Should you trim a brisket before cooking?
The pros know that trimming the brisket is the most crucial part of the cook. Without proper brisket trimming there can be no mouthwatering results.
Does Franklin smoke brisket fat side up or down?
Aaron recommends placing the brisket on the smoker fat side up. Depending on your smoker, if the heat is coming from below, consider smoking fat-side down to protect the muscle from drying out too much. Place the fattier point of the brisket closer to the fire. The extra fat will help insulate it.
What knife does Aaron Franklin use to trim brisket?
What’s the Best Knife for Trimming Brisket? Aaron Franklin prefers to use a stiff, curved, eight-inch boning knife that allows him to slice into the fat and piece of meat more easily than a knife with a straight blade.
Do you trim hard fat off brisket?
You don’t need to cut this whole chunk of fat out of the brisket and leave a crater. Most of this will cook down and melt away, but you want the uniformity across the bottom of the brisket for better cooking.
Can you over trim a brisket?
First of all – don’t panic. An over-trimmed brisket flat can cook fine without the fat. The real tenderness comes from the intramuscular fat running inside the meat. This is what renders down to the juicy beef flavor.
Do you cut brisket with a serrated knife?
They’re excellent for slicing brisket but only if they have a very sharp edge. Serrated blade knives have large teeth that tear through meat. While they’re suitable for tougher cuts, they will rip a tender brisket apart faster than they’ll cut it. Avoid serrated blade knives, if possible.
Do I trim all the fat off a brisket?
Do I want a trimmed or untrimmed brisket?
Definitely go for choice grade briskets. Select grade quality is suspect to me, and if you look you’ll be able to find choice. I go for packer cut briskets instead of untrimmed briskets. The idea here is that the fat will help the brisket cook and through the cooking process the fat helps keep the brisket moist.
What happens if you trim too much fat of a brisket?
Leaving too much fat on top of the brisket you won’t get a good bark or too much fat and the smoke won’t penetrate the meat properly. If the flat part of the brisket is too thick or too thin it won’t cook evenly. Trimming brisket is crucial.
What kind of knife do I slice brisket with?
The best all-around knife for slicing brisket – Victorinox 12 Inch Granton Edge Slicing Knife. You could buy a half-decent chef’s knife or any number of long serrated knives and they would all do a decent job at carving brisket.
How do you cut brisket against the grain?
How to Slice Brisket
- Cut your brisket in half. This helps to separate the flat from the point.
- Slice your brisket flat against the grain.
- Turn your brisket point 90 degrees and slice in half.
- Slice the brisket point against the grain.
- Serve!
How much should you trim brisket?
Your goal is to find a happy medium that will leave you with moist and tender brisket, but not a lot of leftover fat. We suggest trimming the fat cap until about 1/4 inch of creamy white fat remains on the brisket flat. This should give you enough fat to prevent the meat from drying out as it cooks.
Should you trim the fat on a brisket?
Did I over trim my brisket?
During the long cooking process, some of the brisket fat will render out, giving the interior of the brisket a lovely juicy texture. If there’s too much, however, the excess will turn rubbery, so the meat will be tough and unpleasant to chew.
What is the Aaron Franklin Method for Smoked brisket?
The Aaron Franklin method for smoking brisket has become one of the world’s most beloved barbecue techniques. Learn how to make one of the world’s best smoked brisket recipes today! Prepare the brisket by trimming the fat off it. Leave the flat and point attached.
How much should I trim my brisket?
Trimming brisket is a fine balancing act. Leaving too much fat on will make it rubbery. Trimming too much off will make it dry. As a rule, try to remove about one-inch of fat across the flat cap. Brisket often contains a thick membrane called the deckle. For meat geeks, this sits between the rib cage and the pectoralis profundus muscle.
What is the best way to cut a brisket for smoking?
Cut off all the big chunks of fat around the point. I like to trim it so that a quarter inch of fat is left on the meat. I also recommend cutting the silver skin off the non-fatty side of the flat cut. This will allow the smoke to more fully penetrate the meat and is easier to eat.
Should you cook your brisket fat side up or down?
Despite what you might hear, the truth is that meat can’t absorb fat ( source ). On the other hand, leaving it facing down can create a lot of run-off, with the rendered fat from the cap dripping directly onto the foot of your chamber. Understandably, this has led to lot of debate around whether you should place your brisket fat side up or down.