed. These parts will not absorb any smoke or seasoning, so cut about ¼ inch to ½ inch.
Run your finger over the edges after trimming to make sure there aren’t any hard fats or rough edges remaining.
4. Flip brisket over to trim fat cap
Now that the edges and underside have been trimmed, flip your brisket over.
Use one hand to slice through the fat and the other hand to peel it off. The goal here is to trim away the hard, waxy fat to reveal softer white fat. You’ll see this soft layer at ¼ inch to ½ inch.
Leave the hard fat under the point because it supports the structural integrity of the brisket. Trim it after you’ve cooked the brisket.
5. Final inspection
Have a final look and inspect the edges. Are they smooth? Does the brisket look even? Touch it to feel any unevenness or spotty areas. Check the point to see if you need to trim more fat.
If the brisket came with a deckle then remove it. Also remove any remaining silverskin or muscle that was attached to the brisket.
The goal of trimming is to ensure that your brisket is uniform in shape without any pieces of meat or fat sticking out. You also want to make sure that the brisket feels soft and doesn’t have any hard pieces of fat or cartilage attached to it.
Now that you’ve learned how to trim the brisket, season the brisket with your favorite rub. Personally I prefer to use the following homemade spice mix:
- Salt
- Ground pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cumin
- Paprika
Make sure to rub mustard or oil onto the brisket before applying any dry seasoning to a brisket. The mustard or oil will act as a binder to help hold the seasoning onto the brisket.
Once seasoned, smoke the brisket at 225°F for a duration equivalent to its weight in pounds.
Generally a brisket will need to smoke for 1 hour and 15 minutes per pound at 225°F. So a 8 pound brisket will take about 10 hours to smoke while a 14 pound brisket will take about 17.5 hours to smoke.
Frequently Asked Questions
A lot of brisket questions are focused on trimming and the brisket’s layer of fat, also known as the fat cap.
The fat cap can look quite unappetizing and most people are tempted to trim it off very quickly. Others prefer to smoke the meat untrimmed so that the fat can render and add a savory flavor to the cooked meat.
Below are common questions and answered related to a brisket’s fat cap and trimming.
Q: Do you trim the fat cap off brisket?
A: The fat cap on a brisket should be trimmed so that there is roughly ½ inch to ¼ inch of fat remaining. If the fat cap is left untrimmed then there will be hard cartilage and fat that will not render down through cooking which will lead to chewy brisket.
Q: Do you trim all the fat off brisket?
A: Do NOT trim all the fat off brisket since fat is flavor. The fat on brisket will not only help keep the brisket moist but also lead to juicier and tastier slices when there is a uniform layer of fat.
Err on the side of more fat than less fat when trimming. Keep at least ¼ inch of fat on the brisket at a minimum. Extra fat will just render off the brisket as it is being cooked or smoked. However, too much fat can lead to fatty slices that may be unappetizing.
Q: What do you do with the fat cap on a brisket?
A: The excess fat on brisket can be rendered down into tallow. Tallow is the liquefied version of the excess fat that can be added back onto the brisket before it is wrapped. The excess fat will add moisture and flavor back into the brisket as it slowly cooks.
Q: What temperature does brisket fat render or melt?
A: Brisket fat will render around 130°F – 140°F (55°C – 60°C). The brisket fat will render slowly at this temperature so increasing the temperature will increase the speed at which the fat will render.
Final Thoughts on Brisket Trimming
Trimming is an essential part of cooking brisket. Trimming ensures uniform cooking, removes inedible hard fats, and enhances airflow for smoke penetration.
I’ve shared how to trim your brisket in 5 easy steps. Remember that it’s better to trim off a little at a time than to slice huge portions and waste a lot of good brisket.
Trim the fat to about ½ inch to ¼ inch because it serves a purpose. The fat keeps your brisket moist and tender during cooking and fat is flavor. You may opt to save the excess trimmed fat and render it down to create tallow which can be added back onto the brisket or onto other dishes such as potatoes.
I’d love to know if this brisket trimming guide was helpful to you. Leave a comment and share what tip(s) worked for you and how the brisket turned out.
